“But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 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 1:29-33 ESV)
The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, for you have found favor with God.” Mary would need that comfort—because God was laying on her one of the hardest tasks any woman could do, becoming mother to Jesus.
Even then, Mary must have known something of how difficult it would be. Her Son would be the Messiah, the promised King—and there is no king who lives an easy life, without opposition. She may not have foreseen His ministry, the hardship, the suffering, the cross—but she knew there would be suffering. But God’s grace, God’s favor, would uphold her.
God’s grace and favor uphold us too, as we trust in Jesus and serve Him in our lives. We know there will be suffering—what life avoids it?—but we have Jesus, our Savior, who upholds us and keeps us every day of our lives. How could we not trust Him, when He loved us enough to die for us—and to rise again?
We Pray: Lord, when I am afraid, let me trust in You. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* Was Mary the kind of person you’d expect God to choose for the mother of the Messiah?
* Explain your reasoning.
* Jesus has chosen you to be His own through faith. Does that surprise you? Why or why not?
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Originally published in The Lutheran Hour on December 9, 2024
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights