JESUS' BIRTH PROMISED
photo courtesy of Wikipedia
26) In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27) to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28) The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
29) Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30) But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31) You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. 32) He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, 33) and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end."
34) "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
35) The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. 36) Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37) For nothing is impossible with God."
38) "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered, May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. Luke 1: 26-38 The Application Study Bible (NIV)
COMMENTARY
Mary was young, poor, female--all characteristics that, to the people of the day, would make her seem unusable by God for any major task. But God chose Mary for one of the most important acts of obedience He has ever demanded of anyone. You may feel that your ability, experience, or education makes you an unlikely candidate for God's service. Don't limit God's choices. He can draft you for service if you trust Him.
God's favor does not automatically bring instant success or fame. His blessing on Mary, the honor of being the mother of The Messiah, would lead to much pain: her peers would ridicule her; her fiance' would come close to leaving her; her Son would be rejected and murdered. But through her Son would come the world's only Hope, and this is why Mary has been praised by countless generations as the young girl who "found favor with God." Her submission was part of God's plan to bring about our salvation. If sorrow weighs you down and dims your hope, think of Mary and wait patiently for God to finish working out His plan.
CENTURIES earlier, God had promised King David that his kingdom would last forever. This promise was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus, a direct descendant of David, Whose reign will continue throughout eternity.
The birth of Jesus to a virgin is a miracle that many people find hard to believe. These three facts can aid our faith: (1) Luke was a medical doctor, and he knew perfectly well how babies are made. It would have been just as hard for him to believe in a virgin birth as it is for us, and yet he reports it as fact. (2) Luke was a painstaking researcher who based his Gospel on eyewitness accounts. Tradition holds that he talked with Mary about the events he recorded in the first two chapters. This is Mary's story, not a fictional invention. (3) Christians and Jews, who worship God as the creator of the universe, should believe that God has the power to create a child in a virgin's womb.
Jesus was born without the sin that entered the world through Adam. He was born holy, just as Adam was created sinless. In contrast to Adam, who disobeyed God, Jesus obeyed God and was thus able to face sin's consequences in our place and make us acceptable to God.
A young unmarried girl who became pregnant risked disaster. Unless the father of the child agreed to marry her, she would probably remain unmarried for life. If her own father rejected her, she could be forced into begging or prostitution in order to earn her living. And Mary, with her story about being made pregnant by the Holy Spirit, risked being considered crazy as well. Still Mary said, despite the possible risks, "May it be to me as you have said."
When Mary said that, she didn't know about the tremendous opportunity she would have. SHE ONLY KNEW THAT GOD WAS ASKING HER TO SERVE HIM, AND SHE WILLINGLY OBEYED. Don't wait to see the bottom line before offering your life to God. Offer yourself willingly, even when the outcome seems disastrous.
Do you know this Most Powerful God? He is reaching out to you today! Please click this link for more information about His priceless gift of salvation: http://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.
When Mary said that, she didn't know about the tremendous opportunity she would have. SHE ONLY KNEW THAT GOD WAS ASKING HER TO SERVE HIM, AND SHE WILLINGLY OBEYED. Don't wait to see the bottom line before offering your life to God. Offer yourself willingly, even when the outcome seems disastrous.
Do you know this Most Powerful God? He is reaching out to you today! Please click this link for more information about His priceless gift of salvation: http://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.
MY THOUGHTS
There are so many these days who watch vampire and zombie movies. Some even confess to believe in these creatures. Which is more believable to you....Jesus or zombies?
I have had an experience with a "spirit" years ago. It scared the stuffing out of me. I BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST.
What about you? What are your thoughts about this post? You are encouraged to share your thoughts in a comment. Also, if this ministry is a blessing to you, please feel free to share this post on your favorite social media.
What about you? What are your thoughts about this post? You are encouraged to share your thoughts in a comment. Also, if this ministry is a blessing to you, please feel free to share this post on your favorite social media.
You can also follow me at http://omaspolitics.blogspot.com/, http://omashealth.blogspot.com/, and http://omaslife.blogspot.com/. Just click the links.
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