Luke 1:26-38
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.
Reflection
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to help prepare God’s people for the coming Savior (Luke 1:17). The engaged virgin Mary receives a message from him even more shocking than the one given to Zechariah: even though she is still a virgin, she is going to give birth to the Son of God, who will reign as King forever (v. 32)! Unlike Zechariah (v. 18), Mary demonstrates the childlike faith that always brings joy to our heavenly Father (18:16–17). Despite her lingering questions, she responds to God’s gracious provision with faith: “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (1:38).
All of this happens because God has graciously set his favor upon Mary (v. 30). This grace is most clearly seen in Christ, who enables his people to respond with the same childlike faith that Mary had (Eph. 2:1–10).
Galatians 5:16-26
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Reflection
Paul has mentioned the work of the Holy Spirit several times in this letter (Gal. 3:2, 3, 5, 14; 4:6, 29; 5:5, 16, 17, 18, 22, 25; 6:8) and he now urges the Galatians to walk “by the Spirit” (5:25). As those who have received God’s grace and been filled with his Spirit, our lives should now manifest the reality of God’s presence in our lives. We do this by faith and in the power of his might rather than in the strength of our own resolve or resources.
The works of the flesh are evident (v. 19), because they prioritize self above God and others. Those who practice these works show that they are not living in step with the life-transforming Spirit of God. Paul has already taught that the Christian life begins when we receive the Spirit through hearing the gospel with faith (3:2; 4:6). The Spirit transforms the life of the person who walks by the Spirit (5:25), and produces fruit consistent with the character of God.
Psalm 143:10
10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!
The new life at work in a Christian is not produced by the power of human striving. The power of God’s Spirit is what changes our desires and fuels us with faith in the promises of God. Ask God’s Spirit to give you the power to resist your sinful urges and live in a way that glorifies God today.