When an Angel Spoke to Mary
Join Pastor Chuck Swindoll as he looks at the message the angel brought to Mary in Luke 1:26–38. This revelation about the birth of the Son of God has resonated in the hearts of God’s people ever since.
Join Pastor Chuck Swindoll as he looks at the message the angel brought to Mary in Luke 1:26–38. This revelation about the birth of the Son of God has resonated in the hearts of God’s people ever since.
For millennia, average Christians as well as learned theologians have strained more than one brain cell to try to understand the incomprehensible mystery surrounding the conception and birth of our Saviour. We'll not lose ourselves in the unsolvable riddle that is the conception of God the Son. Rather, we'll lose ourselves in the wonder that is God the Holy Spirit's most significant mission.
As Chuck Swindoll assures us in this message, God continues to walk into our lives when we least expect Him, and His surprises still bring relief. When we say yes to God’s will for our lives, God floods our hearts with relief. And, oh, the joy that God’s peace brings to our hearts!
Because our view of God determines our life’s course, Chuck Swindoll teaches us from Luke 18 that God is the God of limitless possibilities. We can live big. Dream big. Give big. Pray big. God knows no confines.
Zacharias, Mary, Joseph, and Herod all heard God’s message. So what accounted for their different reactions? Zacharias doubted, Mary and Joseph believed, and Herod rejected the message. And each of their responses had significant results.
Christ didn’t arrive with the flare of trumpets or with flags flying. He didn’t demand an announcement for whole the world to hear, though He deserved it. Jesus just walked in. Take some time to reflect on the nature of Jesus Christ’s Incarnation—born to peasant a girl in a smelly barn in an obscure town and worshipped by a few people. This humble story reveals the character of our Messiah, who humbled Himself to save the people He loved.
Keep this familiar story from losing its wonder by pondering the incredulity of the God of the universe arriving on earth as a newborn infant. Oh, what a glorious night!
Pastor Chuck Swindoll revisits the Saviour’s quiet entry into the world in Luke 2:1–20. You’ll be challenged to open God’s gracious present to you anew and to marvel at the humble beginnings of God’s most wonderful gift.
At Christmas, it’s easy to get distracted by the food and traditions and decorations and lose sight of the reason for our celebration. Chuck Swindoll encourages us to slow down and reflect on the wonder of the very first Christmas.
As citizens of that world to come, our work today—whether in our homes, our cities, or around the world—should be to live out and encourage the ideals of that world to come with every fibre of our beings.