Hope Alliance Bethlehem

Passover was a mandatory celebration for God's people because it helped them remember and embrace their identity.  But Passover was always pointing to something greater.  In Jesus, we have the ultimate Passover - a rescue from slavery and welcome into the family of God.  So then, Jesus becomes a mandatory feast for all who desire to come to God.

Israel was God's people.  He had adopted them, literally placing his name on them.  And in so doing he promised to bless them.  Blessing meant keeping and protecting them, taking delight in them, extending grace toward them and giving them peace.  We see this ancient blessing find its ultimate meaning in the person and work of Jesus, through whom we have been adopted into God's family.  And just like them, our only possible response is worship.

Impurity amongst the people of God is a big deal in the face of a holy God.  And as God is about to depart with his people on a journey he wants to know if they are going to be faithful.  The book of Numbers will show us that they aren't and in fact that they can't be.  Here we see the true nature of God, who pursues his people relentlessly and ultimately in Jesus deals once and for all with our impurity.

The role of the Levites was critical to the function of the people of God.  They protected, assisted with and transported the tabernacle in the wilderness.  Through Jesus the presence of God is once again on the move in our world.  And it is the job of the church to help transport this tabernacle as they go in their spheres of influence.

Why start a book with a census?  To demonstrate the faithfulness of God to his people.  What started as a promise of a great nation had played out before their eyes.  What's more, God not only keeps his promises, but keeps his presence amongst his people.  And he shows them that the only proper response is a life ordered around him.

Gabriel's final statement to Mary is the closing argument to his plea to not be afraid.  Nothing is impossible with God.  This no doubt brought to mind the power of God in creation and in keeping his covenant.  Moreover, he empowered Mary's faith through the ministry of the Spirit and the testimony of Elizabeth.  

God delivers on His many promises from over many years to crown a new King David.  Jesus reigns with the heart of God and delivers his people to salvation, justice, and righteousness.  

When Gabriel tells Mary her baby will be the Son of God, he is saying that the child will be Israel's long awaited Messiah - chosen by God to rescue his people and in so doing announce their forgiveness.  In Jesus, we have the ultimate Son of God.  God himself became flesh in order to offer a once and for all forgiveness, not just to Israel but the entire world.

When Gabriel tells Mary that she is going to have a child, her mind must have heard the echos of Abraham and Issac, but mostly Samson.  Just like Jesus, Samson's birth was announced to a common and unsuspecting mother by an angel.  And just like Samson, Jesus would be a deliverer of his people.  What's more, he would have the name Jesus - literally Joshua.  He would lead his people to finally possess the land/blessing God had promised.

What does it mean that Mary found favor with God?  Simply speaking, God had extended himself toward her in grace.  And just like Noah and Moses before her, God intended to demonstrate his glory and faithfulness.  This truth led to a counter-circumstantial hope and joy for Mary and it can do likewise for us.