Has an unexpected visitor ever showed up at your house? Have you heard someone knocking on your door and you thought to yourself, “Hmn, I wonder who that could be?” Do you like receiving unexpected visitors? Well, I suppose it depends on who it is and why they are there!
Perhaps you get perturbed when an unsolicited caller arrives at an inopportune time like when you are sitting down for supper, putting the children to bed, or soaking in the bathtub. Unexpected visitors can be maddening when you’re right in the middle of doing something!
On the other hand, sometimes an unexpected visitor arrives at the perfect time and you welcome them with genuine enthusiasm. Have you ever experienced a surprise visit by a loved one you haven’t seen for a long time? Or has a good friend ever dropped by when you’ve just cracked open a new wineskin and you happened to have an extra goblet handy. Sometimes unexpected visits turn out to be the best visits!
In my line of work, I am occasionally required to make an unexpected home visit. It’s always interesting to see how people respond when I show up unannounced. I know this may be surprising, but most people appear petrified when they first see me. You would think that a sweet angelic face like mine would evoke tidings of comfort and joy, but to the contrary, people are frequently paralyzed with fear! They generally jump to the conclusion that I am there to confront them for some sin they’ve committed. But let me assure you, this is almost never why I’m there.
No, when I make an unexpected visit, it is almost always because God has given me a specific message to announce to them; and it’s usually good news! As his messenger, I stand in the presence of God; I’m called to proclaim his word! When God sends me on these missions, I have to do his will. But I guess there’s nothing I can do to change the way people perceive me or my work.
Gabriel, the Archangel
By now, you’re probably wondering who I am and what is this work that I keep referring to? Please forgive me for not introducing myself earlier—sometimes I get so focused on my mission that I forget to mention my name. I am Gabriel, one of God’s archangels!
How many of you have ever seen a real angel before? That’s what I thought! Few humans have! If this is your first time, let me begin by saying, “Boo!” No, I’m just kidding! Mortals tend to think that angels don’t have a sense of humor, but that’s just ridiculous. We like to joke and jest just like you folks—as long as we don’t get to carried away. Some of the other archangels like to tease, “Hey Gabe, for not even being a person, you sure do have a big personality!” As you can see, angel jokes are absolutely hysterical!”
Before I say anything else, allow me to present my customary greeting, “Fear not! Don’t be afraid! I mean you no harm! I’m not here to judge you!”
For those of you who don’t know much about angels, let me explain! Angels are spiritual beings created by God. We are spirits without bodies, but we have the ability to appear in bodily form, as I’m doing right now. (And may I just say, what a handsome form this is!)
Angels are God’s secret agents. We usually operate under cover—that is, we are invisible to humans unless God grants you the ability to see us.
Angels serve God in a multitude of ways. Some of us are designated to continually praise and glorify God. Other angels are selected to minister to humans—offering guidance, protection, provision, comfort, and encouragement. And other angels, like myself, are God’s elected to be God’s messengers. That’s actually what the word “angel” means: messenger. We announce God’s special messages.
Angels are not eternal, but God did create us before he made the material universe. (Job 38) I have witnessed all of the high and low points of history. I was there when God spoke the primordial words, “Let there be light.” And I watched the glittering stars scatter across the galaxies.
I was there when God laid the foundations of the earth. I sang praises when he molded the mountains and meadows, sculpted the rocks and rivers, and fashioned the forests and flowers. I shouted for joy when he placed the birds in the air, the fish in the sea, and the beasts in the field. I stood in awe as he took dust from the ground and breathed life into the first human being and established a race of people created in his own image. I watched with wonder when he hired the first humans to tend his beautiful Garden of Eden. Those were cheerful days, before the dark days came.
I was there on that diabolical day when evil entered the cosmos! As God displayed his power and glory during creation, one of my own kind—an angel named Lucifer, the Morning Star, the Son of the Dawn—became jealous of God’s glory. He wanted to sit on God’s throne and make himself like the Most High. He was overcome with pride and he led a rebellion against God in the spiritual real—and a third of all the angels followed him. God banished them from heaven and sentenced them to roam on the earth. Lucifer is now known as Satan and the fallen angels are demons. Since that day, God’s angels have been engaged in a cosmic battle against Satan and his sinister forces.
I was also there on that dreaded day when Satan manipulated Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He appeared to them in the form of a serpent, twisted God’s Word, and deceived them into tasting the forbidden fruit, thus breaking God’s command and bringing evil to earth. O how sad it was for the heavenly host to see how sin disfigured God’s wonderful world! O how heartbreaking it was to behold such beauty broken! O how agonizing it was to witness the downfall of the human race—a once perfect people now stained by selfishness, strife, and death!
Unexpected Visitations
This is why I was so thrilled when God the Father summoned me to his throne and informed me that is was now time to inaugurate his plan of redemption for the world. In human time, it was just over 2000 years ago when he revealed that he intended to send God the Son to earth. The Second Person of the Holy Trinity would take on human flesh and live as a mortal man. He would live a perfect life and die a painful death to pay the ransom for human sin. It was a marvelous plan!
And then the Almighty said to me, “Gabriel, I want you to go to earth as an unexpected visitor and announce my plan to the humans I have chosen to carry it out. I have in mind two miraculous births: the first to an elderly couple from the hill country of Judea—an old priest named Zechariah and his barren wife, Elizabeth. They will become the parents of John, the one who will prepare the way for the Messiah.”
As I contemplated this, the Holy Father continued, “The second birth will belong to a betrothed couple from the town of Nazareth in Galilee—a carpenter named Joseph and a young virgin girl named Mary. They will surely be confused as to how a virgin can bear a child. Do your best to explain a supernatural conception. You know how humans struggle to comprehend anything beyond the natural world.
Then my Creator concluded his command by saying, “I am entrusting this mission to you, my chief messenger. These annunciations are crucial for the redemption of the world. Go now Gabriel, stand in my presence! Speak my word! Proclaim this good news!”
An Angelic Annunciation
So, I did as God commanded me. I went to Nazareth and became an unexpected visitor. When I found Mary, she was fetching water from the well in the center of the village. The sun was just setting over the horizon and no one else was around. I appeared to her and said, “Greetings you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you.”
Mary’s reaction was different from all the others I’d received in the past. Although she was a just a teenager, she expressed no terror or trepidation. She seemed perfectly comfortable with my presence; it was my greeting that troubled her. She quietly inquired, “What do you mean by ‘highly favored one’?
Even though I was more startled by her reply than she was by my remark, I resorted to my customary salutation, “Don’t be afraid!” Once I gathered my thoughts and clarified my greeting, “Mary, you are the recipient of God’s special blessing. God has chosen you to be his vessel to bring redemption to the world.”
After contemplating this for a few moments, a confused look appeared on her face and she humbly asked, “But why has God chosen me? I haven’t done anything to deserve this grace!” And I said, “Mary, you are correct! You can’t earn God’s grace—it is unmerited favor. It is his sovereign right to choose whomever he wants to receive his grace. He can call anyone he wants to carry out his purposes. This is true for both angels and humans.”
After I gave Mary my greeting of grace, I knew it was time to fulfill my mission. I looked deep into the modest maiden’s eyes and said, “Mary, you will be with child and give birth to a son and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord would give him the throne of his father David, and he would reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will have no end.”
Mary’s face appeared even more perplexed than before and she didn’t say anything for a long while. You can imagine what was going through her mind at that moment? My message overwhelmed her; it was too much for her to take in all at once. She just gazed into the starry night and pondered in her heart.
When she heard the words “Son of the Most High” she knew I was talking about God’s own Son. When she heard me say “throne of David and house of Jacob” she understood that I meant the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah; the one who would deliver Israel.
Although Mary realized that God was calling her to be the mother of the Messiah, she didn’t understand how this could this be sine she was a virgin. So, I explained, “The conception won’t be natural; it will be supernatural. The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So, the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.”
To help her make sense of this miraculous pregnancy, I informed Mary that her old relative Elizabeth was already in her sixth month of pregnancy. Mary knew that Elizabeth had been barren her whole life, and she was well aware of Elizabeth and Zechariah’s deepest disappointment. Mary smiled when I asked, “If God could cause a barren old woman to be pregnant, why couldn’t he do the same for a young virgin?” Then I spoke the words I knew she needed to hear: “For nothing is impossible with God.”
After I said this, Mary didn’t ask any more questions. She didn’t worry about the possible disgrace she might face once people knew she was pregnant, yet unmarried. She wasn’t concerned about the law that could condemn her to death if she was convicted of adultery. She wasn’t even afraid of how her fiancé would react when he found out she was pregnant. She wasn’t anxious about any of these things. She fully embraced God’s plan for her life! The last words out of her mouth were remarkable. She simply said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said!” And with that, there was nothing left for either of us to say, so I left her.
It was just over 2000 years ago when I appeared to Mary as an unexpected visitor and announced the birth of God’s Son Jesus Christ. This was the mission that changed the world. You see, Mary did become the mother of the Messiah. She marveled at his miracles! She cried at his crucifixion! And she rejoiced at his resurrection! This was God’s wonderful plan to redeem the world from the curse of sin.
Just as God extended his special grace to Mary to become the mother of the Messiah, he has extended his grace to all of you through the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Through this grace he offers you the hope of everlasting life. Like Mary, you can’t earn it and you don’t deserve it. All you can do is receive it with humility through faith.
Over the centuries, I have observed many humans who resist and reject God’s grace. Its one of the reasons why your race continues to suffer. As you ponder this story through the Advent season, I hope that you will follow the example of the virgin Mary. May you will receive God’s grace with humility through faith.
Well, my unexpected visit has come to an end and my mission has been accomplished. But before I head back to heaven, let me offer an angelic prayer for you!