In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him 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 ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
A new normal
December 22
Read: A selection from Luke 1:26-38
Listen:
Ask your mom or dad what it’s like to be a parent. They might mention that it’s both wonderful and hard, and that lots of it is bittersweet. They think you’re the coolest person ever. (Yup, even if you have siblings! Shh, don’t tell.) They love seeing the person you’re becoming. And every time you grow taller and more independent, they probably want to cry.
When Mary agreed to become Jesus’s mom, she may not have realized all that she was signing up for. She was probably doing something really normal, like brushing her teeth, reading a book, or walking home from a friend’s house.
But once that angel showed up, nothing was normal anymore! Now Mary would be Jesus’s mom—the mom of the Son of God. Her life was going to change a whole lot. She was going to feel everything your parents feel, except maybe even more. Her son is definitely the coolest person ever, and she got to help raise him! She also had to watch him die, which is maybe the worst thing for a parent. But she also got to see him come back to life as the Savior of the whole world.
Thanks to Mary, nothing is “normal” for us anymore, either. We get to live in a world where God became a human being. God has chosen to save the world. Through Jesus, God is making all things new!
Wonder:
How did Mary feel about becoming Jesus’s mom? What’s different about the world because she said yes?
Pray:
God, thanks for becoming a human being. Thanks for choosing to become one of us and for saving the world. Amen.
This devotion is part of
The Jesse Tree Story:
A Family Advent Devotional
Each devotion in this family Advent devotional invites you into the story of someone on Jesus’s family tree. These devotions will show young children how God was preparing for Jesus to be born across many generations. Each story pairs with a symbol you can hang on your own Jesse Tree.
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