Nothing Will Be Impossible If you’re new to Lifpoint | Worthington, take 30 seconds to fill out our Welcome Card! Have a question about today's message? Ask it here. Luke 1:26-38 (ESV) 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. The Messy Situation The Christmas story is the narrative of God responding to the longing of His people. The holidays often highlight the gap between the ideal and the reality. We frequently face chaos that leads us to ask the question: Now what? Instead of despair, we are invited to ask this question with wonder. The Personal Mess Luke zooms in on one girl in an insignificant village to break 400 years of silence. A Crisis of Reputation In the first century, betrothal was a binding legal contract. To be unfaithful during a betrothal was considered adultery. Mary’s question ("How will this be?") is not just biological, but deeply personal. She is facing the reality of social rejection. Have a question or pushback on this? Ask it here. Overshadowing the Void Gabriel does not give Mary a strategy; he gives her a promise of Presence. The Architecture of Reality Genesis: The Spirit hovers over chaos to bring creation. Exodus: The Spirit overshadows the Tabernacle to bring dwelling. Luke: The Spirit overshadows the scandal to bring salvation. “Mary, God is not intimidated by your mess. Chaos is His canvas.” Nothing Will Be Impossible The anchor of the series is found in verse 37: “For nothing will be impossible with God.” The Problem of Efficiency We often assume that if God loves us, He will be efficient. Mary’s story reveals that God doesn't always smash the wall; sometimes He grows a vine over it. God is interested in the slow work of transformation. Have a question or pushback on this? Ask it here. The Deeper Impossible The “Impossible” is the gap between our human resources and God’s reality. We try to clean up the “stage” of our lives by changing our circumstances. We can change our situation, but we cannot heal our own hearts. The name Jesus literally translates to “The Lord saves.” God did the impossible: He saved us when we could not save ourselves. How Do We Respond? If God has crossed the gap to be with us, our response is surrender. Mary's Prayer Mary shifts from staring at the problem to staring at God's capability. Real faith is inviting God to overshadow the mess with His presence. We must trust the God who is patient enough to grow a miracle in the dark. “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” As always, if you'd like to talk more with me about anything we discussed, you can sign up for meeting time. If you have any questions from the message today, send them here and I'll follow up!