Can We Believe, Too?

It is time to hear the message that God sent to Mary using his messenger, Gabriel. God wanted us to know that he was sending his son, Jesus Christ, to be the savior of this world and to give us the gift of salvation and eternal life. Rejoice! Open our hearts and minds to understand the story that was told so long ago.

Would you believe if you were told God is with you? Would you believe if were you were told that the impossible is possible? Would you believe if you were told that something that can’t be done would happen? Would you believe if you were told that you were highly favored by God? Would you believe it if I told you all of those things were true? Would you believe it if an angel appeared to you and told you? Would you believe? Would you be afraid or would you have faith and believe?

Isaiah 12:5 encourages us to “5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all of the world.” We are singing many songs to about the glorious event foretold in the scripture from Luke today. The whole Christmas story hinges on us understanding the announcement that Gabriel made to Mary.

Would you think that you were sleeping if an angel said hello? How would you tell your fiancé that you saw an angel today? How would tell your fiancé that you were going to have a baby and it wouldn’t be from the usual way? That is the situation that Mary faced in our scripture today.

We’ve celebrated a lot of women of the Bible this year. Ruth stayed faithful to her mother-in-law and believed in God. Hannah stayed faithful even when she couldn’t have children. Hannah waited her entire life for a child and still believed in God.

The Virgin Mary is very young in our story. She is just starting her teenage life. Mary had no plans for children yet. She wasn’t even married to Joseph. They probably hadn’t set the date to be married. She was pledged to Joseph when her life changed forever.

The story starts in Luke 1:26-28 at the same time when Mary’s cousin Elizabeth is six months pregnant. It says “In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

We learn a lot about Mary very quickly. She is pledged or betrothed to Joseph. A pledge to marry or betrothal is different from our modern idea of being engaged. Mary and Joseph were pledged to each other probably by their parents. It could be a long time between the pledge and when they would actually get married. Mary learned that she was highly favored by God. God highly favored Moses, King David and the prophets. God’s favor allows things to happen with God’s help that would not happen otherwise. She also learned that God was with her. We can have God’s favor as well.

I doubt if Mary ever expected to meet the angel Gabriel. The term angel comes from the Greek word angelos meaning “a messenger.” The only angels with names in the Bible are Gabriel and Michael. Gabriel’s name can be translated “strong man of God.” Gabriel is also described in the book of Daniel as being able to help Daniel understand visions. Gabriel was also trying to help Mary understand God’s plan for her.

Gabriel’s interaction with Daniel is described in Daniel 9:21-22 (Amplified Bible). Daniel tells about Gabriel “Yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the former vision, being caused to fly swiftly, came near to me and touched me about the time of the evening sacrifice. 22He instructed me and made me understand; he talked with me and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give you skill and wisdom and understanding.” Daniel understood that Gabriel was not man, but an angel. Gabriel was there give skill, wisdom, and understanding to Daniel and later to Mary and finally to us.

In Luke 1:29-33, Gabriel is trying to reassure Mary that she is favored by God and that she should not be afraid. It says “Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He 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, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

Gabriel moved from trying to make Mary feel safe to telling Mary that she is going to have God’s son. Did you hear that? Mary is going to be pregnant with God’s son! Mary is told to name the future baby boy Jesus. Wow! Gabriel said a lot very quickly. Gabriel connected Jesus back to King David who was promised that Jesus would be born from King David’s family tree. Gabriel also told Mary that Jesus would rule forever and that Jesus would have an everlasting kingdom that would not know any limits.

Now, we know that Mary was human by her next question in verse 34: “34"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" Gabriel looked like a man, but he had a powerful presence when he spoke to Mary. Mary understood that a woman could not be a virgin and be pregnant at the same time. This is the impossible part. Mary was asking how the impossible could be possible. Mary realized that she would have to tell her family and her fiancé Joseph. She better be able to explain how the impossible becomes fact.

The angel answered in Luke 1:35-37, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37For nothing is impossible with God."

Gabriel’s answer is the key to understanding how to be used by God. He tells Mary that the Holy Spirit will come upon you. The Holy Spirit is where the power is found. We need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Immaculate Conception is quickly explained by the power of the Most High overshadowing Mary. Gabriel also tells Mary that Elizabeth is six months pregnant with a child who would grow up to be John the Baptist. Gabriel also ends by telling Mary a wonderful fact: “For nothing is impossible with God."

Nothing is impossible if we have God in our life. Mary’s cousin Elizabeth had been barren her entire life. It was a well known fact that it was impossible for Elizabeth to ever have children. Now, Gabriel is telling Mary that two impossible events would be happening: 1) Elizabeth was having a child and 2) Mary was going to have God’s son, Jesus.

Mary’s answer sets a wonderful example for us to follow. She says in Luke 1:38 “I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.” Mary had the sense to believe that God could make the impossible come true. Can we tell God today that we are God’s servant and that we will live our lives according to God’s plan for us?

Gabriel’s job as God’s messenger was to make confusing and complex ideas easy to grasp. He basically told Mary that all things are possible with God. Gabriel also told Mary that the Holy Spirit was our personal connection to God. Gabriel also explained that Jesus would be the Son of God and also the Son of Man. Gabriel foretold that Jesus would rule this world forever.

Philipians 4:4-9 says to “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

“8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Rejoice! The birth of Jesus Christ is near. We are his people and he is our God. Gabriel came to us to tell us about the birth of Jesus Christ. Gabriel is our messenger that we should celebrate and rejoice that Jesus Christ is in our lives. We need to pray and petition God when we are sad or fearful. God will bring peace to us if we just ask. Philipians 4 is commanding us to think about that conversation between the angel Gabriel and Mary. It is also telling us to give thanks when we pray. I believe in thanking God before the prayer is answered. We also need to spend time thinking about what God’s message is for us today. Rejoice! Jesus Christ is coming into our lives. Jesus Christ is renewing our hearts, minds, and souls. God is asking us to take action just like Mary agreed to do.

We also must guard our hearts and minds to keep the fear and doubt of this world out. We need to allow the faith and belief in Jesus Christ to enter our hearts and minds. We must think thoughts that are true, pure, and admirable. We must also take action just like Mary did that day. She didn’t just listen to Gabriel. Mary took action. She listened, she questioned, she believed and she said “May it be to me as you have said.”

God gave us a wonderful gift many years ago. God is also renewing the gift of Jesus Christ is our lives today. Let us sing with joy and praise that Jesus Christ is born in our hearts. Isaiah 12:2-6 promises us a celebration to have Jesus Christ in our lives.

Isaiah 12:2-6 says “2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 In that day you will say: "Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all of the world. 6Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great are the Holy One of Israel among you."

Water has a special place in God’s story and my own story. The well verse could be talking about my life. “With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” It makes me think about a source of water without end that provides us with God’s salvation. That source of water without end is Jesus Christ! Let us sing to the Lord that he has done glorious things and let the world hear this year that Jesus Christ is born on Christmas Day! Let us shout aloud and sing for joy that Jesus Christ is our gift of salvation and that gift of salvation will flow out of a well that does not run dry.


It is time to hear the message that God sent to Mary using his messenger, Gabriel. God wanted us to know that he was sending his son, Jesus Christ, to be the savior of this world and to give us the gift of salvation and eternal life. Let us pray to God to understand the message that he sent for us to receive that an infant would be born in Bethlehem. Rejoice! Jesus Christ is alive in our hearts! Open our hearts and let the gift of the Christ child be born again into our lives. Amen!