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Luke 1.26-33
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 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,33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Angels, otherwise known as messengers, appear throughout the bible and in Luke’s account, they regularly turn up bringing good news! First to Zechariah, then to Mary and then to some Shepherds on a hillside. As you can imagine, these folks are pretty startled by the appearance of the angelic hosts but, on each occasion, the angels words are the same ‘Do not be afraid!’ Sometimes it is easier said than done not be scared, especially during these past months when everything has been so uncertain and unsure. However, recent days have brought good news – Covid-19 immunisations began today, we in West Dunbartonshire will be moving down into level 3 on Friday and, with the easing of restrictions, there will be the opportunity to meet friends and family again. Of course, we will all have to still be careful, but it is good news and all heading in the right direction.
In the bible, the phrase ‘Do not be afraid’ appears 365 times … one for every day of the year. As we prepare for a very different Christmas this year, may we remember that through all the changes and chances of life, God’s love for us is always the same and that the promise of the Christmas story – God with us – is one of hope … hope for brighter days and life in all its fullness.
Why not listen to the carol below and reflect on your fears … give them to God … and then think of ways that you can be an angel … a messenger, not of doom and gloom, but of good news this week.
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