Change of Plans

Now it’s December 2020. What does it look like now? Will some Christmas traditions have to be changed? Is there less (or no) company to prepare for? Will there seem to be a cloud hanging over celebrations that do happen? Will your Christmas services look different this year? This is likely what many of us will experience in 2020. 

What were things like for Mary in 1 B.C.? (Now I know we don’t have an exact date here, but for sake of analogy, just go with it.) Mary was a young woman, with a servant’s heart, likely caring for her family members – whether older or younger – and looking forward to a life ahead of her much like her mother’s. This was a life where she would take care of the home and be involved in church and community. She knew who she would marry one day soon. A handy carpenter named Joseph. She didn’t know what life held for her in the future, but she loved her Lord and trusted he would carry out his will through her, whatever that might be. Would she and Joseph have children to raise for the Lord? She trusted God with that too. He had always kept his promises. But Mary was still waiting on the Lord to fulfill the promise of the Savior – a promise she would not forget!  

Then the angel Gabriel appeared to her. “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Luke tells us that Mary was greatly troubled at his words and understandably so. She never had an angel come to speak to her before. Why now? Why her? “But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary…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…For no word from God will ever fail.” (Luke 1:28-37, selected verses) 

Immediately, we read Mary’s response: “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:38) What willingness! What submission to God’s will! 

We have to admit that we have not always had such willingness and submission to God’s will. You know how strong your mother’s faith was, but you wonder why God allowed her death at that time. You know your child is special with his own unique gifts, but you beg God to give you a little relief from his learning challenges. You know it’s a new job offer your husband wants to accept, but you don’t want to move away from the people and place you love. You question why God allowed the trial to come to you, your family, your church or your nation. You wonder how God is using a new virus for our good as it continues to infect our communities and affect our lives. 

Even though we want to submit perfectly, we know we can’t. From Luke’s account of the foretelling of Jesus’ birth, we see Mary’s submission to God’s will, but she didn’t always submit perfectly. However, the babe in her womb did. He submitted to his Father’s will to become flesh and be born from a woman. He lay in a feeding trough at his humble birth while lowly shepherds were the first to hear about his birth. All because he knew that was part of God’s plan to save an entire world of sinful people. 

This Christmas is likely going to look a lot different than a year ago. With God’s help we can turn from the evil that causes us to doubt and despair, and we can find the joy in our hearts that only Christ’s love gives us. This gives us confidence that God is working out his good and perfect plan in our lives. 

Mary didn’t understand God’s plan at the angel’s first words to her, but she found great joy in a promise fulfilled about nine months later! God’s plan was immeasurably more than she could have ever thought or imagined.