Advent
means “coming”. Many of us are probably familiar with the fact that, beginning
last Sunday, we are now in a four week period that prepares us to welcome the
birth of Christ on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Hundreds of thousands of
Christians all over the world observe this season of Advent and mark it as the
beginning of the new Church calendar year.
Sometimes
God speaks a word to us that is too wonderful, too marvelous, too unbelievable
for us to take in. In the first century the mighty angel, Gabriel, visited the
Middle East to bring wondrous and marvelous news of God’s intentions for
mankind. Side by side, early in the gospel of St. Luke, is the account of the
angel’s visit to two surprised individuals foretelling births of a most unusual
kind - John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Zechariah, a priest, suddenly encounters the angel of the Lord, Gabriel, as he undergoes his priestly duties in the temple but sadly he questions the plan and wants more information and thus displays his unbelief. Now in contrast, the young maiden, Mary, hears the most astounding plans that God purposes and her response is belief. She may not have completely understood how everything would take place but she trusted God and said “yes”. What strikes me in these two accounts is the challenge to say “yes” to God as He reveals His good purposes for us even in the face of news that seems too wonderful and incredible for us to believe.
Two
responses and if anyone might believe the news we would have guessed it would
be the mature, spiritual Zechariah. Yet, it is Mary who beautifully responds,
“I am the Lord’s servant or handmaid, may it be to me as you have said”. Today
we praise God for her obedience and marvel at God’s sovereign work in her life.
Observing Advent, year after year, is a powerful way of not only preparing
God’s people to meaningfully celebrate Christ’s first coming, the holy festival
of Christmas, but it points us to Christ’s second coming as a way of renewing
our anticipation of that splendid day.
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