We are almost to Christmas when Jesus comes. Christmas is
the annual reminder that Jesus came, and comes, and is coming. God’s love is so
encompassing that God desired to be with us and came in human form! The idea is
amazing, almost unbelievable, and must cause us great joy.
In the creed each week, we state that ‘we believe’ that
Jesus was ‘born of the virgin Mary’. Luke tells us how that happened, “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was
sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man
whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And
he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ But
she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this
might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found
favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you
will name him 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 ancestor David. He
will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be
no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The
angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the
Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he
will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has
also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.
For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the
servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel
departed from her.” (Luke 1:26-38)
Jesus entered Mary’s womb so long ago by the action of the
Holy Spirit. That same Spirit is Jesus living within us now, and forever.
Can you join Mary in saying, ‘here I am’?
