401 Fourth Sunday of Advent: Gabriel
Luke 1:30-31
“But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.”
This is the last week of Advent! It is also the earliest date for Christmas. Today, or very soon, your Jesse tree adventure will end. If Christmas has come, skip to our final video on the Nativity. If Christmas hasn't come yet, on this fourth Sunday of Advent, we can remember Saint Gabriel. The ornament for today should be an angel.
In the Gospel of Luke, there is a significant event known as the Annunciation. In the town of Nazareth in Galilee, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a young woman named Mary. Mary was engaged to Joseph, from the house of David, and she was a virgin.
When Gabriel appeared to Mary, he greeted her with the words, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." Mary was troubled by this greeting and wondered about its meaning.
The angel reassured Mary, saying, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 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. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end."
Mary, filled with humility and faith, asked how this could happen as she was a virgin. Gabriel explained that the Holy Spirit would come upon her, and the power of the Most High would overshadow her. The child she would bear would be called the Son of God.
Gabriel also shared the news that Mary's relative Elizabeth, who was thought to be barren, was in her sixth month of pregnancy, illustrating God's miraculous power.
Mary responded with great faith and obedience, saying, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." She accepted God's plan for her life with complete trust and humility.
From this story, we can learn the importance of faith, obedience, and humility in responding to God's calling and how God's miraculous power can work in unexpected ways to fulfill His divine purposes.
For further reading, the Bible verses from Luke 1:26-38 tell the story of Gabriel appearing to Mary.
