“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:34–38 (NIV)
Heavenly Father, with Mary, we are in awe of the mind-boggling, heart-encouraging promises you’ve made about the coming(s) of Jesus. We’re thankful everything you’ve promised will come to pass. You began a good work in us and you will bring it to completion (Phil. 1:6).
Just as surely as you placed the life of Jesus in Mary, you have done the same for us. Though in an entirely different way than Mary, we too are “pregnant with glory” (Rom. 8:18–27). Christ in us is our hope of glory (Col. 1:27).
At Jesus’ second Advent (coming), we will see him as he is, and we will be made like him (1 John 3:1-1). We’ll always love with the kindness and compassion of Jesus. We’ll only think with the mind of Christ, and see with eyes of heaven.
Never again will we be selfish, petty, or defensive. We’ll never get our feelings hurt, insist on being right, or demand more of anything. We’ll think of others more highly and more often than ourselves. We will be completely whole, healthy, and free.
In response to all of these promises we say, “How will this be, since we are still so very much not like Jesus?” And you answer back, by your Word and Spirit, “Things impossible with man are possible with God.”
May it be as you have promised in the gospel, holy, loving, and faithful Father. We are your beloved children, and your joyful servants. So very Amen we pray in Jesus’ exalted name.
