Mary, Did you know?

We look forward to a birthday.
We look forward to a concert.
We look forward to Christmas.
We look forward to 5:00.
We look forward to a meal from our favorite restaurant.

We easily look forward to many things.  We look forward to something that will take place in the next few hours, or we look to the future in anticipation of the fulfillment of all our hopes and dreams.  For the most part our anticipation for a certain thing can be quite simple.  I was reminded of this Saturday as I was reading the birth of Christ as told by Luke.

The Israelites were promised the Savior, the One who would deliver them.  The Prophets continuously foretold the coming Messiah.  Isaiah proclaimed he would be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Micah prophesied the very city where the Messiah would be born - Bethlehem.  These prophets spoke hundreds of years before Jesus's actual birth.  The Israelites knew their Savior would come through the line of David.  Yet day after day, year after year ... There was still no Messiah.

"I am still confident of this. Surely I will see the goodness of The Lord in the land of the living. Wait for The Lord. Be strong and take heart. And wait for The Lord." Psalm 27:13-14

Those who knew of God's faithfulness and trusted in His sovereignty held to His promise.  Though other rulers came to power ... Though some were taking into exile ... Though some experienced famine ... They did not grow weary.  They held onto the hope that the promise and prophesies would be fulfilled.  They waited for the goodness of The Lord.  Some 400 years after a time of silence from God during a perfect time of peace in Rome, an angel appeared to Mary.

The moment Gabriel appeared to Mary, the wait was over.  The years of waiting for the Savior had finally come to an end.  I can't imagine that moment.  Mary didn't have to wait for her Messiah anymore.  The Deliverer has come!  No longer trapped in sin and apart from God, but the Prince of Peace has come!  Jesus Christ had made peace for us, so that we can have a relationship with God.

We look forward to birthdays.
We look forward to a concert.
We look forward to Christmas.

But our Deliverer has come!  We are at peace with our God.
We look forward to his second coming.

Merry Christmas!

What a wretched man am I! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!! Romans 7