THE GREATEST THING

  

THE FAVOUR OF GOD

READ: LUKE 1:26-38 (²⁶Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth,

²⁷       to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

²⁸       And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you."

²⁹       But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.

³⁰       The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.

³¹       "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.

³²       "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;

³³       and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end."

³⁴       Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"

³⁵       The angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.

³⁶       "And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.

³⁷       "For nothing will be impossible with God."

³⁸                    And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.)

Mary said “behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” Luke 1:38. God sent his Angel Gabriel to earth twice before Christ birth: first, to tell Zechariah that the forerunner of the promised Messiah would be born in his home, and second to tell Mary that the Messiah would be conceived in her womb. When Mary heard that she accepted God’s will; she believed “according to God’s will”.

Angel Gabriel was speaking the words God had told him to speak. All that was happening was according to God’s word, for it was His works. The angel told Mary that she was highly favoured. What is more, through her child, God will show divine favour to all people. Angel Gabriel said that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and that the child was of God. She was a virgin. The child’s conception was God’s action, performed by his Holy spirit, the angel told her that the power of the Highest would overshadow her.

MUSTARD SEED OF WISDOM: The promise of God never fail.

PRAYER POINT: grant me Holy Spirit to increase my faith in you.