Repeat the Sounding Joy

3. Surprise!

It's me again God,

This time of the year is filled with expectancy and surprises! I was just woken by a parcel delivery, very early on Saturday morning. It set my heart thumping as I was in a deep sleep at the time and I wondered if there was some sort of emergency, perhaps with a neighbour or family member. I was very relieved that it was just a parcel!

This surprise visitor at the door makes me think of what it must have been like for young Mary when she was suddenly, unexpectedly visited by the angel. She was obviously quite shocked by his presence and confused by the words he spoke:

"In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He 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, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.""
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:26-33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It was the most incredible news but I am not surprised by Mary's response:

""How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?""
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:34‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It's a wonder Mary could speak at all!  Her shock was evident in her words as there was a definite problem in her current status but the angel had a response because God had a plan:

"The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on 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. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.""
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:35-37‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Any further questions would have been stopped as Mary took in this information. I can't imagine how surprised I would be if I was told I would conceive a child who would be Your Son! However, confirmation was given in the news that her relative was also miraculously pregnant. The angel concluded with a very powerful statement, reminding Mary that Your Word will never fail!  I am always amazed at Mary's faith filled response:

""I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May your word to me be fulfilled." Then the angel left her."
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:38‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Mary then headed off to Elizabeth's house and must have been very reassured by her greeting:

"At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!""
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:39-45‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Thank You for my surprise visitor at the door and all such surprises at Christmas, reminding me of the best surprise of all! Thank You for sending Jesus to be born to a humble, young woman. You could have brought Jesus into the world as the child of a King, to be born in a palace but this way says so much about who You are and that You loved the whole world, even the young and seemingly insignificant! I love You so much and look forward to sharing this Good News with the people I meet today.

In Jesus' Name,
Amen.