The third candle on the banner has the word BELIEVE printed on it. This probably sounds like the most obvious one, of course we have to believe. Yet we ought not take the faith that we have for granted. Think about Mary, about to start the next phase of her life. She is betrothed to Joseph. She is about to be a wife and if God will it a mother. She likely had all these plans in her head about what life would be like. Then an angel appears to her with a very strange message. The angel tells her that even though she is a virgin, that she is going to become pregnant and give birth to the Son of God. If that happened to you, what would you think? We might think it was a very strange dream, or maybe we might wonder if there was a gas leak in the house that is making us hallucinate. Yet Mary believes the angel (Luke 1:38), “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Even though what she has just been told is impossible and ridiculous to human reason, yet Mary believes it. By his grace God overcomes her unbelief and brings her to faith. God has done the same for you. You believe that it was not just an ordinary birth in Bethlehem, but that in the manger rests true God and true man in one person. That you believe this is God’s gracious gift to you. That faith also believes that this same Jesus will come again, but not as before in humility. Instead we believe that Jesus will come again in glory with all the angels and end this world. When that day comes we believe that he will take us to be with him forever.