Don’t be afraid.
Let those words soak into your heart today. The angels said them often when appearing to humans in the Bible.
We are smack dab in the middle of a series called, Do Not Be Afraid, The Angels of Christmas. Last time, we met Zechariah and Gabriel, Elizabeth’s angel. He came to tell Zechariah that he was going be a dad and Elizabeth was going to be a mom. Being old, this was especially good news for Elizabeth, who felt that God had been kind to her after waiting so long for her dream to be realized, of having a child.
Beginning in verse 26, in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee to a virgin named Mary. Let’s pick it up here!
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Transcription:
Don’t be afraid. Let those words soak into your heart today. The angels said them so often when they appear to humans in the Bible. Hi, I’m Erica welcoming you to the Bible For Busy People. We are smack dab in the middle of a series called. Do not be afraid, the angels of Christmas. Last time we met Zechariah and Elizabeth’s angel. His name was Gabriel, and he came to tell Zechariah that he was gonna be a dad, and Elizabeth was gonna be a mom. And they were, like, really old . It was good news, especially for Elizabeth, who felt that God had been kind to her after she had waited so long for her dream of having a child to come true.
We’re gonna pick up the story today in Luke chapter one. There is where we’ll meet the angel Gabriel again in Elizabeth’s second trimester. Beginning in verse 26, in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, greetings favored woman. The Lord is with you. Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. Here come our takeaway verses 30 and 31. Don’t be afraid, Mary, the angel told her. For you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to his son and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the son of the most high. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David, and he will reign over Israel forever. His kingdom will never end. Mary asked the angel, but how can this happen? I am a virgin. The angel replied, the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the most high will overshadow you. So, the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the son of God. What’s more your relative, Elizabeth, [who we met last time] has become pregnant In her old age. People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. [This is my favorite part.] For the word of God will never fail. Mary responded, I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true. And then the angel left her.
I want to be just like Mary. When God calls me to do something, however crazy or astonishing it may seem, I want to say yes. I want to completely trust him, even if I don’t quite understand all of it. I’ll never forget it was many years ago, my friend Wendy invited me to her Bible study. I still remember where I was standing in the kitchen in our little townhouse in North Carolina, and she said something very unusual. She said, when we invite people to this Bible study, we want you to commit to it. It can’t be like, I’m gonna come one week and not the next. And I remember thinking, oh dear. I don’t know. Life gets busy sometimes. My kids were young at the time, but I did say yes, and I wound up meeting some of my closest friends. We’re still on a text group together, and we pray for each other and cheer each other on. And it was one of my best yeses, even though I felt a little put on the spot in the moment in my kitchen thinking, I don’t know if I can. It was a wonderful yes, and I knew that God was calling me to do it.
Not quite as crazy and astonishing as being asked to carry the son of God. But as we sit here together, during the Christmastime season, think about it, you and I have something in common with Mary. Were also asked to carry the good news wherever we go. Sometimes that looks like just offering a smile to a stranger, or building a relationship with the server at the restaurant you go to every weekend. Learning their name, or taking a moment to text somebody you love who doesn’t yet know God, and just share something encouraging with them.
Even just say, Hey, I love you. I’m thinking about you. Anything I can pray for you? There are so many ways to shine. There are so many ways to share the good news. Just like Mary, you and I have the opportunity to carry it into this world. It’s a dark place right now, but have you ever noticed when you light a candle in a dark room, people are drawn to it?
So shine. Shine in this dark world so that others may be drawn to Jesus, who came into this dark world to bring all the light. Until next time, you are loved.
Thank you so much for listening to the Bible for busy people. If you need prayer or you’re ready to go a little deeper in your faith, we’ve posted some resources for you in our show notes. We’d love for you to share this podcast with a friend and leave us a review. It helps us reach even more people with the hope of Jesus. This podcast is part of Purposely, a podcast network designed with practical podcasts to help you find and live in God’s purpose for your life.
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