Renaming “Impossible”.
“And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” (Luke 1:35-37)
As we get deeper and deeper into the Christmas holiday season, ironically it becomes increasingly easy to be distracted from the source of our celebrating. The secular world and Christians alike, all running around to prove their love through gift-giving and perfect decor. Ironically, the wise men who were faced with the task of gifting the King of Kings did not go into debt or depression while choosing His gift…
Nevertheless, today I want to ground us in the true“who” behind Christmas (not to be mistaken for the lovely citizens of the best Christmas movie ever). There was a fairly ordinary virgin girl named Mary who we all know became famous for the child that she birthed. However, I’ll be the first to admit that I have been guilty of marveling at the miracle done in Mary’s body more than the One who does the miraculous as easily as we take a breath. You see, Mary knew very well her own limitations in participating in this miracle. Luke 1:34 ends with her reminding the angel that she was a virgin (in case God is somehow not fully informed when He speaks, of course). The angel’s response is the prayer of my heart for each of us as we embark on the journey of unwavering submission to the calling of God in our lives. Not that we would somehow become capable, worthy, or competent in our own right, but that “the Holy Spirit will come upon you in new ways”; you would be fully alert to His every move and declaration; and that your whole life would be “overshadowed by the power of the Most High.”
There are so many scientifically-proven impossible things. It is impossible for pigs to fly. It is impossible for bricks to be soft. It is also impossible to walk on water, but we have seen that. It is impossible for 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish to become more than that, but we have seen that too. It is especially impossible for a virgin girl to give birth to a baby that would live completely without sin and be enough to save the entire world, but again, we have seen that. The point is this: in life there are many impossibilities; however, God has proven since the beginning of time that He is not limited by human or scientific limitations. This holiday season, I invite you to spend time in awe- not of the vessel- but of the God who makes impossible things possible. Let this fuel not only your full obedience to His call, but your daily acts of worship. Amen.
It’s only “impossible” until God starts doing it, then you need to give it a new name.
