Luke 1:26-28 (NIVUK)
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 favoured! The Lord is with you.’
Yesterday I mentioned the wonderful video of a boy revealing his part in his nativity play to his parents; here it is!
I love that he is so delighted to have this part. Over Advent we’re going to be looking at the Christmas story ‘Through Mary’s Eyes’, and I hope as we do so that we’ll rediscover something of this delight for ourselves. Gabriel announces at the start of this week’s passage that Mary is ‘highly favoured’ because ‘the Lord is with you’. The story of Christmas is the story of God the Son taking on flesh and stepping into creation to be with us, as he is still today by his Spirit. God is with us and for us, if that doesn’t bring delight, I don’t know what will!
Lord, how astonishing it is to have your favour, to know that you are with us and for us.
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