The Annunciation: “And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, ‘Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.’ And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, ‘Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there shall be no end.’ ”

LUKE 1:26-33 KJV

When Mary was engaged to Joseph, she experienced a day so extraordinary that it would take her a lifetime to ponder the depths of its meaning. During that day, she was visited by an angel, was told that she would conceive a child even though she was a virgin, and discovered that the child she would carry would be the long-awaited Messiah.

Mary didn’t need to search a book of baby names to find one she liked. She received the name through the angel that God sent to her. When we give names to our children, we don’t always think about the meaning of the name. Many babies today are given names just because they sound different or unusual, not because they have a certain meaning. Yet whenever God names a baby in the Bible, the name always has great significance and meaning. Mary’s child would be called Jesus, a name that meant He would be the Saviour. The title “Saviour” was one that belonged to God alone. Therefore, Jesus’ name meant that He was not only man, but that He was God come in the flesh.

In one major city in the United States, there is a church with a large neon sign at the top of the building. Travelers can see the sign from miles around. The sign reads, “Jesus Saves.” Sometimes people who have seen this sign shining brightly over the city have asked, “Jesus saves from what?” The answer is a simple one. Jesus saves from sin. Jesus didn’t come to leave us hopelessly bound in our sins. Jesus came to cleanse us from sin, forgive us, and to deliver us from its power in our lives. Jesus truly is a WONDERFUL Saviour.

God Knew Our Greatest Need

If our greatest need
had been information,
God would have sent us an educator.

If our greatest need
had been technology,
God would have sent us a scientist.

If our greatest need
had been money,
God would have sent us an economist.

If our greatest need
had been pleasure,
God would have sent us an entertainer.

But our greatest need
was forgiveness,
so God sent us a Saviour.

— from For Mine Eyes Have Seen Thy Salvation, by Roy Lessin.

May the wonder, joy and happiness of Christmas fill your hearts this time of the year. We wish everyone a blessed Christmas, or Hanukkah and a happy and prosperous New Year.