Suggested Date: November 30th
Luke’s gospel opens with the announcement of two miraculous pregnancies. The first was that of long-barren, advanced-in-years Elizabeth, wife of the old priest Zacharias. Like Sarah’s conception of Isaac, Elizabeth’s pregnancy was impossible by all human standards, but it was nothing compared to the news Gabriel brought to Mary in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy.
Scripture: luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in
Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s
name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is
with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
digging deeper
1. What does this story tell us about God’s character?
2. Why did Jesus come as a baby?
3. When was a time you trusted God’s plan?
4. What does the angel tell Mary about the Son she will bear? What is she to name Him? What will He be
called?
5. What does Mary ask the angel?
6. Why does Gabriel bring up Elizabeth and her child? What truth about God does he want her to realize
according to verse 37?
wrap-up
Nothing is impossible with God! God had given the Jewish people a glimpse of the Messiah to come in
the miraculous birth of Isaac, the son of promise, born to 90-year old Sarah. In barren Elizabeth’s pregnancy came a review of this truth: God can bring life from a physically dead womb. In Mary, though, God does what is not merely highly improbable but patently impossible: causing a virgin to give birth to the ultimate Son of promise, the very Son of God. Are you facing something impossible today? Our God is the God of the impossible!
respond in worship
“This, this is Christ the king
Whom shepherds guard and
angels sing
Haste, haste to bring him laud
The babe, the son of Mary”
respond in prayer
God, Please help us to be ready and prepared to trust and obey you in everything, even when things seem impossible. Thank you that you speak to us and love us so much. Thank you that you are always with us. In Jesus name, Amen.