Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then 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 bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give 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.”

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

—From Luke 1:26–56 (NKJV)

Reflection

Have you ever faced an impossible request, obligation, or task that you believed was from God? Perhaps you were charged with a world-changing position of power. Perhaps you were asked to walk through a season of poverty, an unexpected pregnancy, the loss of a spouse. Perhaps you were chosen to parent a child with special needs or care for a fragile parent. Let us all make Mary our model for every blessing as well as every trial, as we answer God, “Let it be to me according to your word.” For out of our trials often come our richest blessings.

Celebrate Together

Gather the family for today’s Celebration in our book, The Joy of Advent. Wonder with Mary “How can this be?”, explore the Jesse Tree symbol of an angel, discover the history behind today’s carol, and enjoy a family conversation (or private journaling) about things that are impossible.

Inspiration

Music

Enjoy the haunting melody of Gabriel’s Message that tells the miraculous story. [Play Video]

Reflect on the people’s long wait as you enjoy, O Come O Come Emmanuel. [Play Video]

Visit our Joy of Advent YouTube playlist for featured videos, our Ultimate Christmas playlist for all our favorite carols, or our sing-along carols to enjoy karaoke style.

Prayer

O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.

My soul magnifies the Lord
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid;
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
Because He who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His name;
And His mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear Him.
He has shown might with His arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful of His mercy
Even as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his posterity forever.

Resources

• Does the Virgin Birth raise questions for you? Here are three things to keep in mind.

• Many films and series have depicted the Nativity story. Here’s a list of all the films based on Biblical characters.

• Enjoy a version of Gabriel’s Message with lyrics.

• Enjoy a printable coloring page of Mary and the Angel.

• Would you like to make Jesse Tree ornaments to accompany your readings? Find tutorials and ideas from simple to advanced at our Jesse Tree Ornaments Pinterest board.

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