From Now On

From Now On

“From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me.”
                                          Luke 1:47-48

From the moment of Gabriel’s appearance in Nazareth, Mary’s life would never be the same. Every plan she had made for her life, all that she had imagined unfolding in her future, would forever be altered because of Christ being birthed in her. Her song in the first chapter of Luke tells of a young lady who, from the moment of conception, was filled with an overflowing joy, who realized that God was mindful of the life she was living and who had a fresh revelation of the mercy of the Lord to those who feared Him. The “same old, same old,” the status quo in Mary’s life was forever broken because of Jesus coming into her life. Hers became a life filled with heavenly things, from the miraculous she observed in Jesus’ ministry to the intense suffering she witnessed at Calvary, and the glory experienced when she saw the risen Christ. But one thing is for sure; her life was never the same from the moment Jesus came in.

Thirty years later, Jesus made Himself known in Israel to a people struggling with hopelessness, burdened by the chains of the Roman occupation of their land, and wondering if their God had abandoned them. He came a light in the darkness, preaching a gospel of good news, teaching the people about God’s ways, and healing every sickness and disease among the people. (Matthew 4:23). As in Mary’s life, the status quo of the nation, steeped in religious tradition but missing the essentials of God’s great love, was shattered forever. Jesus coming down and entering their world changed it forever. Words like hope, mercy, freedom, healing, and joy were added back into their vocabulary. And their eyes saw incredible things they could never have imagined before Jesus came in and filled their lives with good things.

The beautiful thing this Christmas Day, 2011, is that we can each have a “from now on” moment. We can each see the existing state of our lives, the status quo, forever changed for the better if we will only invite Jesus into our world, into our lives in a greater way. Jesus stands at the door and knocks on every heart, longing for a deeper relationship, wanting to come in and bring hope, to minister His healing to every area of your heart, and to unfold a future bright with promise. He entered Mary’s life and she was never the same. Years later it was the early disciples who forsook all and followed Christ on a journey of faith that “turned the world upside down.” And now it’s our day, this is our time; the opportunity is ours to experience the good things that await the man or woman whose life Jesus comes into.

Merry Christmas,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church