12/21/2015

Luke 1:26-33 “26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

Up until this point in our Advent Devotional, we have been looking at the effect of Christ on the life of believer. In essence we have been reading the end of the story. Now in the final moments leading up our celebration of Christ’s birth, it is time to go back and look at the beginning. Nothing that happened in the life of Jesus was an accident. He did not stumble into Messiahship, or have it thrust upon him by overzealous followers.

 Gabriel spells out at the very beginning of Jesus life on this earth exactly who Jesus is and exactly what He is going to do. A perfectly planned gift is neither haphazard nor spontaneous. The miracles, the sermons, the training of the disciples, the parables, the baptisms, the journeys, even the cross itself, all of it was an intentionally predesigned plan to fundamentally transform all of creation. THAT is how much God loves you!