Immanuel Announced
by Ron Rose
Six months after the angel Gabriel foretold the birth of the prophet John, Gabriel appeared again to announce another birth -- the birth of the Messiah himself. This time Gabriel was sent to a teenage girl promised to be married to a carpenter named Joseph. She had been selected to be the mother of the Messiah while she was still a virgin. At first she was afraid, unsure. How could this happen?
The hope of the world hung there as young Mary pondered the unbelievable message from Gabriel. The God of heaven was moving ever closer to his people. His heavenly presence had been experienced on mountains, then in the tabernacle, and now his presence would be living in human form, inside the womb of a teenager. She had been handpicked by God to bring Immanuel into the world. After Gabriel calmed her fears, she was humbled by God's extraordinary blessing. How could she say no to Almighty God?
Mary's response was perfect: "I am the Lord's servant. Let this happen to me as you say!" No mother, before or after Mary, has had an experience that can compare to Mary's next nine months -- feeling the Savior of the world, the Son of God, kicking in her womb.
Reflection: To the hosts of heaven and the legions of angels this must have seemed like a risky venture at best -- to place the hope of the world in the response and hands of an unproven teenager. Yet God in his wisdom looks for those who, like Mary, willingly place their future in his hands and say, "I am the servant of the Lord. Let this happen to me as you say.
Posted: 07/26/2003
URL: http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200307/20030726_diary57.htmlText copyright (c) 1997, Multnomah Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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