strength
December 22, 2019
All I Want for Christmas: Strength
Gabriel came to Mary and told her she was going to bear a son…and not just any boy, but one who would be the Son of God, the great King of Israel, who’s kingdom would never end. That is a promise that the One coming into the world would be stronger than any other ruler; any other hope; any other leader. Do we not look for strength in our own world? We want leaders with clear vision and a decisive nature. We want someone to offer protection and fairness in our lives. Like Herbert Hoover promised in his presidential campaign of 1928, we want someone to make sure we get “a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage.” But then came 1929. The coming of the Messiah is the strength we are looking for.
Luke 1:26-33
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
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.”