“Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him 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 Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (Luke 1:30-33)

     Not only did Zechariah get a visit from the angel Gabriel telling him about the birth of a son, but his wife’s cousin Mary would also get a visit from this angel.  Mary was told that she has “found favor with God,” and she will give birth to a son and call him Jesus.  In Hebrew the name is Yeshua, which literally means, “The Lord saves.” In addition, she is told that Jesus will be king over Israel and will be called “Son of the Most High.” This child would bridge the gap between humanity and God.

     While Zechariah was told that his son, John, would “make ready a people prepared for the Lord,” (John 1:17) Jesus would be the one to fulfill the role as Lord.  We can’t deny how so many times that God used ordinary people for extraordinary purposes.  If we consider ourselves ordinary, that is fine, but let’s not sell ourselves short.  God can and will use us for his purposes.  We just have to be open to all that he is calling us to do.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for being the one who saves us from our sins and giving each of us a purpose.  Help us to be aware of those purposes, for your honor and glory.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.