december 7, 2025
Welcome to Gateway! It’s such a blessing to worship with you today. If you’re new to Gateway, we want to extend a special welcome to you. Please visit GatewayOnline.org/nextsteps to get more connected.
A Weary World Rejoices: When Peace Seems Impossible
Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Important Historical Context:
- In first-century Jewish culture, girls became betrothed soon after they hit puberty, so biblical scholars estimate that Mary would have been between 12-15 years old when Gabriel appears to her.
- She was from Nazareth, which means she wasn’t anyone special in this culture. Nazareth was an obscure town of around 300 people. It isn’t mentioned in the OT or even by Josephus, a prominent 1st century Jewish historian.
- Mary was young, poor, and living in an obscure village under Roman occupation. It’s hard to imagine how difficult it would have been for her to grasp why God had chosen her.
1) Peace often begins with disruption.
2) Peace grows through trust.
3) Peace comes through surrender.
A Prayer to Trust in Jesus:
“God, thank you for sending Jesus to die for my sins and rise again. I confess that I'm sinful and I need You. I put my full trust in Jesus from this day forward. Thank you for saving me. Amen."
