Advent Daily Devotional - Day 2
Luke 1:26-33
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Every great story has a moment that changes everything—an ‘inciting incident.’ It’s the spark that disrupts the ordinary and propels the main character into something extraordinary. In many ways, this part of the Christmas story feels just like that. Gabriel’s visit to Mary isn’t just the start of the Christmas narrative: it’s the moment that shifts human history.
The angel’s words to Mary are staggering, especially for someone like her—a young woman from an unremarkable village. In her society, Mary wasn’t considered important. She hadn’t achieved anything noteworthy. Yet here is God, through His messenger, calling her highly favoured.
What’s striking is that Mary’s favour isn’t tied to anything she’s done. Most stories deserve recognition and success at the end of the journey. But here, at the very beginning, God declares His love and favour for Mary. Before she’s travelled to Bethlehem, faced pregnancy, or even agreed to her role, she is already deeply loved and chosen by God.
That truth is humbling and comforting. Even after years as a Christian, I often slip into the mindset that God’s love somehow depends on what I do—or don’t do. I feel the need to achieve, to prove my worth to myself, others, and even to God. Perhaps you’ve felt the same?
But Mary’s story challenges that thinking. God’s love and favour are never earned. They’re freely given. Long before we accomplish anything, before we even realise we need Him, God loves us.
As I reflect on the Christmas story, I’m struck not just by Gabriel’s words but by what the story itself reveals about God. The act of Jesus coming to Earth—the Creator stepping into His creation—is the ultimate proof of His love for Mary, for me, and all humanity.
This Christmas, may we rest in the truth that God’s love for us is unconditional and unshakable. Like Mary, we are already highly favoured.
Questions
If you were to consider yourself ‘favoured by God’ today, how might you think and behave today?
Consider God’s love and favour over your life – thank God for the moments in your life where you have felt His attention, His love and favour over you.
Today's devotional was written by Ben Pocock.