Angelic Greetings!

Angels played different roles in the life and ministry of Jesus. Angels were involved in the announcement of the conception of Jesus Christ, the announcement of His birth, His ministry, His resurrection and His ascension. Angels are messengers of God and they special assignments in the lives of believers. Whenever you see a nativity setting, there is always an angel or angels. This is a reminder of the role angels played in the birth of Jesus.

Prior to the conception of Jesus, His mother Mary received a divine visitation. It was one of Mary’s normal days. She went about doing what she does and possibly doing it with joy. The young virgin was pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David (‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:27‬). Joseph and Mary looked forward to their wedding day. However, in the Jewish culture, betrothal in itself was considered binding and the only way to annul a betrothal was through divorce. Mary and Joseph might have made plans for their wedding. They would have anticipated a beautiful ceremony full of joy and love. Mary might have had daydreams about her wedding supper and all the pomp.

The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.”‭‭ (Luke‬ ‭1:28‬)

Six months prior to Mary’s angelic visitation, Zachariah and Elizabeth had received their own angelic visitation. This visitation led to the birth of John the Baptist. In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee (Luke‬ ‭1:26‬). Angel Gabriel was sent to the house of Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:28‬). The young Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be (‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:29‬). I am not sure of the appearance of the angel but I believe it would have been so awesome that Mary knew at the spot that she had encountered a divine being. “Why would an angel bring me this kind of greeting?” Mary would have pondered over it. Knowing her concerns, the angel replied,

“Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him 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 Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”‭‭ (Luke‬ ‭1:30‭-‬33‬)

How is that even possible? Mary was still a virgin. Mary asked a legitimate question, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”‭‭ (Luke‬ ‭1:34‬). The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on 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 (Luke‬ ‭1:35‬). In faith, Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:38‬). True to the words of the angel, the Greetings were no ordinary Greetings for Mary was found to be with a child. The Word of God was made manifest in the life of Mary and the Seed of the most High God began to grow in her.

When Joseph saw that his betrothed wife was pregnant, he was concerned and “because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.‭‭” (Matthew‬ ‭1:19‬). Before Joseph could initiate his plans, “an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”‭‭ (Matthew‬ ‭1:20‭-‬21‬).

As Mary and Joseph walked to Bethlehem to be counted, they might have pondered over this, how a Greeting led to a conception. They knew that Mary was carrying no ordinary child. A baby so powerful, so divine, and yet so humble to be in the womb of an ordinary girl. This Christmas, remember that you can also be a channel of hope to someone. Send words of encouragement, prayers and support to those who need it. A Greeting card can go a long way to change someone’s mood. Be a messenger that brings good news of the salvation of God. “Greetings, you who are highly favoured!”

Accepting to be used by the Lord

Mary, the mother of Jesus accepted a task that could have possibly led to her being ostracized by the community. She knew fully well the consequences of getting pregnant outside marriage. She was a virgin and she knew that the possibility of convincing her family and her betrothed husband, Joseph, that the pregnancy was divine was almost impossible. Yet, when she had the opportunity to make a decision, she didn’t even ask Angel Gabriel for time to think about it. She was up for it and ready for the task. Mary’s encounter with angel Gabriel was brief and yet life-changing. Angel Gabriel went to Mary and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:28‬). This high favour from the Lord according to the angel will cause Mary to conceive and give birth to a son, and Mary was to call him 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 Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end. (Luke‬ ‭1:31‭-‬33‬).

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:38‬)

Mary asked a legitimate question, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:34‬). To this, she was told that “The Holy Spirit will come on 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.” ‭‭(Luke‬ ‭1:35‬). Mary’s response was this: “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:38‬). This single act of accepting to be used by God even though the consequences were great led to the salvation of all humanity. What lessons can we learn from Mary?

Accepting the will of God: Mary, like any young woman in her time, had plans for her life. She was hoping to be officially married to Joseph in an awesome ceremony full of love. Yet, when the angel told her what God requires of her, Mary laid aside her own dreams and ambitions and willingly accepted the will of God for her life. She was aware that the task will come with life-changing consequences but she was determined to see the will of God for her life fulfilled. Many times, when the will of God interrupts our personal plans, we are more likely to proceed with our plans and refuse God’s will. In ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬, God told the Israelites that “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Even if God’s plan does not seem appealing at first sight, it is still a good plan intended to prosper, to give us hope and a good future. This is what Mary saw, she saw the redemption of her people as the bigger picture. If her child will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; and his kingdom will never end” (see ‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:32‭-‬33‬), then that is an everlasting Saviour for Israel.

Obedience to the Lord can be costly: As Mary agreed to the angel’s message, her obedience immediately fulfilled prophecy. As soon as she said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled” the Holy Spirit overshadowed her and the holy seed was planted. There was no mention that the Holy Spirit came upon Mary on another day. Her obedience immediately changed her situation. She suddenly became a pregnant virgin. There are times our obedience to the Lord will likely cause us to be hated and oppressed. For Mary, she looked forward to the salvation of the whole nation of Israel and she was willing to sacrifice her integrity. Joseph, her betrothed husband did not know the background story to Mary’s pregnancy and this was his initial response: “he had in mind to divorce her quietly” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1:19‬)‭. Thankfully, an angel appeared to Joseph and clarified things for him. There are many believers around the world who have become susceptible to enemy attacks just because of their decisions to follow Jesus. Some have been imprisoned, killed, ostracized, abandoned etc. for their faith in the Lord. Obedience to the Lord can sometimes be a costly decision.

Favour does not alway lead to the Palace: In the book of Esther, we identified that when Esther was favoured by the people and the king, a crown of honour was laid on her head and she became the queen in place of Vashti. Mary was highly favoured and the Lord was with her (‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:28‬). When Mary was even startled by the angelic greeting, the angel again told her “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God” (Luke 1:30). Mary’s condition of life didn’t translate from a low class to the Palace. Infact, she and Joseph welcomed their favoured child in a stable because the favour did not locate them a serene and conducive place for her delivery. After her child was born, favour did not shield him from his enemies, Mary and Joseph had to flee to Egypt at night to save their child. When her child grew, Mary witnessed a crown of thorns placed on his head. Mary saw her son killed through crucifixion. What kind of favour is this? Mary also witnessed her son’s resurrection and the redemption of all humanity through his sacrifice. Till date, Mary is celebrated within the Christian faith as the woman who brought God’s redemption to fruition. That’s eternal favour! Mary might not have been celebrated while alive, but her importance in the body of Christ cannot be ignored.

Faith: After the angel left Mary, she didn’t hesitate to visit Elizabeth to share in her joy. At that instant, Mary knew that she was pregnant. She didn’t even ask for the time the pregnancy will start. She had faith in the words of the angel. When she responded, “May your word to me be fulfilled” (‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:38‬)‬‬, she knew that her life had changed. ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭11:1‬ ‭defines faith as this: ”Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Mary was confident in the words of the angel and even though she did not see the baby being put into her, she knew she was carrying the seed of God. No wonder the seed of faith responded to the seed of prophecy when Mary met Elizabeth. Luke 1:41 states that “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” The babies on divine assignment could transcend the connections of divinity. Mary’s voice caused Elizabeth’s baby to leap in response. Faith moves mountains and it causes the virgin womb to host and deliver God’s Saviour. Jesus in one of His teachings admonished us with these words: “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.‭‭” (Luke‬ ‭17:6‬).

Mary was an ordinary God-fearing young woman who through obedience, favour, faith and accepting God’s will for her life has become a global icon in the Christian faith.

Mary: Be it unto me according to thy word

Mary was going through her usual day when she received a visit from the angel Gabriel. The message from the angel was quite ‘huge’ for the young woman. Heaven has favoured Mary and God has appointed her for a special assignment. The assignment given to this virgin was to conceive and give birth to a son. This son is no ordinary son for “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 Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:33‭-‬33). Mary might have been in total shock. Why will God choose her to have a son when she was still a virgin?

Mary asked the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34). I would have asked a similar question. Why will God choose me? Don’t we ask ourselves similar questions when we are called for a task we believe is greater than we can handle? Even Zachariah, Elizabeth’s husband asked a similar question when the angel told him that his wife will have a son: “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” (Luke 1:18). Unfortunately for Zachariah, he missed the past case studies of Abraham and Sarah (and many more in the OldTestament). He was a priest and was expected to know more. The angel shut him down for nine months. He became mute.

And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:38 KJV)

Angel Gabriel’s reply to Mary’s question was this: “The Holy Spirit will come on 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 unable to conceive is in her sixth month.” (Luke 1:35‭-‬36). As young and innocent as Mary was, she did not argue with the angel. In all readiness and preparedness she said: “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” (Luke 1:38). Mary knew that this huge task will bring unto her challenges from every direction including rejection by family, possible divorce by Joseph, societal ostracization among other challenges including death. Mary did not ask the angel for time to think about it. She did not ask for a sign. She did not even ask about how the child will be catered for in case her family and Joseph reject her.

Mary was not anxious about many things. She did not ask the angel to tell God to send someone else like Moses did. She did not put God to test like Gideon. She did not even prepare a sacrifice like Manoah and his wife (Samson’s parents). Mary’s response to her assignment showed a total dependence on God. The Message Bible states Luke 1:38 this way: “And Mary said, Yes, I see it all now: I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say. Then the angel left her.” Mary was ready to serve right away. She was ready for the full package of God’s agenda. She knew that the task was huge but she also knew that for God to find her worthy of the task, God will definitely make all things possible for the completion of this task.

Maybe, you are not sure how God’s call on your life will be achieved considering your current situation. Instead of worrying about things YOU cannot change, make it a priority to prepare YOURSELF and position YOURSELF for the assignment. Don’t just be there… be proactive in adding value to yourself. Heaven will make a way for you to get to the destination, but like Mary, you must uphold your purity, and be ready to say, “I’m the Lord’s servant, ready to serve.”

Mary: The highly favoured woman

Imagine confronting a supernatural being and being told that something which is an impossibility will be happening to you. What will be your first reaction? For many of us, we will be awed by the presence of this supernatural being. Some will scream in fear and some will probably faint from fear. I am not sure how angelic beings presented themselves to people in the New Testament period. Most times creators of children’s Bible stories present a shiny figure with wings. Irrespective of how they presented themselves, their presence alone made the people startled. Young Mary was betrothed to Joseph and this betrothal was considered as binding the couple together. Thus, breaking the betrothal was considered a divorce. Mary and Joseph might have been looking forward to their wedding day. They probably had plans for the ceremony and their lives after the ceremony.

The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:28)

God had a bigger task for Mary. This task was so huge that Mary’s life was going to be changed forever. Elizabeth and Zachariah had received their miracle pregnancy. In the timing of God, Elizabeth’s son was to be born first and be the voice that will prepare the way for Mary’s son. Therefore in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to Mary, a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:26‭-‬28). This was no ordinary greeting. Mary was living in the small town of Galilee but she had been favoured by heaven for a task that will transform the world forever.

The young Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be (Luke 1:29). The NLT version of Luke 1:29 states Mary was “confused and disturbed” about the meaning of this greeting. As a young virgin, she least expected what the favour could lead to. Many of us in the same age as Mary would be looking forward to the angel telling us how God has lifted us from our lowly estate to give us the princess lifestyle we craved as teenagers. Heaven had found Mary worthy and has favoured her for the world’s most singular honour shown to a woman. The angel seeing the confused and disturbed Mary said to her:
“Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him 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 Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:30‭-‬33).

In the 21st century, hearing this might sound so “cool” but not in Mary’s day. Getting pregnant for another person while betrothed to another is considered adultery and Mary could be stoned for that. Again, Mary could be rejected and divorced by Joseph. Society might ostracize her and even her own family can reject her for the shame. Who will even believe in that age that Mary the virgin is pregnant for God? Although the Jewish people knew Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 7:14), till date, the Jews have their own idea of God’s Messiah. Heaven has favoured Mary but the “elephant task” of birthing the “Son of the Most High” was going to be a blessing or a setback depending on how it is received by those around Mary.

Mary’s favour did not propel her to the Palace like Esther. Her own assignment was the way to the cross. God’s favour can lead you to the desert to be prepared as the warrior, the one to stand up for your family and nation. You might be favoured but you will still have to climb the steep steps of life to deliver those entrusted to you. Your response is necessary, your preparation is necessary and understanding the nature of your “favour” is necessary to know the right tools to use.

Mary: The virgin betrothed to Joseph

One of the many critics of the Christian faith is the virgin birth or our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Many people do not have any issue accepting Jesus as one of the greatest men who ever lived, but their contention is God’s modus operandi for bringing in Jesus. Surprisingly such people have no issue believing in all the technological innovations that make fertilization and childbearing a little easier for women who had struggled with issues of childbearing. If science has advanced to the level to effectively allow in vitro fertilization (IVF), an assisted reproductive technology (ART) where sperm and an egg are fertilized outside of the human body and later the fertilized egg or the embryo is placed inside the uterus for implantation, then we should have no challenge dealing with the miracle of the virgin birth. After all, God created all things and understands our makeup more than the specialized doctors.

to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. (Luke 1:27)
and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah. (Matthew 1:16)

The Psalmist said this: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalms 139:13‭-‬14). The God who made man from the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7), was the same God who brought His Son through a virgin. This is how the announcement of the birth of Jesus was reported in Luke’s gospel:
“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.” (Luke 1:26‭-‬27). We need to understand that the scriptures use dates and time for specific purposes. In our previous post, we identified that the angel named Gabriel went to Zachariah, the husband of Elizabeth, to announce the birth of their son who will prepare the way for God’s Messiah. Six months after Elizabeth had taken seed, God sent the same angel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee. Angel Gabriel was sent to a virgin named Mary. This virgin was betrothed or pledged to be married to Joseph, a descendant of David.

Mary’s pregnancy had been announced by God several years ago through his prophets. Isaiah 7:14 among many scriptures mention the conception of a son by a virgin. God did not just choose any virgin. Mary was born specifically for this assignment. Her life mission was for the Saviour of the world to be born through her. Therefore, her commitment to purity was not just to prepare her for Joseph alone. Her commitment to purity was to fulfill her calling. The world needed a Saviour and God had destined before the foundation of the world was laid that His Son will be the sacrificial lamb (Revelation 13:8). Joseph was not just a random husband for Mary. He was chosen specifically for the task.

Remember, that you are not a product of just an affair between your parents. You have a charge to keep and call to fulfill. You are here for a purpose and the destiny of the people you have been sent to impact remain unchanged if you fail to be the vessel prepared and made ready. Mary chose purity and she was ready for her task. What do you have to commit to doing to make you an available vessel for your life’s purpose?

Elizabeth: The barren shall conceive

Elizabeth is a popular household name in many homes. Different variants of the name are used by both Christian and non-Christians. The late Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom bore this Biblical name and through her, the name became a household name across the British colonies and territories. Many Christians can associate with the name Elizabeth on a personal level. She was no Queen in the Bible. She wasn’t a beauty pageant contestant like Queen Esther. She was a woman who had a big challenge. The challenge stayed with her for a very long time until her miracle arrived when she least expected it.

This is how the book of Luke presents Elizabeth and her husband: “In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly.” (Luke 1:5‭-‬6). It is important to know the date of this story, the occupation of the Zachariah and their family line. Both Zachariah and Elizabeth were considered as righteous in the sight of God. They observed all the commands and decrees of God. They were blameless in keeping up with the commands and decrees. However, they had a challenge: “But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.” (Luke 1:7).

But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. (Luke 1:7)

Childlessness is an agelong challenge. Since the very early years of the world, couples have had to battle with this challenge for a long time. Elizabeth and the husband worshipped God faithfully but they were childless. One day, Zachariah had an encounter angel Gabriel while fulfilling his duties as a priest:
“Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:11‭, ‬13‭-‬17)

Zachariah’s doubtfulness of the words of the angel caused the angel to make him mute until the appointed time. In the meanwhile, after this angelic encounter, Zachariah’s wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favour and taken away my disgrace among the people.” (Luke 1:24‭-‬25). Indeed, God came through for Elizabeth at the time she least expected: Zachariah was an old man and Elizabeth was well along in years (Luke 1:18). The one declared barren became pregnant. Elizabeth’s shame and reproach was taken away. She received favour from God. All who heard about her miracle baby glorified God.

Elizabeth knew that her baby was no ordinary baby. He was on assignment to fulfill God’s purpose. How God chose the least expected woman to become an agent for His purpose is still a miracle. However, we know that Elizabeth and Zachariah positioned themselves at a vantage place. Their righteousness and obedience to the Lord was visible to all.

When we are at the lowest point of our lives, we shouldn’t compromise on our righteousness and obedience to God. The story of Elizabeth teaches us patience in waiting. It teaches us the value of righteousness and the fact that God is always seeking for someone to fulfill His purpose. We cannot compromise on our Godliness because of our situation in life. Zachariah received his prophecy in the house of God. Be intentional not to abandon church and the meeting of the brethren because you are hurting. God still does miracles in the house of God. Tomorrow could be your turn to encounter the angel that has been commissioned to meet your needs.