THE SEND: Luke & ActsSample

The Gospel is not a comforting fairytale or a rumour that got wildly out of hand. It’s something we can be certain is true. It’s a message from God himself, a message that demands a response.

All throughout Luke 1, we see God’s faithfulness to his word being celebrated. John the Baptist will be the fulfillment of God’s promise of an Elijah-like prophet (Malachi 3:1; 4:5). Jesus is sent because God remembered the promises he made to Abraham and his children (Luke 1:54-55). Jesus will be the saviour revealed in God’s covenants with Abraham and David (Luke 1:69-74). As Gabriel puts it, “the word of God will never fail.” (Luke 1:37).

We also read about two people, Zechariah and Mary, who both encounter Gabriel—an angel with a message from God. Zechariah the priest meets Gabriel in the majesty and brilliance of the Temple. Mary, the teenager, meets Gabriel in the simplicity and ordinariness of the village of Nazareth.

Both seem to respond to the angel's message in similar ways. Zechariah says, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” (Luke 1:18). Mary says, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” (Luke 1:34).

What do you do when God’s promises sound impossible?

What happens next tells us the difference between these two people. Zechariah is made mute because he didn’t believe God’s message (Luke 1:20). Gabriel tells Mary what will happen when the Holy Spirit ‘overshadows’ her (Luke 1:35), and she says, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” (Luke 1:38).

There’s a big difference between not believing what God has said at all vs. believing even while still having questions.

And according to Martin Luther, “There were three miracles of the Nativity: that God became man, that a virgin conceived, and that Mary believed. And the greatest of these was the last.”

The challenge to Zechariah and Mary is the same challenge to us now.

If we know that God is faithful to his word, that he is true and trustworthy, how will we respond to what he says? Will you believe God will do what he has promised, even if it seems impossible?