Hope of the Arrival!

The Annunciation, 1472~ Leonardo di Vinci

Uffizi, Florence

"Where there's hope, there's life.  It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again." ~Anne Frank

❗There's nothing as anticipated as a new baby.  Have you been to a gender reveal?  People are so creative in how they disclose the sex of their baby to be- both to each other and to their friends and family.  Creative and a little bit crazy. 

❗One couple used their favorite alligator to bite into a watermelon to reveal the sex.  Another couple used a baseball and bat to reveal, but the husband swung and missed, with the ball hitting the grandfather in the face.  Whoops. 

❗Another expectant dad was running to kick a revealing football but slipped, fell and broke his ankle. 

My son loves golf so my daughter-in-law let him hit a golf ball that exploded either blue or pink.  No injuries.

❗Announcements are so much fun, but I don't think any has been anticipated for as long (~ 4000 years)  or as miraculous as the announcement of the Messiah, the One who would save the world.  From the fall of man in the Garden of Eden , the prophecy of the Messiah was declared (Gen 3:15). 

In Luke 1 the birth of John the Baptist is foretold to an older couple-Zechariah and Elizabeth- who had no children and were righteous people living in a godless time.  They were told by the angel Gabriel that their son would be set apart for God, going ahead, preaching repentance so people's hearts would be ready to receive the Lord when He came. 

The Angel Gabriel Appearing to Zechariah by Alexander Ivanov, 

State Russia Museum in St. Petersburg

❗Elizabeth praised God for His kindness to her (Luke 1:25).  

❗Zechariah praised God and prophesied about Jesus (Luke 1:67-79)

❗The same angel visited Mary to tell her she would be the virgin mother of Jesus, the Son of the Most High God.  (Luke 1:26-27)

The Annunciation, Edward Frampton

❗Mary beautifully praised God in what is called "The Magnificat" (Luke 1:46-55)  because, as the angel said,  "nothing is impossible with God". 

❗Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth & they both praised God together, as the baby inside Elizabeth jumped for joy when Mary entered.  (Luke 1:41)

Jump for Joy Visitation Mary and Elizabeth, Corby Eisbacher

❗Mary and Elizabeth didn't "But God..." because of the challenges; they had faith and accepted it.  Zechariah didn't immediately accept it, and was stricken silent because of his lack of faith.  But he learned that God could make it happen, and praised Him.

Zechariah and Holy Silence, Marina Berzins McCoy

This Christmas season, what are our resistances to God?  Are our prayers big enough for the powerful, omniscient God that we believe in?  Are the challenges not what we ordered? Do we think God can't handle them? 

❗Do our circumstances seem as unpredictable and unstable as those these women faced?  Think about it - they could not fathom the outcome of an older woman having a baby and a virgin birth, but praised God anyway, out of faith and trust in who God is, not who we are.  

He created everything, owns everything and can do anything!

"The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;" Ps 24:1

"For all the animals of the forest are mine, I own the cattle on a thousand hills." Ps 50:10

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us." Eph 3:20 

❗Let's announce the joy to the world, the Lord has come!

✙ Lord, we praise You for the unpredictable and miraculous way You brought us our Savior, Your precious Son.  Thank You that we cannot even fathom it or Your Love, because You are so indescribable and we are Your creation.  To think You knew we would need a Savior and had a redemption plan back at the beginning!  Help us this Christmas to announce by our love, words and actions that we believe in the One and Only God most High, and the Son You sent to redeem our souls.  Amen.