Advent Devotion Week 3 Day 3
Angel Gabriel, God Makes the Impossible Possible, and Luke 1:26-38
Advent Week Three continues as the angel Gabriel announces Jesus' birth to a young, engaged Nazarene virgin. This devotion on Luke 1:26-28 offers four steps for engaging the Word provided. Feel free to browse and use what meets your needs today. Enjoy.
Step 1: Read Luke 1: 26-38.
Step 2: Enjoy the FollowingRreflection on Luke 1:26-38, "God Makes the Impossible Possible"
"In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, 'Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you" (Luke 1:26-28).
Yet again, God makes the impossible possible. A virgin woman, yet to be married, is about to get news that will change the world. A human being, Mary, God transformed for His glory in a way that still boggles human understanding millenia later.
Angels had come to other people in the Bible before Mary -- angels warned Lot against staying in the city, they guided Hagar, Abraham's concubine, to save her child, Ham, they shocked shepherds watching their flocks by night with Jesus' birth-and indeed, many people still believe angels guide and encourage them today.
If God cares so much to send angels to inform people, past and present, of God's work in the world, then perhaps the angel Gabriel's words are meant for us all. "Greetings, favoured One! The Lord is with you" (Luke 1:28). Repeat those words to yourself three times for an instant Spirit high!
Of course, the Lord is not with everyone in the way He was with Mary. Still, God guides, shapes, inspires, heals, and nurtures all of God's beloved children in hopes that they, too, will choose life.
Choosing life with God means being open to the impossible. Mary questions the angel about God's news, indicating that she struggled to make sense of what God had planned for her life. The angel's words-"the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God"- make no sense in the world's eyes (Luke 1:35). God, however, makes the impossible possible.
After struggling, Mary let go and trusted God to make the impossible possible. "Then Mary said, 'Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). Mary's "yes" changed the world, not only because of who she bore, but because of the example she sets for Christians everywhere.
Saying "yes" when God's plan sounds crazy is, indeed, the basis of faith. Saying "yes" when all one's education, training, wordly experience, and desires yell "impossible" is the basis of faith. Saying "yes" when God's invitation seems absurd is the basis of faith.
This Advent season, as the world continues to prepare for Jesus' birth, let all believers, like Mary, be open to God's invitation, be brave enough to question and struggle, and be faithful enough to say "yes" to all that is possible in God. Amen.
Step 3: Reflection Questions over Luke 1:26-38
1. What, if any, experience have you had with angels- either heavenly or earthly ones? How has a message from God saved you in difficult times? How might you be more open to share messages from God with others?
2. Recall a time when you said "yes" to God even though God's plan seemed impossible. Spend a little time reflecting on how that "yes" changed your life, or the lives of others, and give God thanks for the experience.
Step 4: Closing Prayer on "Gods Makes the Impossible Possible" and Luke 1:26-38
God who makes the impossible possible, thank you for all those throughout history who have said "yes" to you, and for how their faith has changed the world. Continue to guide and strengthen your people, that more may take the same risks and welcome Jesus more deeply into the world. Amen.
Other Suggestions for Advent Prayer
Luke 1:26-38 offers a template for how God yearns for relationship with all His beloved children. Read the passage several time and reflect on all the characters mentioned: the angel Gabriel, Mary, Jesus, yet to be born, and the Lord Himself. Imagine yourself holding a conversation with one of the characters in the scene. Who would you talk with? What might you say? Spend some time in prayer sharing your heart with the person in question, and see where God might lead you.
For other advent devotions, try Advent Devotion Week 3 Day 2 John the Baptist, Witness to Light, and John 1:6-12. or Advent Devotion Week 3 Day 4 Zechariah, the Archangel Gabriel, and Luke 1:5-25.
SOURCES:
Holy Bible, NRSV. Oremus Bible Browser. 2008.
Zimmerman, Mark. Stirring Up Advent. Creative Communications for the Parish. 2008.
Annunciation by Henry Ossawa Tanner
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