No pressure, no diamonds. (Mary Case)
Two thousand years ago the world was consumed with the worship of pagan deities with one exception, the descendants of Abraham, the Jews. They worshipped God. It was during the reign of infamous King Herod who governed Israel with an iron fist, that wisemen, the priests from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We have seen his star and have come to worship him.”
Two years before their arrival, God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary, a young virgin in Nazareth, who was engaged to Joseph. Gabriel said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you! Don’t be afraid for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” Mary asked, “How can this happen? I am a virgin.” Gabriel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you and the baby to be born to you will be called the Son of God. For with God nothing is impossible.”
Herod the Great was insanely suspicious and dubious; and the older he became the more wicked he grew. If he suspected anyone as a rival, that person was eliminated. He murdered his favorite wife Mariamne, her mother, his eldest son Antipater and two more of his sons, Alexander and Aristobulus. Augustus, the Roman Emperor said, “It is safer to be Herod’s pig than Herod’s son.”
Christ could not have been born at a worse time. It was only through divine intervention that Mary, Joseph and Jesus escaped a violent death. Herod’s butchers were sent to Bethlehem where Jesus was born to kill him. But God appeared to Joseph in a dream, warning him of Herod’s evil plot. Mary, Jesus and Joseph escaped to Egypt. Jesus the Son of God was saved.
In the twilight of your difficulty, when the sun has disappeared over the horizon, there is still hope for you. The same power that saved Joseph, Mary and Jesus will meet you at the point of your need. God is greater than any vice, or power, or sin or pain, or enemy you will ever encounter in life. When you are lost in the darkness—pray. Call on the Lord God and He will answer you. He will show you great and mighty things.