Speaker: Courtesy LHM

Ugh! Who wants to think about enemies at Christmas time? But unfortunately, enemies are a fact of life—and they are a major reason Jesus came into the world.

That is the kind of God we have—a God who cares about us so much that He came down into our world to be with us, to be one of us, to live and to suffer and die for us so that we could live forever with Him

If you are living with family conflict, God understands your feelings. God has been there. He cares about you—yes, and about your family as well. Jesus lay down His life so that you could become a member of His family—a child of God, beloved, known, and wanted.

I imagine she spent a lot of time thinking about this late at night while the family slept. I suspect she spent a lot of time praying about this with Elizabeth and silent Zechariah. They all knew it would be a challenge

Together they look forward to a day when God will raise the humble and forgotten to places of honor—not through their own deserving, but through the salvation of Jesus.

God puts us together in hard times. Here is Mary, about to face the trial of her life—young, unmarried, and pregnant. She has a fiancé to tell, parents to deal with, a village to face. What to do? What to do first? God knows.

And God is doing it on His own—no human arrangements are necessary. God’s salvation is entirely His own work—from Jesus’ conception to His suffering, death, and resurrection. And we are the joyful receivers!

A son to inherit the throne of David? To rule over Israel forever? This baby will be the Messiah. Two thousand years after He said it to Abraham, God is keeping His promise at last.

It is not a mistake. God knew what He was doing when He chose Mary, and He made her able to do the work He called her to do. God knew what He was doing when He called you to be His dear child—to trust in His Son Jesus, your Savior, to be forgiven and made new and clean. He has work for you, too. He will carry you through it, however great or small.