And the angel said to her, "Fear not, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and you will call His name JESUS."
*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 5399
Fear: to put to flight, terrify, frighten; dread, reverence
From the Greek word 'phobeó' (pronounced fob-eh'-o). To be struck with fear, to be seized with alarm. The act of being startled at strange sights or occurrences.
FEAR NOT
It is this same frame of mind the shepherds were in when the angel appeared to them and "the glory of the Lord shone round about them" (Luke 2:10). In the previous verse, we learned that the angel suddenly appeared among them. This angel was not in the night skies to deliver the message from God. I'm sure I may have been just as terrified. My heart would have been racing and my breath would first be taken away and then my legs would have buckled under me.
But they are both told to "Fear Not". Don't be afraid. Take courage. Strengthen your resolve to stay here. And listen to what God has to say to you. Fear is not from God: Peace is from God. Fear is a spirit that wants to defeat us (2 Timothy 1:7). Fear restrains and prevents a person from being fully obedient to God. But the Peace of God fills God's people with God's Love, God's Power and God's Prudence. See also John 14:27).
In Luke 1:13, the angel tells Zacharias, "Fear not". Daniel knew this fear in Daniel 10:11, for he was 'trembling' (shaking with fear, quaking) while the angel spoke with him. Both are encouraged to know that God has heard their prayers and He is answering them. Moses saw a burning bush and went towards it, but stopped in fear when he heard God's voice speaking from it (Exodus 3:6). He, too, is encouraged by God to stop and listen and hear.
In Revelation 1:17 John knew this fear: He saw Jesus in all His glory and "fell down as dead" (fainted dead away). "And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am The First and The Last."
FAVOR WITH GOD
*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 5485
Favor: grace, kindness, gratitude; a gift or blessing brought to man by Jesus Christ
From the Greek word 'charis' (pronounced khar'-ece). As the concordance states, "is preeminently used of the Lord's favor – freely extended to give Himself away to people (because He is "always leaning toward them").
Mary is not the first person to find "favor with God". In Genesis 6:8 Noah found favor: "Noah, however, found favor in the eyes of the LORD." Out of all the people populating the earth in Noah's time, he is the only one who found grace in God's eyes. The result of that being that only Noah and his family boarded the ark before God shut the door (Genesis 7:1, 16).
To "find favor" with God is to be the man or woman who knows God's heart, God's will, and follows it. David was such a man. Even before he was king. 1 Samuel 13:14 (when the prophet Samuel rebukes King Saul), "But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”
THE MESSAGE
The message to Moses was "Go back to Egypt and deliver God's people". The message to Noah was "Build an ark to save you and your family and the animals I have chosen".
The message to David was shown by Samuel "anointed to be King of Israel".
The message to Daniel was "a response from God to understand the visions he had been given".
The message to Zacharias was "you will have a son and he will be great in the sight of the Lord, filled with the Holy Spirit in the womb, make ready a people prepared for the Lord".
The message to Mary was "you will conceive a Son, and you will call His name JESUS".
Moses: Go and be the Deliverer of My people.
Noah: Build and Save My people.
David: Rule over My people.
Daniel: Warn My people.
Zacharias: Prepare My people
Mary: Your Child will Save My people.
The Lord has a message for His people today and every day given them thereafter.
REPENT
Ezekiel 14:6
Matthew 4:17
REPENT & BE BAPTIZED
Acts 2:38
BELIEVE ON HIS NAME
Acts 16:31
1 John 3:3
1 John 5:13
RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT
John 20:22
Acts 1:8
Acts 2:1-4
PREACH THE GOSPEL
Mark 16:15
1 Corinthians 9:16
2 Timothy 4:2
TAKE UP YOUR CROSS
Matthew 16:24
Mark 8:34
1 Peter 2:21
FOLLOW ME
Matthew 4:19
Mark 1:17
REJOICE
Matthew 5:11,12
Luke 6:22, 23
1 Peter 4:12-14
The joy we are to have as God's people is the same joy experienced by the shepherds after they had seen the baby JESUS. Exultant, exuberant, loud, noisy, REJOICE: to have joy in such abundance that it cannot be contained, but must be expressed in such a way as to draw people to the sound and sight of such excitement. And to hear what caused such Joy to be felt in the first place. Let us express our Joy in the Savior every day that we might fulfill His will for us.
FEAR NOT MY CHILD by Carman
GRACE OF GOD by Passion
GOD WITH US by MercyMe
EMMANUEL by Hannah Kerr
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