In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!’ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of his father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.’ And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ and the angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.’

Luke 1:26-35 (ESV)

Two thousand years ago, an angel appeared to a young woman and gave the greatest news in history: that she would conceive and bear a son who would save the world and reign on the throne of David. He would be called holy—the Son of God. Imagine the thoughts running through Mary’s head. She may have asked “why me?” or “why now?” We can only imagine the scene. However, the focus of this passage is not on Mary. While she is important, she is not the central figure. The message is what takes the focus of Luke as he writes this account. We cannot underestimate the importance of the message. The Son of God is to come into the world not as a conquering warrior or great leader, but as a child in the womb of a young virgin. Why would the Son of God, the eternal one, the second person of the Trinity, God almighty through whom all things were created humble himself and come into the world as a child? Paul gives us the answer to this question in Philippians 2. There he tells us that Christ took on the form of man, became a servant, and humbled Himself unto the death of the cross. Christ was born to die. While this seems tragic, it is glorious news. Christ came and sacrificed Himself for our sins. He then rose from the dead three days later, proving once and for all that He is Lord.

This season, remember what it is about. We should celebrate the birth of our savior, that much is clear. But we should also remember why Jesus was born. He was born so that we could have life everlasting. He was born so that we could enter into a relationship with God. He was born to take away the sins of the world. He was born to die for our sins and be raised up on the last day and take his place at the right hand of the Father. Let us celebrate not just the birth of Christ, but also the life that He gave us.

This week, as you prepare to celebrate the Christmas season, focus on what Christ has done in your life. Examine the change he has brought to you. If you do not have a relationship with Christ, now is the time of salvation. Place your faith in Christ and he is faithful to save you and to bring you into a new life.