Read: Luke 1:26-56

“I am the Lord’s slave…”

The first thing I think when reading this story is: “Would I have responded this way?”  

An angel of the Lord appears to this young girl from the poorest part of the nation of Israel and tells her God has found favor with her.  She is going to give birth to the Son of God!  The Holy Spirit is going to come upon her and conceive a baby within her, even though she is a virgin.

Let’s pause and find the context here.  Because today, sadly, being a single mom isn’t all that uncommon, or that big of a deal.  So it is hard for us to understand what Mary’s situation was, even though it is still frowned upon by most Christians to have a baby before you are married.

At the time Mary was pregnant, engagements and marriages worked very differently than they do today.  First the couple signed a ketubbah. The ketabbuh was a modern day marriage license. They were considered married but they would not have sex until the terms in the license were met.  After the time had passed that they were to remain pure, they would consummate the marriage and tell all their friends and family it was official (awkward!). They then would celebrate the marriage with a week long party. You can imagine how things would have looked when Mary became pregnant during the time when she and Joseph were not allowed to have sex.  Leviticus 20:10 says, “If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife- with the wife of his neighbor- both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.”  According to this law, Joseph was legally supposed to have Mary stoned.  He would have been completely justified because that was the culture and they were legally married.  

And Mary knew all of this the moment the angel told her she was going to have a baby.

When we see Mary in pictures she is usually beautiful, adorned in fine clothes, glowing with a halo on her head, but the picture that we get when we look deeper in the context of the Bible is very different.  At the time Rome was ruling over Israel and the people were being crushed under them.  Mary’s living conditions were probably very dirty and simple.  The Jews had also become very laxed in their religion.  We see that Joseph plans to divorce Mary quietly before being visited by the angel.  This is just one of the evidences of how far the Jews had come from the original laws and their dedication to God. He never should have been able to do that since the law did not even allow that as a second option.  Between all of these things, being surrounded by a people with stagnant faith, a brutal enemy army ruling over them, and dirty, possibly impoverished living conditions, Mary really had nothing going for her.

After the angel tells Mary that she is going to have a baby, she goes to her cousin, Elizabeth.  The angel explained that Elizabeth was also pregnant because of a miracle that God did.  Everything that we see of Zechariah and Elizabeth in the Bible suggests that they had strong faith. Mary probably sought their guidance.

Elizabeth is just the encouragement Mary needs in verses 39-46.  Can you imagine how the story would have been without Elizabeth?  Mary needed a friend who would encourage her. I’m sure the angel telling her about Elizabeth’s miraculous baby was deliberate so that Mary knew she had a friend who she could trust and confide in.  Mary stayed there for around three months before she went home.  It doesn’t say this, but I am willing to bet Elizabeth was mentoring her and helping her during that time.  

So what can we learn from Mary’s story?  I hope that when you hear Mary spoken of during this Advent time, you would remember this.

“I am the Lord’s slave.”

In Galatians 1:10 Paul says, “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?  Or am I trying to please people?  If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”  We are still called to answer with the same humility and faith Mary did when she spoke those words “I am the Lord’s slave.”  It doesn’t matter what our living conditions are, or what our culture says.  God wants us to trust in Him, no matter how hard things may seem, or how impossible it may sound.

He doesn’t always explain the plan, or give you direction other than your call.  Did He give Mary an exact guideline of what she was to do or where she was to go?  No, He only told her what the call on her life was and expected her to trust Him with her life.

We need people in our lives who we can talk to who have a strong faith and who can pour into us in times of need.  Just as Mary had Elizabeth, we also need mentors in our lives who can do the same for us.  If you don’t have a mentor, I would encourage you to ask someone.  Find someone of the same gender as you who you feel is a godly role model and simply ask them to disciple you.  

God’s call on our lives to live out the gospel is now, no matter the situation or circumstances, because we are the Lord’s slaves.

O Come, Redeemer of Mankind
Words by: Saint Ambrose of Milan

O come, Redeemer of mankind, appear,
Thee with full hearts the virgin born we greet;
Let every age with rapt amazement hear
That wondrous birth which for our God is meet.

Not by the will of man, or mortal seed,
But by the Spirit’s breathed mysterious grace
The Word of God became our flesh indeed,
And grew a tender plant of human race.

Lo! Mary’s virgin womb its burden bears;
Nor less abides her virgin purity;
In the King’s glory see our nature shares;
Here in His temple God vouchsafes to be.

From His bright chamber, virtue’s holy shrine
The royal Bridegroom cometh to the day;
Of twofold substance, human and divine,
As giant swift, rejoicing on His way.

Forth from His Father to the world He goes,
Back to the Father’s face His way regains,
Far down to souls beneath His glory shows,
Again at God’s right hand victorious reigns.

With the eternal Father equal, Thou,
Girt with our flesh dost triumph evermore,
Strengthening our feeble bodies here below
With endless grace from Thine own living store.

How doth Thy lowly manger radiant shine!
On the sweet breath of night new splendor grows;
So may our spirits glow with faith divine,
Where no dark cloud of sin shall interpose.

All praise and glory to the Father be,
All praise and glory to His only Son,
All praise and glory, Holy Ghost, to Thee,
Both now, and while eternal ages run.

Credit: Photo by Rachel K Duncan // http://www.rachelkduncan.com // Instagram: @rachelkduncan

In one week, all the hustle and bustle will die down. If you’re at all like my mom, your tree will be taken down, lights wrapped up and ornaments back in their boxes by New Year’s. And life will return back to whatever normal is for you.

But now, one week before, is pure chaos. All your amazing plans from a few months ago must now be realized and you are completely aware that you overbooked your time. It’s safe to say you’re anxious.

Imagine being this anxious, but not knowing when the end was coming. Anxiously awaiting an event you’re not too sure of the date for. We find Isaiah and Jeremiah as they prophesied the coming Messiah in this very place. They wrote (Isaiah 11:1-10 and Jeremiah 33:14-16) of the coming Lord, but were not sure of his arrival date. In fact, they penned these words over 500 years before Jesus’s birth.

500 years.

Really makes one week look like nothing.

From Isaiah’s words, they knew where the Messiah was coming from. From Jeremiah’s writing nearly 100 years after, they knew not to lose heart. Still, 500 years, multiple generations, before they would see the coming King.

Understanding this, the words for the hymn “Come Thou Precious Random, Come” can be put into perspective.

Come, thy beauty let us see,

Anxiously we wait for thee

In this world where connecting with people takes less than 30 seconds, where texting and snapchat have replaced actual conversations, where you can hail an Uber faster than an ambulance (seriously, someone took an Uber to the hospital when she went into labor because she knew it would get there faster) it’s hard to wait.

Now, I’ll talk specifically about me: when I spend time in prayer, I want it to happen just as fast. I have things to get done, I can’t wait too long. I know that I don’t anxiously wait for the Lord to speak to me as much as I should. I am uncomfortable with silence because society has conditioned me to be. However, scripture reminds us all over the place that silence is God’s favorite place to be.

Jeremiah 33:16 (MSG) repeats for us: the Lord has set things right for us and we are to worship Him sacrificially. “Sacrificially” will look different for each of us. For me, it is a sacrifice to sit in silence, even if just for 15 minutes. Whatever it is for you, when you sacrifice comfort and self, that is where you will meet Jesus.

I encourage you to anxiously await a word from Jesus this week. In the chaos of obligation, sacrifice time for Him. As cliché as it is, He is the reason for Christmas. But, have you made Him the reason for your December? Have you spent time with Him at all this month? These questions are for me, too. And the answers are hard to swallow. But, at the end of next week, I desperate want to say that I sought after Jesus this Christmas. Don’t you?

Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come
Words by: Johann Gottfried Olearius

Come, Thou precious Ransom, come,
Only Hope for sinful mortals!
Come, O Savior of the world!
Open are to Thee all portals.
Come, Thy beauty let us see;
Anxiously we wait for Thee.

Enter now my waiting heart,
Glorious King and Lord most holy.
Dwell in me and ne’er depart,
Though I am but poor and lowly.
Ah, what riches will be mine
When Thou art my Guest Divine!

My hosannas and my palms
Graciously receive, I pray Thee;
Evermore, as best I can,
Savior, I will homage pay Thee,
And in faith I will embrace,
Lord, Thy merit through Thy grace.

Hail, hosanna, David’s Son!
Help, Lord, hear our supplication!
Let Thy kingdom, scepter, crown,
Bring us blessing and salvation,
That forever we may sing:
Hail, hosanna! to our King.

Credit: Photo by Rachel K Duncan // http://www.rachelkduncan.com // Instagram: @rachelkduncan

“For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor. Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government and its peace will never end.” – Isaiah 9:6-7a

We are getting closer to celebrating the birth of Christ. I could go on and on and talk about how Christmas has become commercialized, but I’m not. I want my heart to rest on the fact that Jesus came to dwell with us and to save us.

Think about it.

He did life with many people. He held hands with strangers. He wiped tears away from the broken heartened. He slept on the floors of many homes – a nomad with a mission. He ate with friends. He spent time with the outcast.

A Baby born a King.

A Baby with the title: Wonderful Counselor. Mighty God. Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace.

Royalty in a manger.

Mary and Joseph knew that their son was the Son of God. They knew that He was long expected. I can only imagine how Mary was feeling when she was holding Jesus. This baby was going to change the world. The prophecy of His arrival had come. God’s promise was fulfilled.

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
Words by: Charles Wesley

Come, Thou long expected Jesus,
born to set Thy people free,
From our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in Thee:
Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth Thou art,
Dear Desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.

Born Thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a king,
Born to reign in us for ever,
Now Thy gracious kingdom bring:
by Thy own eternal Spirit
Rule in all our hearts alone,
by Thy all-sufficient merit
raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Credit: Stephanie Ko // http://simplystephko.com // Instagram: @simplystephko

The Christmas season seems to of started earlier again this year. Christmas ads were airing before Thanksgiving. Drugstores were selling decorations a week before Halloween. Candy was in full swing in the grocery stores.

The thrill of Christmas is exciting to many. Parties, mistletoe, and delicious treats fill the weeks. I continue to hear everyone talk about whether all their gifts were bought or what Christmas party they are going to attend.

I’ve realized that Christmas continues to become more commercialized. I am slowly noticing that Christ is not the main focus of this season. We have moved away from celebrating Jesus and why His Father sent Him.

Haggai 2

Chapter 2 of Haggai opens with a date. Personally, I tend to skip over dates and genealogies.  Let’s face it, they’re boring.  I’m always kicking myself when I find out the importance that those dates and names hold- pretty much every time.  And of course this is one of those times when I skipped over it and it turned out to be really important.

“On the twenty-first day of the seventh month…”  
This was the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, a celebration of the provision of God.

“You shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your towns.  For seven days you shall keep the feast to the Lord your God at the place that the Lord will choose, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.” – Deuteronomy 16:14-15

In order to understand what is happening at this time, we have to look at the context.  This book is taking place only sixteen years after the nation of Israel is returning from captivity.  Their land and cities are in ruins.  They have been exiled for so long that the land is almost foreign to them, and other nations have invaded the land, making it nearly impossible for them to make any progress in rebuilding.  

And now here they are.  Celebrating the provision of the Lord with a feast when they feel completely lost and desolate.

A chapter ago, the beginning of Haggai starts with a call for the people of Israel to rebuild the temple of the Lord.  When they had first returned the people immediately began rebuilding the temple.  However, they were unable to finish after laying the foundation and were very discouraged.  They had not resumed building, until the Lord sent the message to continue the work.

“But now be strong, Zerubbabel,” declares the Lord. “Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest.  Be strong, all you people of the land,” declares the Lord, “and work.  For I am with you,” declares the Lord Almighty.  “This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt.  And my Spirit remains among you.  Do not fear.”  -Haggai 2:4-5

So they start working, and in the way those Israelites knew how to do best.  

“So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,” declares the Lord. “Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.” -Haggai 2:14

If we look back on the rest of the old testament we can see why they were so overwhelmed and gave up so easily at the prospect of rebuilding.  They knew it would never be as perfect and glorious as the temple Solomon built.  They were in ruins, barely surviving, being attacked on all sides, in a land that was supposed to be home but probably didn’t feel like it…  

But God knew the people could not remake the beautiful temple that Solomon built.  

“The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,” says the Lord Almighty. “And in this place I will grant peace,” declares the Lord Almighty.  -Haggai 2:9

Multiple commentaries suggest that the phrasing “this house” means that God was not referring to different temples by specific builders, but looked at it all as the same temple.  The place where God dwelled with men.

He longed for His people to serve Him wholeheartedly, even if they were unable to do what they wanted.  They wanted the glory of the earthly temple because of their selfish pride, but God wanted to bless them with something beyond compare.  And He did.

Much like the Israelites we too feel lost and desolate at times in this place that is not our home.  God calls for us to serve him faithfully no matter what the cost, and no matter the circumstances.  Our works to him don’t matter on the outside.  We need to serve God with what we have and not be prideful by comparing ourselves to others.  Sometimes we might not feel like we are being prideful when we compare ourselves to others, but as we saw from the Israelites experience, it can often lead to being discouraged.  And most importantly, we are the temple, the body of Christ, that God may dwell with us.  

He knows we can’t do it on our own.  That is why in this time of advent we can remember with grateful hearts how the temple was destroyed and Jesus raised it again in three days so that we could be with Him (John 2:19).  

“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land.  I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty.  ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty.  ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” -Haggai 2:6-9

God didn’t care about the golden temple, it’s all His anyways, He says that in verse 8.  He cares about the heart of the servants who love Him.  He sent what was desired by all nations and filled us with His glory.  Now we get to serve a great and glorious God, and he allows us to do it by whatever means we have and with whatever we have, even if it doesn’t seem very good to us.  

What does your heart look like when you serve God?  How can we serve God with what we have?

Thou Art Coming, O My Saviour!
Words by: Frances Ridley Havergal

Thou art coming, O my Saviour!
Thou art coming, O my King!
In thy beauty all resplendent,
In thy glory all transcendent;
Well may we rejoice and sing;
Coming: in the opening east
Herald brightness slowly swells;
Coming: O thou glorious Priest!
Hear we not Thy golden bells?

Thou art coming, Thou art coming;
We shall meet thee on thy way;
We shall see Thee, we shall know Thee,
We shall bless Thee, we shall show Thee
All our hearts could never say;
What an anthem that will be,
Music rapturously sweet,
Pouring out our love to Thee
At Thine own all-glorious feet.

Thou art coming; at Thy table
We are witnesses for this;
While remembering hearts Thou meetest
In communion clearest, sweetest,
Earnest of our coming bliss;
Showing not Thy death alone,
And Thy love exceeding great,
But Thy coming, and Thy throne,
All for which we long and wait.

Thou art coming, we are waiting
With a hope that cannot fail;
Asking not the day or hour,
Resting on Thy word of power,
Anchored safe within the veil.
Time appointed may be long,
But the vision must be sure;
Certainty shall make us strong,
Joyful patience can endure.

O the joy to see Thee reigning,
Thee, our own beloved Lord!
Every tongue Thy Name confessing,
Worship, honour, glory, blessing
Brought to Thee with one accord;
Thee, our Master and our Friend,
Vindicated and enthroned,
Unto earth’s remotest end
Glorified, adored, and owned! Amen.

Credit: Photo by Rachel K Duncan // http://www.rachelkduncan.com // Instagram @rachelkduncan