by Pastor Douglas Brauner

Holding on to the Mystery of God’s Love

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“The angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy child developing inside you will be called the Son of God.'”
Luke 1:35 GOD’S WORD Translation

The young woman, a virgin from the town of Nazareth asked a simple question of the angel Gabriel, “How will this be?” How could she become a mother when she had not had relations with any man. Though Mary was quite young, she was well versed in the birds and bees. Her question does not flow from doubt. “If I become pregnant, how is it going to happen?”

I don’t think she expected Gabriel’s answer.

“You will become pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit.” God once again defies his own created order to fulfill the promises he made to Adam and Eve, to Abraham, and to King David. Mary will give birth to a child, a boy who would exit the warmth and confines of her womb like all children do. This child would “be called the Son of God.”

You and I cannot understand what Mary thought the moment Gabriel informed her of what was going to happen. We also struggle to understand the implications that the God of all creation, the God of unnumbered stars and galaxies, chose to save a hopeless people from sin, death, and the devil. It will always be more than we can comprehend with our dinosaur sized brains.

“Mary answered, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let everything you’ve said happen to me.”
Luke 1:38 (GW)

Mary didn’t need to understand everything to hold on to Gabriel’s words. We don’t need to understandexactly how it is the God can become human in a baby born for us. As we adore the child born for us this Christmas, may we believe the promise of God’s love fulfilled for us in this baby born to be our Savior.

Merry Christmas!

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado