God's Extravagant Gift Of Grace
God's Extravagant Gift Of Grace | December 19th
Exchanging gifts is an enjoyable experience, especially during Christmas, whether you are giving or receiving. If you purchase the present, you will likely put a lot of thought and time into selecting it. On the other hand, it is common to feel gratitude if you receive a gift. Similarly, we can draw parallels with our feelings and expressions regarding God's grace. Scripture makes it clear that we are the recipients of grace, while God is the one who bestows it.
The word grace comes from the Greek word "charis," which means blessing, kindness, and unmerited favor. You will find that grace is a significant and steady theme throughout the Bible. Thus, it should be no surprise that grace is a big part of the Christmas narrative. Luke 1:26-28 records the angel Gabriel's historic visit to inform Mary about God's plan for her to be the mother of our Lord. Luke reports, "In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, 'Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.' "
By way of Mary's first-hand account of this angelic visitation, the timeline "In the sixth month" references Elizabeth's miraculous pregnancy. Next, Luke, the historian, documents that Mary and Joseph were engaged—not married yet. That is an essential piece of information as far as messianic prophecy is concerned. See, Jesus had to check all the boxes associated with the first coming of the promised Messiah, with a virgin birth being among the most notable Old Testament predictions. Finally, notice the greeting that Gabriel gave to Mary. He referred to her as a "favored woman." The word favored is what we call a synonym for grace. Gabriel was telling Mary that God's grace was upon her.
There are two facets of Gabriel's declaration. First, God extended saving grace to Mary. Like countless Old Testament believers before her, Mary was drawn to the Lord by His grace and ultimately followed His leading. She understood that it was God alone who gave His grace and mercy. Secondly, you can describe the Lord's favor on Mary as a blessing of trust. Only God knows the heart and mind of a person. He saw something in Mary, much like He did with Moses, David, Daniel, Hannah, Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Joseph. That something was no doubt her faith and obedience to Him.
Understanding this, we recognize that Mary received God's grace. God continues to bestow His grace upon people today—our salvation results from this grace. Also, every opportunity to serve that God gives us demonstrates His favor. Therefore, let us express our gratitude for God's gift of grace this Christmas season!
The word grace comes from the Greek word "charis," which means blessing, kindness, and unmerited favor. You will find that grace is a significant and steady theme throughout the Bible. Thus, it should be no surprise that grace is a big part of the Christmas narrative. Luke 1:26-28 records the angel Gabriel's historic visit to inform Mary about God's plan for her to be the mother of our Lord. Luke reports, "In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, 'Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.' "
By way of Mary's first-hand account of this angelic visitation, the timeline "In the sixth month" references Elizabeth's miraculous pregnancy. Next, Luke, the historian, documents that Mary and Joseph were engaged—not married yet. That is an essential piece of information as far as messianic prophecy is concerned. See, Jesus had to check all the boxes associated with the first coming of the promised Messiah, with a virgin birth being among the most notable Old Testament predictions. Finally, notice the greeting that Gabriel gave to Mary. He referred to her as a "favored woman." The word favored is what we call a synonym for grace. Gabriel was telling Mary that God's grace was upon her.
There are two facets of Gabriel's declaration. First, God extended saving grace to Mary. Like countless Old Testament believers before her, Mary was drawn to the Lord by His grace and ultimately followed His leading. She understood that it was God alone who gave His grace and mercy. Secondly, you can describe the Lord's favor on Mary as a blessing of trust. Only God knows the heart and mind of a person. He saw something in Mary, much like He did with Moses, David, Daniel, Hannah, Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Joseph. That something was no doubt her faith and obedience to Him.
Understanding this, we recognize that Mary received God's grace. God continues to bestow His grace upon people today—our salvation results from this grace. Also, every opportunity to serve that God gives us demonstrates His favor. Therefore, let us express our gratitude for God's gift of grace this Christmas season!
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