Painting -The Annunciation by Beccafumi, 1545, USA.

With God, nothing is impossible! The Annunciation should remind you of that. If God can supernaturally conceive the Son of God in a virgin and grant a child to an elderly couple, then He can make your impossible become POSSIBLE too. Join us today as we travel to Nazareth. We will hear the Great Annunciation of JOY to Mary and learn about Elizabeth’s miraculous pregnancy—because nothing is impossible with God.  The episode is based on a chapter from my book: The Joy of Advent: Journey with the People, Events and Prayers at the First Coming of Jesus Christ.  Today, we will cover these points:

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• After 430 years of silence from heaven, the Archangel Gabriel appeared with an annunciation to Zechariah in Luke 1: 1-25.
  
• Zechariah just couldn’t believe he and Elizabeth could have a baby. After all, they were to old, past the time of child-bearing. It seemed impossible.
  
• Gabriel gave Zechariah a 9-month silent retreat to ponder the annunciation of what looked impossible.
  
• Next, Luke 1: 26 takes us to a small town in Galilee, the hometown of Mary and Joseph. Gabriel’s message here is what we call, The Annunciation.
  

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• The powerful Archangel Gabriel brings the second annunciation– this time to a young girl in Nazareth.
  
• This most important heavenly announcement comes to a girl in a remote village. It’s where you might least expect it to occur.
  
• BUT God causes miracles to happen in the most unlikely and even ungodly places when people are open to Him.
  
• Mary is the recipient of this great Annunciation. She is a virgin and teenager who is engaged to Joseph. Joseph is in the lineage of David, which points to the Old Testament prophesies soon to be fulfilled.
  

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• The Baby would be named Jesus, which is Yeshua in Hebrew. Jesus is derived from Yahweh – the Most Holy Name of God in the Old Testament. The message is clear: Yahweh God would name His son Yeshua after Himself.
  
• Truly, Jesus would be the Son of God and fulfill  Isaiah 7: 14. Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel (God with us).
  

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• “Fiat” is the first word of Luke 1: 38 in the early Latin Bible translation and it means “let it be.” This was Mary’s “YES.”  
  
• Mary received the Word of God, surrendered, and entrusted herself and her life to God’s will.
  

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• Some may find it hard to believe in the virgin birth. But the virgin birth and incarnation are essential parts of our Christian faith.
  
• The incarnation means God became man, reaching out to mankind.  In no other religion does God “become flesh” (John 1: 14), “accept the limitations of humanity,” come to earth to show His love, and then die for the sins of all (Fulton Sheen, 1958, Life of Christ, p. 19). St. Augustine says that when we cannot understand this miracle, “Let us grant that God can do something which we confess we cannot fathom. God is the God of the impossible!” (John Willis, 2002, Teachings of the Church Fathers).
  

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• Prayerfully meditate on the marvelous encounter between the Angel Gabriel and Mary in “The Annunciation.”
  
• Picture yourself in the scene with Mary. How would she feel when she hears she will be the mother of the long-awaited Savior? How will she contain the joy? Mary gives us this example of how to seek and accept God’s will: Listen, Dialogue with God, and Surrender.
  

Mary gives us this example of how to seek and accept God’s will: Listen, Dialogue with God, and Surrender.  Imagine yourself as a humble one, like Mary—living in the obscurity of a town like Nazareth. Yet, you are open to all the ways of God. God shares His joy with you.

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• Listen to the message God speaks to you. YOUR SAVIOR IS COME. Your joy overflows.
  
• Dialogue with Jesus about the Good News He is announcing. Share any doubts with Him. God became man to show his Love for you. Jesus died for your sins. God is with you! He loves you. Receive His joy.
  
• Surrender  your heart. Jesus wants to come more deeply into your life. Trust the Lord! Join Mary in her YES to God, “Let it be with me according to your Word.” I surrender my life to you. I trust you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I give you the control of my life.
  

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  A Joyful Advent Journey #1 ~ The JOY of Zechariah: God Answers Prayer  You will meet Zechariah, Elizabeth, the Blessed Virgin…
  
  
• A Joyful Advent Journey #2  ~ The Annunciation & Nothing is Impossible with God.  Join Gabriel as He visits Mary and reminds us that nothing is impossible with God…
  
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  A Joyful Advent Journey #3 ~ The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth & Sharing Joy  We travel with Mary down the 90-mile road from Nazareth to the Hill Country…
  
  
• A Joyful Advent Journey #4 ~ The Birth of John the Baptist & Joyous Benedictis Prayer   Zechariah teaches us to seek God in stillness. His son John is born;his muteness leaves and he sings the joyous Benedictis prayer.
  

Cup of JOY & Free Materials. A Cup of Joy small group study accompanies each podcast series. All materials are FREE. Read more on hosting a CUP of JOY Women or Cup of JOY Gathering small group.

For bookmarks or prayer points from A Joyful Advent Journey Podcast, go to: WRAPYourselfinJOY.com.

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Click here for the Advent book: The Joy of Advent: Journey with the People, Events and Prayers at the First Coming of Jesus Christ.

Other Joy Books by Karen.

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