“Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭1:29-33‬ (‭NLT‬‬)

The angel’s message must have come as quite a shock, but also quite a joy to Mary. After all, what mother doesn’t have high hopes for her child? And to be told from the beginning that her son would be unique – would be the Son of the Most High whose kingdom would never end. 

What a joy! What a wonderful piece of news. What a beautiful message to receive. 

And here we are, more than two thousand years later. Still telling the story. Still trying to get our heads around what it must have been like for her, what she must have felt and thought. 

Indeed, his Kingdom has not ended. His name is still above every name. He is still ruling over the faithful – bringing us freedom and  forgiveness and new life. What a joy to know this story. What a joy to hear it told again. What a joy to enter into its mystery and wonder and awe. 

This Advent, may you know the joy of this infant King who rules through eternity. May you be awed but the circumstances that surround his birth. May the message bring you new insights, fresh delight and abundant life.