The Promise: Love

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be always acceptable to thee, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer and Lord, give us here today, eyes to see and ears to hear so we can learn your word together as a family. We offer you all the praise, honor, and Glory for it in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Good morning, my fellow encouragers!

For the past few weeks, we’ve been exploring the themes of Advent. In the first week, we discovered that God’s promised hope came through Jesus, who offers hope for our present and future—the second week focused on the promise of peace given to the shepherds, heralding a new government. Last week, we found deep joy in the promise of the Savior’s arrival. Today, we reflect on the promise of love embodied in a baby in a manger.

At today’s service, we will set up the Creche, a nativity scene representing God’s birth into the world. The word “nativity” comes from Latin, meaning “birth,” and this scene showcases the importance of Jesus’s arrival surrounded by Mary, Joseph, animals, shepherds, and angels.

In today’s culture, many couples host gender reveal parties, often elaborately planned and costly, with various creative ways to share the news. Regardless of individual experiences with such reveals, we can all agree that anticipation accompanies any new arrival, whether it’s a baby, puppy, or even a new oven. However, that anticipation must be tied in with preparation.

POINT #1: WE PREPARE FOR THE BIRTH OF SOMETHING NEW.

The nativity, or the birth of Jesus, is significant not just as a historical event but as a reminder that God desires for Christ to be born within each of us today. As the Advent season draws to a close, let’s consider how we can prepare ourselves for all God wants to do in our lives.

In our OT lesson this morning, Isaiah 7:14 promises, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will call his name Immanuel (God with us).” This would signify to God’s people that they had not been forgotten in their sinful and broken states. Instead, when they see a virgin give birth to a child, they see the tangible love of God coming into the world to rescue us all. The instruction given in Isaiah is to be prepared.

It’s instruction for us today, too. Be ready for this revelation. Live our lives with the expectation that God will come to us. Make space in our lives. Make room for the birth of a work of God within us right now, even before the arrival comes.

In the New Testament, the accounts in St. Matthew and St. Luke highlight God’s arrival in our messy lives. In St. Luke’s Gospel, 1:26–33, the message brought by the angel is that Mary would conceive a child within her womb whose name would be Jesus.

Now, there is a big key to the story here. Mary is a virgin, engaged, and has not yet married Joseph, so this announcement must have been difficult to process.

What? What do you mean I am going to become pregnant? What do you mean this child, Jesus, will be the Son of the Most High, a king who will rule over all things?

When God is ready to do something new, it almost always is a disruption. In a broken world marked by sin, the arrival of love is disruptive.

POINT #2: WHEN GOD SHOWS UP, OUR LIVES ARE DISRUPTED.

Mary’s life is taking a turn she could have never expected. As far as she knew, she was about to marry this nice Jewish man, Joseph, when she was suddenly chosen to give birth to the world’s Savior. This was an evident disruption.

Imagine Joseph’s confusion when Mary, his fiancée, becomes pregnant, claiming an angel told her it’s God’s child. For Joseph, this was a disruption.

For the political power of that day, King Herod controlled all of Israel. For this baby to come into the world and be the Son of God, the King of kings, all the old kings would have to go. This was also a disruption.

Such disruptions stem from God’s profound love, indicating something new is being birthed in us. We face two choices: to avoid … or to embrace these disruptions. When God aims to do something new in our lives, it often feels confusing and uncontrollable.

If we’re grappling with disruption—a new job, a painful loss of some kind, a sin that’s finally found us out, relationship issues, or a pressing need—consider that this might be God’s grace pushing us toward transformation. Many have spent years avoiding these disruptions, missing the chance to grow in faith and experience God’s love.

Just like Mary and Joseph, God wants to do something world-changing through us, but we must decide how to respond. Mary’s response to the angel was a genuine question, “How will this be?”

Her concern was valid—what was proposed seemed impossible. Yet, the angel reassured her that with God, nothing is impossible. Mary had doubts but was ultimately open to God’s miraculous work.

POINT # 3: WE ALL HAVE NEW-BIRTH EXCUSES.

Many of us have reasons we think prevent God from doing a new work in our lives. We might say things like, “My marriage is too far gone,” or “I can’t be loved due to my mistakes,” or “Restoration with my child is impossible,” or “I’ll never overcome my debt or addiction.” These excuses can hinder our ability to experience renewal.

St. Luke 1:34 tells us, “Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin and have no intimacy with any man?” Like Mary, we point out how, from a human perspective, it does not make sense for God to be able to do work in and through us. But look how the angel responded to her excuse.

St. Luke 1:35 – “…“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a cloud]; for that reason the holy (pure, sinless) Child shall be called the Son of God.”

The angel’s message to Mary reminds us that what seems impossible for us is possible for God. Just as the angel said, “The Holy Spirit will come on you,” we are reassured that God’s power can work within us.

Our valid reasons for not starting fresh this Christmas may seem all too real, but through God’s love, anything is possible. The nativity transformed the world and continues to do so today. God desires to bring something new in us, regardless of our circumstances.

Mary exemplifies surrender in her response: “May it be done to me according to your word.” She willingly embraces God’s plan, trusting in His love even when the whole picture isn’t clear.

POINT #4: WHEN WE SUBMIT TO GOD, HIS PROMISES CAN BE FULFILLED IN AND THROUGH US

What if we committed to a posture of submission to God this Christmas season? Our greatest need shapes our submission.

Author and Pastor Max Lucado said, “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; if our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; if our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; if our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; but our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior.”

Mary embraced the disruption of giving birth to Jesus, knowing the world’s greatest need was God’s love and grace. If we adopt this posture, how might God use us to birth something new in someone else’s life?

The birth of Jesus wasn’t just for Mary and Joseph; it ushered in the kingdom of heaven, dedicated to healing the broken and rescuing the lost. Love is the norm in the kingdom of God, as echoed in Jesus’s command: “…love one another” (John 13:34).

As we draw closer to Christmas Day, let’s consider how we might do something new to give love to others. Maybe it is finding a local family to buy gifts for as an extension of generosity and love. Perhaps it is serving at a local mission or homeless shelter during the holiday. Maybe it is inviting a neighbor to eat a meal and developing a new relationship. Perhaps it is beginning new family traditions that put Jesus first.

This is what happens to us when we believe the good news of Jesus’s birth as more than just a historical fact but also a promise that affects our present. Our lives can be changed, and in so doing, we can have an eternal impact on the lives of those around us.

So, may we be people who, like Mary, are eager to say, “May it be done to me according to your word.” You do whatever you want to do in me, God!