Joy, hope, peace on earth-goodwill toward men, love, noel, merry—all are familiar words of Christmas. Words are powerful having the power to hurt and to heal. You’ve heard it or even said it, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” How do we deal with these Christmas words? Many deal with these words by using substitute words like Santa, reindeer, Frosty, chestnuts, or Rudolph. In our environment today it is politically incorrect to say “Merry Christmas.” The proper refrain is “Happy Holidays.” And now we have ‘seasonal lighting and decorations.’

Our Christmas story is a story about the word impossible. Like in ‘no way’ and ‘won’t happen.’ Just look at the impossibilities of this story. Here’s Mary a pregnant virgin. Talk about an oxymoron-- having a child and remaining a virgin. No way! Won’t happen. Impossible. Joseph following through with marriage when he discovers that she is pregnant, and it isn’t his child! Impossible! Won’t happen.

This is a story of biblical impossibilities. But what are the impossibilities in our world today? Peace in our lifetime? Impossible! Christian values and morality becoming the norm in our nation again? In our lives? With our families and loved ones? Marriages healed? Breaking free from addictions? Restoring relationships? Healing past hurts and overcoming disappointments? The word ‘impossible’ drowns out anything else in those situations.

We find ourselves with the same troubled mind as Mary, wondering over the impossible and ask, “How can this be?” How can the situation be resolved? How can I overcome my past? How can I break the bondage in my life? How can I find healing? How can that relationship be restored? How can he/she ever come to the place of accepting Christ as Savior? The word that floods our consciousness is ‘impossible,’ ‘can’t happen.’

Our Christmas word is ‘impossible’ but God has a different Christmas word. His word is ‘possible.’ This passage of Scripture is loaded with possible words: great, Most High, Lord God, reign, kingdom, never end, power of the Most High, Son of God and in verse 28 a powerful and possible word, ‘the Lord is with you.’

How can the impossible become possible? The angel Gabriel says to Mary, “the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” The image here is an image of being enveloped in a haze of God’s brilliant presence, the shekinah glory of God Himself. God Himself is going to act in Mary’s life and speak His Word. When the Most High God speaks His Word, the impossible becomes the possible. Mary asks ‘how?’ The angel answers, “by God’s power.” Not by her power, not Joseph’s power, not the power of friends and family, nor even the power of government and certainly not the power of luck, but by God’s power!

I find it fascinating that embedded in the word ‘impossible’ is the word ‘possible.’ It is also interesting to know that the root word of ‘possible’ is the same word for ‘power.’ Impossible means ‘without power’ but possible means ‘with power.’ Mary asks “How?” and the angel replies, “by God’s power.” And then Gabriel adds in verse 36, “Even Elizabeth, your relative, is going to have a child in her old age…for nothing is impossible with God.”

In what ways are you like Mary? You find yourself in an impossible situation. Everything about that situation shouts “No way” and “Won’t happen.” And on this first Sunday of Advent you are hearing that what is impossible with us, is very possible when God gets involved.

The final piece to God’s possibilities is crucial, simple yet profound. The very critical piece is Mary’s response to God’s message in verse 38, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” In this statement we see that Mary is doing two things. First she is placing herself under the authority and headship of God as she acknowledges her relationship to the Lord as His servant. A servant does her master’s bidding.

Second, she willingly submits to God’s will and plan for her life. This is the piece that many of us don’t get. It is called ‘surrender.’ God’s power cannot work in a prideful, unsurrendered heart. God can only turn the impossible into the possible when you are surrendered and willing.

Are you willing to respond to God’s power with a willing and surrendered heart? As we partake of the Lord’s Supper, whatever your impossibilities are this morning bring them to God and let Him speak His name: Son of the Most High, Lamb of God.

Thank You for Taking The Time to Read This Message.
May God Use These Words to Help You and Strengthen You.