Goodwill Toward Men

Luke 2:14- "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
Jesus had been born in a manger in Bethlehem and angels appeared to shepherds to announce the birth of the long awaited Messiah. The angels ended this announcement with the phrase, "...goodwill toward men!" By using this phrase the heavenly host declared that God's plans for humanity are good.

The following verses describe the shepherds' visit to Mary, Joseph, and the newborn King of Kings:
"So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.' And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:15-19)

The shepherds, "made widely known," what had been said to them about Jesus. We are told that everyone who heard was amazed but Mary, "kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." Everyone heard and was amazed, but Mary treasured the words that were spoken and thought about them, pondering in her heart the things that had been spoken about the One who was born to seek and to save the lost.

Twelve years later we find Mary, Joseph and a twelve year old Jesus going to Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish feast of Passover. After the feast, Mary, Joseph, and many others left Jerusalem, but Jesus didn't. After a three day search Mary and Joseph found Jesus in the temple amazing the religious leaders. When asked by Mary about His actions, Jesus simply replied, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" (see Luke 2:49) This question reveals that even at age twelve Jesus was completely devoted to doing the Father's will (so much so that He refused to follow the crowd: staying in Jerusalem while others were leaving). A few verses later we read: "Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart." (Luke 2:51) Just as she had done twelve years earlier, Mary heard what was spoken and kept it in her heart. So far in this article we have shown that Mary heard about God's good plans for humanity and Jesus' devotion to doing the Father's will and pondered these things in her heart.

Fast forward eighteen years: Jesus is around 30 years of age and He, along with His disciples, have been invited to a wedding along with Mary, His mother (see John 2:1-11). The wine ran out at the wedding (which would have been extremely embarrassing to the host) and Mary immediately told Jesus. She actually didn't ask Him if He would do anything or not: she simply told Him that there was no more wine and when He said that His time had not yet come she told the servants to do whatever Jesus told them to do. Mary knew Jesus would work a miracle to change this situation, and I believe it was because of the two things she heard and meditated on (thought about) years earlier. She knew God's will for mankind is good and that Jesus was completely devoted to doing the Father's will. I believe this helped Mary to expect a miracle. If you need a miracle remember, God is still in the miracle working business and He has good plans for us. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." There is no situation hopeless, there's nothing too hard for God to do. God has a miracle for you today and He is eager to give it to you. In addition to all this, there is one more reason to expect a miracle: "For with God nothing will be impossible." (Luke 1:37) Mary heard the angel Gabriel make this statement and she experienced the truth of it. You can see God do something for you today that seems impossible. Study and meditate on God's word until you have such a revelation of God's goodness and power that you expect miracles. I believe that as you do this you will find that in your life the impossible will become possible.