Before the age of technology, we looked forward to walking out to the mailbox in hopes of receiving a letter or postcard from a distant friend or relative; or maybe a card announcing the good news of an upcoming wedding or the arrival of a new baby. For centuries, the arrival of a message from the heart has always been received with joy!

2000 years ago, a special kind of messenger surprised a young lady with a very special, unexpected message.

The Angel Gabriel is known throughout Scripture as God’s Messenger. He appears three times in the Bible and each time brings some life-changing news. On one of these visits, he made clear his position that he, Gabriel, “stands in the presence of God� (Luke 1:19). So, what we do know of this spiritual being is that he is very close to God and is trusted by God to deliver very important messages. One of these messages was none other than the birth and name of our Lord, Jesus!

The human birth of Jesus had been planned before time itself, and for centuries, God and His close circle, prepared the earth for that day. When Gabriel appeared to Daniel in the Old Testament, he referred to the “Anointed One� (Daniel 9:25 NIV), a name we would later know to be Jesus. The day that the message of Jesus’ birth was to be announced had been highly anticipated, not just by man, but by Heaven itself. What joy must have been felt in Heaven the day that God gave Gabriel the message to be delivered, stating: ‘It’s time to bring JOY TO THE WORLD!’.

The powerful, yet gentle messenger greeted the recipient of the message with a subtle “Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee� (Luke 1:28). He goes on to give Mary the detailed birth announcement of her own child, who was actually God’s Son! (Luke 1:30-33) The message the Angel brought forth that day was the greatest love letter to ever be delivered and Gabriel had the privilege to deliver it to mankind. His message was to be remembered, and celebrated, every year from then on.

Today, at Christmastime, God has seen fit to make us His messengers to continue to spread the Good News of Jesus. Each year, we send out Christmas cards and deliver Holiday messages to our loved ones, usually expressing the joy and reason of the season. Let’s make sure that the message we send comes across with as much importance as the very first Christmas announcement given to us by the Angel Gabriel.

Suggested Prayer:

Dear Lord, this year as we continue to spread the joy of Jesus’ birth, may our words and actions go forth with all the love and devotion had by the original messenger. May the recipient of our message be as blessed as Mary was to hear that the Messiah was coming to her. May the message of Christmas bring glory to you as we celebrate the greatest gift of all â€" Your Son! In Jesus’ Holy Name, Amen.

1. Luke 1:26.