Congratulations! It's a Savior!

Luke 1:30-33

30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 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 ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Twelve weeks. The first trimester is over at twelve weeks and that’s when most couples feel safe enough in their pregnancies to announce that they are expecting.

Eighteen weeks. That is the typical amount of time that a mother waits until the gender of her child is revealed by the doctor through sonogram imaging. It is a moment that is anxiously awaited. Although some mothers choose not to know the gender, most see it as the green flag of nesting. Now that you know, you can decorate and pick out little clothes and socks and shoes and let’s not forget paint colors!

In recent years, the pregnancy and gender announcements have become big social media deals as well. Friends announce the upcoming bump with t-shirts, clever Christmas Cards, little shoes, chalkboards, balloons…you name it and people have done it in sharing their joy over their upcoming bundles of joy.

Jesus got a two-in-one pregnancy announcement and gender reveal, except this one was a bit unusual because the announcement was to Mary, the mother of the child. Can you imagine an angel telling you “Hey, you’re gonna have a baby, and by the way it's and boy AND one more thing, it’s the Son of God and he’s going to usher in God’s Kingdom without end!” No pressure there.

So many of the things about Jesus birth seemed to be out of order or out of line by society’s standards. But wasn’t that what the world Jesus was born into had become? Out of order with their priorities. Out of line in their beliefs and behaviors. Out of touch with the heart of God.

This birth announcement had to be different because this baby was different. This mother was different, and this whole world would be different at the moment of His birth. This year as we celebrate the birth of our savior, let’s not forget to announce his birth to a world that needs to hear something different, to believe in something different, and to know the difference this child has made in our lives.

Prayer: Jesus you were born differently, showed us to love differently, and died so differently that you overcame the separation between God and man. You are are to be celebrated in your birth, life, death and resurrection. May we announce your birth and your return to a world that is out of touch and out of line with you. -Amen