Behold God's Wondrous Promises

This message takes us deep into Luke chapter 1, examining two impossible birth announcements that reveal something profound about the nature of faith. We encounter Zechariah and Elizabeth—a righteous, elderly couple whose decades of prayers for a child seemed to have gone unanswered—and young Mary, an unremarkable virgin girl from Nazareth. Both receive angelic visits promising impossible births: one to a barren womb, another to a virgin. What makes this exploration so powerful is how it exposes the difference between knowing about God and truly knowing God. We all intellectually believe God keeps His promises, but how does our faith actually respond when God makes impossible promises in our own lives? The contrast between Zechariah's unbelief (born from years of disappointment) and Mary's submission (despite not understanding) challenges us to examine whether we're living safe, comfortable lives or stepping into the impossible where God is most glorified. The central truth emerges clearly: everything about the Christian life is impossible without God. Our faith isn't meant to rest on what we can accomplish through hard work and diligence—that's the American dream, not the kingdom of God. True faith is submission to uncertainty, complete dependence on a God who is certain. This Advent season invites us to stop domesticating our faith and instead embrace the impossibility that requires God to show up, because that's where our worship deepens and we truly see Him at work.