"JESUS FOR YOU"
Dec. 11, 2019
And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His Name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."
—Luke 1:30-33 (ESV)
Notice what the angel says to Mary—or rather, what he doesn't say. The angel doesn't say, "The pre-existent Son of God, the Source of your existence, is beginning His incarnation and the redemption of the cosmos." Imagine Mary's face if he had said that!? If it had been me, I would have been babbling: "The who, the what?"
No, he explains what God is doing in a way Mary can understand. Mary knows about pregnancy and babies and what it means to raise them. And as a good Jewish girl, she knows all about the coming Messiah, the Savior of her people.
What God is saying to Mary was this: "This Jesus is for you." He is for you personally, not for far-off theologians or professors at some college. He is your Savior. He is God-with-you, both your child and your Lord.
And God goes on saying this to each one of us, doesn't He? This Jesus is your Savior—the One who is with you in your troubled life and sets you free from the power of evil. He is the One who will walk with you even through death. He will raise you—you personally!—from the dead on the day that He comes back, because you are His and He is yours.
THE PRAYER: Lord, thank You that You have given Yourself to me as my Savior. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
- Have you taken care of a baby? Is it an easy or hard job? Why?
- What is your favorite name or title for Jesus? Why?
- What does it mean to you that Jesus is for you?
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Have you taken care of a baby? Is it an easy or hard job? Why?
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