“The Messenger, the Message, and the Response”

 “The Messenger, the Message, and the Response”

 

Gabriel appeared to Mary and said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name Him Jesus. He will be very great, and will be called the Son of the Most High.  The LORD God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David.  And He will reign over Israel forever, His Kingdom will never end!”  Luke 1:28-33

 

The MESSENGER: Gabriel, the Heavenly Messenger, who appears four times in the Bible.  He brought messages from God to humans beings.  He appeared twice to Daniel, to interpret the meaning of the vision of the ram and the goat.  And once to Zechariah to announce the birth of John the Baptist, and once to Mary announcing the birth of Jesus.  

 

 The MESSAGE:  So, let’s look at Gabriel’s message to Mary.  First of all he greets her with, “Greetings, favored woman!  The Lord is with you!”  Now, Mary was a YOUNG lady, some say that she was somewhere between fourteen and seventeen.  She was engaged to a carpenter, named Joseph.  She was NOT married yet, and had NEVER been with a man.  And she must have been somewhat confused and bewildered by such a greeting.  Then the angel told her “Don’t be afraid, Mary.” You have found FAVOR or GRACE with God!  You will CONCEIVE and give BIRTH to a SON, and you will name Him JESUS.  He will be VERY GREAT and will be called the Son of the Most High.  The Lord God will give Him the THRONE of His ancestor David.  And He will REIGN OVER ISRAEL FOREVER, HIS KINGDOM will NEVER END!”  Now, Mary’s head must have been spinning.  

 

The RESPONSES:   Mary’s RESPONSE was:  “How can this happen?  I am a virgin.”  The Angel replied:  “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the POWER of the Most High will OVERSHADOW you.  So the Baby to be born will be HOLY, and He will be called the Son of God.”

Mary’s RESPONSE was:  “I am the Lord’s servant.  May everything you have said about me come TRUE.”  This RESPONSE exemplifies the GODLY nature of this YOUNG lady.  God had taken notice of Mary’s SPIRITUAL, PURE nature and chose her to be the MOTHER of His Son, Jesus, the SAVIOR and LORD of ALL mankind.

 

 If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God His MESSAGE to YOU is; for you to become one of His TRUE CHILDREN, and to do that, YOU MUST RESPOND with the attitude of a lost person. Who is in NEED of a TOUCH from the MASTER’S HAND.  You NEED to RESPOND to God’s MESSAGE by: ADMITTING that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, Jesus Christ, who came as a baby and grew into a man who would die for the SALVATION of YOUR soul.  You MUST BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART, that JESUS died for YOU, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST CONFESS your sins to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL lifestyle, and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  You MUST ACCEPT His Gift of SALVATION, and become a SERVANT, who is WILLING to SERVE the ALMIGHTY God.  And inherit an ETERNITY in HEAVEN with ALL its BLESSINGS, and ESCAPE an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once you are there.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!  Don’t be LEFT BEHIND!!!