“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon 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 barren is in her sixth month.
For nothing is impossible with God.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.”
Luke 1:26-38.
Here is if you think about it a remarkable account of an angel telling a young Jewish girl that she would be the mother of the Messiah.
This is one of the core beliefs of Christianity. If not true, Christians around the world are believing a lie.
The writer Luke states at the beginning of his gospel,
“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.
Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”
Luke 1:1-4.
We are not entirely sure who Theophilus was but it doesn’t matter. What matters is Luke who is considered by historians to be well educated, put down for us what he found out about Jesus. Luke is believed to have had access to first hand accounts of many of the events.
If what Luke is saying is untrue and Mary was not visited by an angel then like I said Christians are believing a lie.
Likewise if we question the reliability of even one part of Luke’s account of the life of Jesus then it brings all of his account into question.
If Luke is writing a lie then why put into his account the visitation of angels to Mary and indeed Joseph and the shepherds?
Why include throughout his gospel the accounts of miracles and other fantastic events like the resurrection.
The fact is Luke was telling the truth. A truth that Christians present to individuals everyday giving them the choice to believe it or not.
So the question becomes do you believe Jesus is the Son of God, the Saviour of mankind?
Please think about it.
Have a very Merry Christmas.
May the Love of Christ come into your heart and life this Christmas season,
and bless you richly.
