In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. He had a message for a girl promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. The girl's name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, "Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!"

Mary was deeply troubled by the angel's message, and she wondered what his words meant. The angel said to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king, as his ancestor David was, and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end!"

Mary said to the angel, "I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?"

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God's power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God. Remember your relative Elizabeth. It is said that she cannot have children, but she herself is now six months pregnant, even though she is very old. For there is nothing that God cannot do."

"I am the Lord's servant," said Mary; "may it happen to me as you have said." And the angel left her.

Luke 1:26-38

Each year it seems that Christ's birth is acknowledged less and less during the Christmas season. Forget about the past. Look to the future. While it is important to be kind and to ensure no one is lonely, it is more important that they not be lonely eternally.

We have a magnificent opportunity to spread the good news that Jesus is the only reason for our Christmas season.

Christmas is a birthday celebration, honoring the birth of Jesus. God's Son took on human flesh and "dwelt among us" (John 1:14).

Jesus came for our sake. He was born to die on a cross for our sins, and He was resurrected to give us forgiveness and eternal life (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

We can urge people to respond to Jesus with faith, accepting His offer of salvation (John 1:12; 3:16).

Tell others of this miraculous story of God's Son, Jesus Christ. Pray that many, like the wise men who came to worship the promised Savior will seek Him and find Him this year.

Bethlehem's stable was the first step in God's journey of love to the cross.

Our Daily Bread - December 12, 2001