God's Overwhelming Favor
Good morning, Immanuel. God’s favor on us, through Jesus, troubles us to life!
And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be” (Luke 1:28-29).
Mary’s reaction to Gabriel’s words is surprising: she is greatly troubled. Why was she troubled? It wouldn’t be surprising if she were terrified at the presence of the angel–that is normal in the Bible; regularly people fell on their faces or trembled at the sight of a heavenly messenger. And It would be just as understandable if she was greatly troubled at the announcement that she would, as a virgin, bear a son. But that merely baffled her because she understood where babies come from–but it didn’t trouble her. The text says she was troubled “at the saying”– it was Gabriel’s words that unsettled Mary. Why?
Because this is the effect of the unexpected, interruptive magnitude of God’s favor. That’s what the Christmas story is. That’s what the incarnation–the coming of the Son of God as a human baby–is. It is troubling. It upends expectations. It destroys the status quo. It is good news of great joy for all the earth, and it is foolishness to those who are perishing. It lifts up the lowly, like Mary (and you and me), and upsets empires. It comes not for the healthy and powerful but for the sick and weak.
See, God’s favor, through Christ, is intrusive, interruptive, and immense for all humanity–which means it is profoundly troubling to a fallen world. Either it is troubling in a way that people reject and thus face judgment, or it is troubling in a way that rouses us to life and faith–which we see in Mary. God’s favor on us, through Jesus, troubles us to life!
MIDWEEK UPDATES
TONIGHT…
TRENDING QUESTIONS - Join us tonight at 6:30 pm for our Wed. night gathering. We’ll address the question, “Can we believe in Christmas?” This will be our final Wednesday night before the winter break. We will start up again in January!
Celebration Sunday…
New Member Welcome - This Sunday was a huge blessing as we welcomed many new members to Immanuel! If you are interested in membership at Immanuel:
Discover Reception - The next Discover Reception will be hosted in the cafe on January 14th at 10:45 am. If you are new or newish and looking to learn more about Immanuel, RSVP here.
Next Steps One Day Event - Join us on Saturday, January 20th, from 9 am-2 pm in the cafe for Next Steps Day. We will cover the material for all four sessions. Coffee and lunch will be provided. RSVP here.
Park Avenue Elementary Giving - Carolfest was a big win! You generously gave over $4,500 towards our ministry to Park Avenue Elementary. Way to go, Immanuel!
Looking Forward…
Friday, December 15th: TENTH GENERATION PRAYER GATHERING (@6 AM IN THE CAFE)
Sunday, December 24th: CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES ( @ 9 am & 10:45 am) CHRISTMAS EVE HOLY COMMUNION (@ 4 pm)
Participation…
STORIES - The Lord is at work among us! We invite everyone to share stories of how you have seen God’s grace, experienced Jesus’ welcome, or grown spiritually at Immanuel. Record a video of your story and send it to media@immanuelnashville.com. Your stories will encourage others and show the impact Jesus is making among us.
Our mission at Immanuel is to make the real Jesus non-ignorable in our city and far beyond. Your generosity makes resources like the Daily Pulse possible. If you would like to financially support the ministry of Immanuel, please consider giving to our Tenth Generation Prayer. We appreciate your partnership in the gospel!
Amen, thank you Barnabas 🙏🏼