The angel (Gabriel) 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 forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” (Luke 1:30-33, 38a)
God keeps the promise made to David, to give him an everlasting throne. The angel Gabriel tells Mary that God will give David’s throne to her son Jesus. She is perplexed by Gabriel’s greeting and by the news of her coming pregnancy, but she is able still to say, “Count me in.” We who know that Jesus is called king only as he is executed still find it a mystery hard to fathom, but with Mary today we hear the news of what God is up to and say, “Count us in.”
Sunday’s Worship Music
Our Hymn of the Day is Unexpected and Mysterious (ELW 258). The second verse of this hymn tells the story of the angel visiting Mary heard in today’s Gospel reading. The third verse not only calls us to ponder and await the coming of Christ, but also calls us to embody compassion for all God’s people. How is God using us to spread love to God’s children?
Sermon Statement
Can you be counted in?
For Your Home Devotions
What thoughts come to mind when you think of Mary’s situation upon learning of what was to happen? How would you feel if you were in Mary’s shoes?
Mary was more than willing to partake in God’s plan—to be “counted in”—would you also be just as willing as Mary and how would you reflect upon this?
