The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Luke 1:26-35, “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee, called Nazareth,

27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was

Mary.

28 And coming in, he said to her, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

29 But she was greatly troubled at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this might be.

30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.

31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.

32 “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His

father David;

33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High

will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God.”

“You’re such an angel!” It’s an expression sometimes affectionately tendered by one person to another. On the occasion of the verses above, however, the angel was real. He is identified as Gabriel and he first appears to Mary with the news that she was to bear a Son. Apart from the Book of Luke, Gabriel is mentioned only twice in the Book of Daniel and he always gives an understanding of what the LORD is doing or what He is about to do.

It was normal for Jewish girls to marry at a young age, so we can safely assume Mary to have been in or around her early teenage years. It would also be normal for such an announcement to bring joy to the heart of a girl, knowing that she was to have a child. Mary was already engaged to a man named Joseph. Engagements were legally binding to Jews and often lasted as much as a year. Still, there had been no physical relationship between the two.

Understandably, Mary was quite agitated; but the angel assured her that the LORD was with her, and that this was His work, whereby the Child would possess a position of great authority, as the LORD God would bestow upon Him the throne of David, his ancestor. We often refer this birth as “The Virgin Birth.” More accurately, however, it could be termed “the miraculous conception.”

Equally exciting is the fact that we, too, can be transformed by the Hand of Almighty God! When we acknowledge and ask His forgiveness for our sins, He forgives us and implants within us the Holy Spirit. Thereafter, the Spirit gives us understanding of the Scriptures and guides our lives accordingly. You can know His salvation and His guidance by simply trusting Him day-by-day. Is it that simple? Yes, it is. It is so simple that some actually stumble over the simplicity, as they search for more. Just trust Him! Trust is what the virgin Mary had to do.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom