The Angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come upon 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 barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God. I am the Lords servant, Mary answered. May it be to me as you have said. Then the Angel left her. Luke 1:35-38 This Sunday Advent begins. This is the time of year when Christians turn their attention to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ into this world. Our focus is the miracle of the Incarnation. As Isaiah wrote so long ago in the seventh chapter of his prophesy, The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a Son, and He will be called Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14) This means God with us. In the person of the Lord Jesus Christ God became a human being and took up residence with us. He did this in order to go to the cross bearing our sin so that we can come by faith into the presence of God. This tremendous doctrine confronts us with the incredible sacrificial love of God for us that He would go to such depths to ransom us from sin. In Advent we also look ahead to His second advent, as we anticipate His return in order to receive us unto Himself. Looking ahead we find ourselves lost in wonder at all that God has promised to do for us. We have many questions as we anticipate the fulfillment of this promise. How will He accomplish this? What will be the exact details of the fulfillment of these promises? When will it be? It is as we begin once again to prepare ourselves for His coming that we find ourselves turning to Lukes account of the announcement of the coming of the Christ to a young virgin by the name of Mary. In reality our preparation is not something which we confine to only one time of year. We are constantly in a state of preparation, as we anticipate His return, and as we seek to understand the implications of His first advent. Here we are helped by Marys questioning but committed response. Mary is revealed by Luke to be an impressive, Godly young woman who is well versed in the Word of God. We also see her as a Biblical poet as she expresses her praise and commitment of God. She has questions but not from the point of view of avoiding Gods Will but in order to understand and embrace it. Gabriel, the Angel, answers her question with a wonderful exposition of the means by which the Incarnation will come about. It is portrayed as a miraculous even, so that there would be no mistaking the fact that it was a work of God. It was not a misfortune, or an accident, it took the direct intervention of God in Marys life to bring this holy child into the world. To this Mary responds as a true disciple yielding herself to the plan and leading of God. May the Lords Word be fulfilled in me she seems to be saying. At the heart of this account is a tremendous word from the Angel, a word that must dominate every part of our lives from this time forward. Because is not powerless is very word of God. (Luke 1:37) What God says God will do. Nothing will ever prevent it from being accomplished. No matter how impossible a promise may seem Gods Word will always be accomplished. What a tremendous word from God to comfort and encourage us as we walk with Him.

Listen to this reflection by J. C. Ryle in his Expository Thoughts from the Gospel of Luke as he reflects upon the meaning of this verse for our lives. A hearty reception of this great principle is of immense importance to our own inward peace. Questions and doubts will often arise in mens minds about many subjects in religion. They are a natural result of our fallen estate of soul. Our faith at the best is very feeble. Our knowledge at its highest is clouded with much infirmity. And among many antidotes to a doubting, anxious, questioning state of mind, few will be found more useful than that before us now, -- a thorough conviction of the almighty power of God. With Him who called the world into being and formed it out of nothing, everything is possible. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. There is no sin too black and bad to be pardoned. The blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin. There is no heart to hard and wicked to be changed. The heart of stone can be made a heart of flesh. There is no work too hard for a believer to do. We may do all things through Christ strengthening us. There is no trial too hard to be borne. The grace of God is sufficient for us. There is no promise too great to be fulfilled. Christs words never pass away, and what He has promised He is able to perform. There is no difficulty too great for a believer to overcome. When God is for us who shall be against us? The mountain shall become a plain. Let principles like this be continually before our minds. The Angels receipt is an invaluable remedy. Faith never rests so calmly and peacefully as when it lays its head on the pillow of Gods omnipotence. (J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Luke p.28-29)