Chosen
“And [the angel Gabriel] came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. Luke 1:28-31
The angel Gabriel was one busy angel! First, he was sent to Zechariah to tell him that he would be the father of John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah. Six months later, Gabriel was sent to Mary, the mother of Jesus. And there are at least two other sightings of angels recorded in the Biblical account of Jesus’ birth. Joseph, betrothed to Mary, was told by an angel of the Lord in a dream that he would be the earthly father of Jesus. And, of course, who can forget the angel who appeared to the shepherds to announce the birth of the Savior . . . followed by the multitude of angels who sang His praises! Angels everywhere?
Have you ever attempted to put yourself into the shoes of those mentioned in the Scriptures? I often wonder what it would be like to encounter an angel knowingly and in person. This Christmas, I’ve been thinking a lot about Mary and her encounter with Gabriel. It must have been alarming, if not terrifying, to be going about one’s daily routine and then, suddenly, experience the presence of an angel. And then, to hear the angel’s message, “Greetings favored one, the Lord is with you!” Favored? What does that mean? How is that true? No wonder the angel began the next part of the message with words of comfort, “Do not be afraid, Mary . . ..”
Pondering the angel’s greeting, I wonder if there was more to those words. What was the angel addressing with those words? Was Gabriel addressing Mary’s initial surprise and probable fear being in the presence of an angel? Or were Gabriel’s words a precursor to the news he was about to bring to Mary. “Do not be afraid Mary, for you . . . will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus.” Which is more frightening; to see an angel or to carry and raise the very Son of God?! How overwhelming and frightening it must have been for a young, teenage, and unmarried girl to contemplate that news. Me?! Carry a baby out of wedlock? Me?! Bear a child who is the Son of God? Me?! Chosen to carry the Messiah, the promised Savior?! ME?!
You and I have been chosen, too. But our calling wasn’t spoken by an angel. It was spoken by Jesus, Himself. “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” (John 20:21) And what has He sent us to do? What is it we are chosen to carry? You and I have been chosen to carry the Good News of forgiveness, life and salvation into the world. In a very real way, you and I have been chosen to “bear” God’s Son . . . to carry Jesus!
What’s your response to that call? Sometimes our response is “Me?! Carry Jesus?!” And then the excuses follow. “Me?! I’m not good with words. I wouldn’t know what to say? Me?! Who am I to carry Jesus. I’m nobody worth noting. Me?! I’d rather not! I’d rather not stand out like that.”
In the midst of those fears, Jesus says to us, “Peace be with you . . . Receive the Holy Spirit”. (John 20;21 & 22) He’s tell us, “You’re not alone. I have sent my Spirit to be with you, to guide you, to help you, to counsel you, to equip you for the task.”
This year, we are observing “a year on mission” here at Peace. We are intentionally seeking ways we can share the love of Jesus and His gift of forgiveness in our homes, our communities, and beyond. It may seem daunting. I may cause a bit of angst or fear. Consider this. It’s called the Great Commission – for good reason. We are on mission. We’ve been chosen to be part of God’s mission; to seek and save the lost. But we don’t have to do all the carrying, the heavy lifting, on our own. It’s a CO-mission. We are chosen. But we aren’t alone! God is with us!
And so, we pray . . . “Oh come, O come, Immanuel (our God with us)!”
Merry Christmas!
Pastor Tim
