Unexpected Precious Gift

Years ago, one of my flights got canceled, and I stood in line with others to be rerouted. The man before me initially held a business-class ticket, but the agent couldn’t find a business seat on his preferred flight. He shouted profanity at her and the airlines, but she didn’t back up. As he stepped aside, I moved up. I was polite and asked if she needed a break. She said, “I am okay.” Then looking at my tickets, she said loudly, “Would you like me to upgrade you to the business class? I have one seat left.” If that fellow’s eyes could kill, she and I would have died that day! But she had a lovely smirk, and I had a comfortable seat!

Unexpected precious gifts are fun but shocking, too.

Mariam had an ordinary day, perhaps attending to her daily chores, when Gabriel, God’s angel, showed up and greeted her. Then he offered her an unexpected precious gift.

“Don’t be afraid, Mariam. You have found grace before God, and behold, you are pregnant and have a son in your womb. You will call him the name Jesus. He will be great, called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father’s. He will rule over the house of Jacob for ages, and there will be no end to his rule.” (Luke 30–33)

Mary wasn’t praying for a child, as were Elizabeth and Zechariah. She wasn’t hoping for a king to be born to her and rule the nation, as was Herod. Yet, she received an unexpected but precious gift: a baby boy in her womb.

Gabriel’s greetings already referenced grace (charis) twice with words and once with meaning. He repeated it: “You have found grace (charis) before God.” Fearing Catholicism, reformation Christians fail to honor Mariam’s true worth. Of all the unmarried virgins at that time and space, Mariam found favor or grace with God to receive this precious gift. She was humble to notice this, although earlier, she wondered what greeting it was because she had much bigger issues to deal with.

Gabriel told Zechariah about his son, who would bring joy to him, Elizabeth, and the nations because he would be grace before the Lord and turn the Israelites to the Lord their God while preparing the way for the Lord (1:13–17). Now, he told Mariam about her son, who would be great before the Lord God because he would be a reigning king of David’s order. And his rule over the Israelites and his kingdom would never end.

Mariam was to name him ‘Jesus.’ Zechariah was to name his son Ya-HaNah in Hebrew (John in English), meaning “Yahweh is Gracious.” Mariam was to name him “Ya-Sha-Wa‘, meaning “Yahweh [hears] Cries for Help” (from Ya, an abbreviation for Yahweh and Sha-Wa‘ “a cry for help.”). This was Joshua’s name in the OT. Whereas we translated the Hebrew Ya-Shu-Wa‘ as “Joshua,” we translated the Greek Iesus, a translation of the Hebrew Ya-Shu-Wa‘ as “Jesus.” They both mean the same, “Yahweh [hears] Cries for Help” (perhaps even “Yahweh Cries for Help,” meaning He is anxious to help). Jesus was God’s answer to cries for help.

Just as he was God’s answer for cries for help then, even now, Jesus alone is God’s answer to people hurting – to offer them deliverance. So, we present him to people, not anything else. I mean, nothing else!