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Celebrating Advent - December 12

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Sing: O Come, All Ye Faithful

Reading: Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And 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 bear a son, and you shall call his name 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 father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

 And the angel answered 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 called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Summary (for your preparation): Mary asks almost the same question to the same angel upon the announcement she received with a totally different outcome. While Zechariah faced a severe punishment for not believing, Mary's question is legitimized. Why? There are at least three key differences between the two. First, Zechariah had been praying for a child, Mary had no expectation. Second, Zechariah was a priest, Mary was a peasant girl. Third, Zechariah is old and has served God for a lifetime while Mary might be 12-14 years old. In other words, God expected Zechariah to respond to him in faith while Mary was just coming to know her God. If you were starting to get the notion that this story was all about John the Baptist this episode inserts a crucial foreshadow of the main event, the birth of Jesus. God is always working behind the scenes to accomplish his purposes!

Teaching Tip: See if your children will recognize that Mary questions the angel in the same way Zechariah does yet with a different result. If not, ask them questions that cause them to explore this for themselves. Let them see that God sometimes deals with people differently for different reason. 

 Questions/Responses:

Who did the angel come to this time? Mary

 What was the news? Mary is going to have a baby! The Lord is with you. The baby's name should be Jesus and he will be great and he will be the son of God! He will sit on David's throne and his kingdom will never end (2 Samuel 7:12. 16)

 How did Mary respond? She asked the angel how it would be possible

Zechariah asked the angel a similar question and he got in trouble...did Mary get in trouble? No, the angel answered her question

 Why didn't Mary get in trouble when Zechariah did? Does God like Mary better than Zechariah? No, he loves them both the same

 What might be some differences between Zechariah and Mary? Zechariah was praying for a baby so he should have been expecting God to answer. Zechariah is a priest and served God his whole life. Zechariah is much much older than Mary and known God for many years. 

 Did God expect Zechariah to respond to the news in faith? Yes, but he didn't. Mary was just beginning to learn about what God was like. 

What does this tell us about God? It tells us that God expects his children to trust him fully. It also tells us that he knows us and our limitations and he is patient with us when we need it. 

We get a break from hearing about John's birth and we learn that God is still planning the birth of his Son, the Savior of the world!

Prayer and Ending

Prayer: Father in heaven, we give you thanks for being a father to your children, for knowing your children and walking with them. You know each person and you know their limitations. Thank you so much for the way you punish and bless, for the way that you discipline your children and reward your children. We see that you are always up to good even when we cannot see it. You were planning the birth of your son even when no one was expecting it. Help us to live by faith, always trusting that you have bigger plans than we can fully understand. In Jesus name, AMEN!

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