Advent - Day 21 - Prophet - #rethinkadvent

The birth of Jesus seems a fairytale to some and beyond our human grasp of understanding.  The idea that a young 14 year old girl could have enough faith to trust an Angel's announcement of her impending pregnancy and to risk her own life to go along with it is amazing .  Of course, it was her choice -- she had to say yes and that says even more about her trust in God.  But her knowledge of the scriptures helped her make that decision

As deep as her faith was, though, it was her understanding of scripture and words of the prophet Isaiah, that must have helped clinch the deal.  God had foretold the coming of the Messiah through the prophet Isaiah over 680 years before Mary was visited by the Angel Gabriel.  Yes, Mary knew the scriptures well.

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14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 8:14

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26In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.   Luke 1:26

For as the angel spoke, she heard the prophecy almost verbatim through the visitation of the Angel Gabriel.

Fairytale?  How can it be?

This is where I fell in love with Mary.  A child, innocent and pure of heart, made a life decision that would bless everyone else,  not thinking of herself-- from that day forward.  

There is a trilogy of books that I adore written by the late Marjorie Holmes: Two From Galilee, Three From Galilee and The Messiah. This is how I came to adore the Mother of our Lord.

It used to be my tradition, sometimes along with my Women's Study Groups, to read Two From Galilee during Advent, saving the last Chapter to read at midnight Christmas Eve.  It is a beautiful Novel - fiction based on Biblical fact, that humanizes the entire story of Christmas from the visitation of Gabriel to the Birth.

The prophet foretold of the birth of Jesus and the woman who would say yes to a calling that would start the whole world singing: Joy to the world, the Lord is come...