Angels have a large part in the Christmas story.
As we travel towards the end of Advent, towards the end of the waiting and preparation, I feel like we have to talk about angels. Angels are divine messengers sent from God. They are found in various places in the Bible, but are key in the introduction of Christ.
Gabriel makes his first appearance to Zechariah, who was a priest, to tell him he and his wife Elizabeth would have a son. Now, Elizabeth was barren and well past child-bearing years, but my pastor pointed out on Sunday, that Zechariah should have been an easy sell. He was a priest, who was well acquainted with the law and with the Torah. He knew the story of Abraham and Sarah who were promised a child and didn’t get one until Sarah was 90 years old. He knew the story, but did he believe it?
When Gabriel appeared to him in the temple, to tell him the good news, one would think he would be overjoyed. After all, Zechariah had been praying about being childless for years. Gabriel told Zechariah about how great the child would be and how he would prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. But, Zechariah was filled with doubt. He didn’t believe. The unbelief of the holy man, angered Gabriel and he struck Zechariah unable to speak until after the baby was born.
Six month later, Gabriel made a second visit to tell of the coming of another miraculous birth. This news would surely be a harder sell. He was sent from God to tell a young teenage girl, a virgin, that she would bear the son of God. Mary didn’t understand at first. She asked how? Gabriel explained. He also told her that her cousin Elizabeth was pregnant and ended with, “For nothing is impossible with God.”Mary’s answer was a stark contrast to Zechariah’s.
She simply replied, “I am the Lords servant. May it be to me as you have said.” Luke 1:38 She basically said, whatever is God’s will, I will do, and in submitting to God’s will, she changed the history of mankind forever.
I’ve often thought about Gabriel’s very different reactions to Mary and Zechariah’s questions. Why was he so short-tempered with Zechariah and patient with Mary? The answer is Zechariah was an old man. He had been a holy man the majority of his life. How could he teach others about the power of the Almighty God and not believe himself? Did he not believe that God was capable of miracles?
Mary on the other hand, was little more than a child. She should have been terrified. She should have been filled with doubt. She only asked, “how?” When Gabriel told her, she believed. He gently reminded her that nothing was impossible with God and she believed. Jesus would later grow up and talk about the faith of a child and it’s importance. His mother set a fine example for him.
As we close in on Christmas, let’s try to remember that huge truth that Gabriel told Mary. Let’s try not to put God in a box. As we get ready to celebrate the miracle of Jesus’ birth, let’s embrace the fact, “Nothing is impossible with God.”
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂