Gabriel had his orders: take the message to Mary. Must be a special girl, he assumed. But Gabriel was in for a shock. Mary was a Jewish peasant who’d barely outgrown her acne and had a crush on a guy named Joe. But Gabriel followed through on his assignment. He wasn’t about to rebel against his boss, who also happened to control the universe. He visited Mary and told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus” (Luke 1:30–31 NKJV).

The story of Jesus begins with the story of a great descent. The Son of God became the child of Mary. He became one of us so we might become one with him. He entered our world in the high hope that we will enter his.

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