The Vine: Dec. 23, 2024
“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing”
This is a weekly reflection on the previous week’s sermon text. Each week there will be a devotional related to the scripture for the week, along with questions for reflection/discussion, as well as prayer. Feel free to make this a part of your individual spiritual growth throughout the week or utilize in small group settings (growth groups, Sunday school, etc.)
““In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel 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.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.””
This scripture is called the Annunciation, the story of the angel Gabriel visiting Mary to announce to her that she would conceive a child by the Holy Spirit and give birth to Jesus. The Annunciation is only recorded in Luke and is celebrated as a feast day in many Christian traditions on March 25, nine months before Jesus’ birth is celebrated on Christmas Day.
This week we will gather and celebrate the birth of our Savior. But the Annunciation story helps us pause and remember the wonder of the angel’s earth-shattering announcement to Mary as well as the events of her nine-month pregnancy.
It begins the unexpected company that shows up when Mary was only about 13 years old. The setting is shocking for no one went to Nazareth—it was an obscure town with a population of only about 140 people. It’s never mentioned in the Old Testament, and it was held in such low esteem that even Nathaniel questioned, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). Mary herself seemed insignificant. She was poor, and as a young Jewish woman she had no voice and even invisible in her culture. Yet, God decided to choose a no-name girl from a no-where town to smuggle his Son into the world. What a wonderful reminder to us that God comes to the lowly through the lowly, and the most common, ordinary people are the very ones that God sees and uses for mighty purposes.
Mary is perplexed by the news, yet she surrenders to God’s will when she says, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” The impact of her words is lost in translation. The Greek word for servant here is doule and refers to someone who freely sells themselves to another as a slave. What a beautiful picture of trust in the love and goodness of God, especially when there were so many questions yet to be answered.
Mary would risk everything to say “Yes.” She was betrothed to Joseph, a legally binding engagement that could only be broken by divorce. Mary would have known that she would lose the wedding of her dreams, risk being stoned to death for adultery, suffer disgrace and shame as an unwed mother. Despite this all, Mary yielded herself completely to God’s will in absolute submission, surrender, and trust.
Author Henry Blackaby helps Mary’s story become our own when he writes,
“God still does the impossible! Too often we acknowledge our belief that God can do whatever He wants, then we add a safety clause: “But I just don't think God will do that with me!” We become practical atheists, believing that God can perform miracles but never expecting a miracle in our own lives. God wanted to bring salvation to all of humanity. It is critical that Mary not only believed God could perform a miracle but also adjusted her life to the awesome work He planned to do through her.”
Mary’s story reminds us that Christmas is more than candlelight and carols, gifts, meals shared with loved ones, and time spent with family and friends. It is the opportunity for God give birth to a deeper calling and devotion in our hearts. May we, like Mary, surrender our lives as our gift to the One who loves us fully and rejoices over us more than we can possibly imagine.
Prayer:
God, thank you for Mary’s story and for her willingness to bear your Son. May I have the same courage to yield myself completely to you will and dream for my life. This Christmas I offer you my heart knowing how much you love me. Be born in me anew, by your Spirit and for your glory. In the name of the newborn King and Savior of the World, Jesus. Amen.
Questions for Reflection:
Read the story of Gabriel visiting Zechariah in the Temple in Luke 1:5-20. How was Zechariah’s response to the message different than Mary’s response? Why did Gabriel make Zechariah mute until John was born?
Read about how God announced the birth of Jesus to Joseph in Matthew 1:18-25. How is this story alike and different from the story in Luke 1. Why do you think they are so different?
Consider the quote by Henry Blackaby. Why is it so easy to live as practical atheists? How could our lives be different if we surrendered to God’s love and his will despite our questions and doubts? Has God ever done the impossible in your life? What does he want to do now?
What is your prayer for your life this Christmas? For your loved ones? For the world?
PREVIOUS WEEKS
To view all previous devotions go to https://fumc-rr.org/the-vine