Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end. ” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since L do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. For with God nothing will be impossible. ” Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word. ” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:26-35, 37-38
Mary was the one who found favor with God and was given the honor of birthing and raising the Messiah of the world. The Jewish women throughout the generations hoped and dreamed of the day that God would send a savior and redeem the world and many of them wanted to be the one God chose to birth this miracle. God promised the serpent in the garden that the seed of the woman, Eve, would bruise his head. When Eve gave birth to her first son, she said,” I have acquired a man from the Lord.” Eve believed God and had hopes that it would be Cain who would brise the head of the serpent. God did not choose Eve but four thousand years later, God chose a young woman to honor and allow to birth His son. I love the way Luke describes the announcement and Mary’s reaction. Lhe scriptures tell us she was betrothed to be married, (engaged). Can you imagine her excitement, she had caught the eye and won the heart of one of the most eligible bachelors, a just and honest man. The engagement usually lasted around a year, and I am sure her excitement and anticipation was getting stronger each day as she looked forward to the wedding and starting her new life with Joseph. We do not know what she was doing or where she was at when Gabriel appeared to her, but no one else in mentioned in the narrative and so we can assume she was alone. As a grown woman, I think I would be startled and a little afraid if an angel showed up in my home and started talking to me, so I can imagine how the young Mary must have felt. After Gabriel assures her that God has chosen her and is with her, he tells her do not be afraid.
Mary found favor with God and should not be alarmed at the angel’s visit. Not only did Mary find favor, but God also had a unique plan for her life, she would conceive and have a son. Mary did not focus on the fact that she was God’s chosen woman to birth the Messiah, she was curious how it could happen.
Mary was smart enough to know that; to have a child, a woman had to have a sexual relationship with a man, and she was a virgin and had never been with a man. Can you imagine a young Jewish woman, talking to an angel, asking everyday questions, and keeping her senses about her? She just wanted a little more information about what was about to take place. After Gabriel explained the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Highest will overshadow you.” Then, Gabriel said “That Holy One that will be bom will be called the Son of God.” I love his last statement, “For with God nothing is impossible.” Mary did not argue, and she did not let being chosen of God make her arrogant, she simply stated, “Behold, the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” She chose to fulfill the destiny God had on her life with a servant’s heart. She chose to believe the word of God.
It is so easy to look at the Christmas Story through rose-colored glasses and not really think about the possible consequences that her obedience to God could have been. The Bible tells us that when Joseph found out she was expecting, being a kind and just man, was willing to divorce her secretly. Had Joseph not chosen to obey God, Mary’s obedience to God could have cost her the future she planned with Joseph and the hope of any man being willing to marry her latter and to raise a child that was not his would be almost nonexistent. All Mary considered when Gabriel told her, was being a willing servant of the Lord. Like many of you, I have lived my life intentionally, choosing to make my life matter and strive to be all God has called me to be. While those decisions come from a sincere heart, we do not always think about the long-term effects those decisions have. If we were all honest, there have been some things God has called us to do that have not turned out the way we think they should. For some, the Christmas seasons bring pain instead of joy. Perhaps you stood before God and said your wedding vows and the person you married got bored with marriage and walked away leaving you heart broke.
Maybe they stayed but found “love” in the arms of another and you have been left trying to hold a broken marriage together. For some the dream of having children never came through, and the pain of attending everyone else’s baby showers while never having one for your own child has left great pain.
You may have had a child and your child suffer from physical problems and the wight of caring for them is very heavy. One woman I know, told me when her son was hiked on drugs, she was thankful when he was in jail because she knew he was safe and not strung out on drugs somewhere. Another woman told name the shame she felt every time her son was arrested, and his name was in the paper. For others, the struggle may be an illness that has caused great pain and expense. Others have poured their life into a job and terminated for not particular reason. Some have been faithful tithers and find themselves struggling to pay the bills. Another painful think we can find ourselves in is investing emotionally and financially in a church and to see the church split. There are others who are stuck in the grief of losing a loved one. God loves you and God cares about all you are going through. I love you and I pray that you will find the comfort that only God can bring this Christmas.
Mary showed great wisdom in the way she accepted the challenge of being in the will of God. First, she submitted herself to God’s plan for her life. No, I do not believe God is punishing you or causing the turmoil in your life. Joseph told his brothers in Genesis 50:20, “What you meant for evil, but God meant it for good.” God is a good and loving God, and he promises in Romans 8:38 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Submission takes trust. To submit, we must trust that God has our best interest at heart, even when life is painful. Trust is the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability or strength of someone or something. Trust is faith in action. Mary trusted God because she listened to His word. When life is difficult, it is more important than ever to get into God’s word and listen to what He has to say. I love the way Mary just had a conversation. When God created Adam and Eve, He came down into the garden in the cool of the day and walked with Adam and Eve. When life gets crazy, it can be hard to find time to talk to God. The enemy will also try to tell us the reason we are in the mess we are in is because God is not happy with us. Just like Gabriel answered Mary’s question and calmed her concerns, God is waiting for us to spend time with Him. God alone can give us clear instruction and perception about what is going on in our lives. He knows where we are and why we are there, and He will walk through the challenging times with us. Jeremiah 33:3 “Call unto Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.” He knows where you are and where you are going. Psalms 37:23-24 “The steps of a good man are ordered of the Lord: and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down. The Lord upholds him with his hand.” It is so easy to want God to do something with our life until the things we are called to become difficult and painful. God is waiting for you to share with you His plans and the steps you need to take to fulfill those plans. Not all the things God calls us to do are easy and they require encouragement and direction that only He can give. Are you willing to walk in those difficult places and let Him get the glory in your life even when it is painful?
If you will submit to Him, lean on Him, and spend time talking with Him, you will bring Him glory? Even Jesus had to take the time to have a conversation with God before He went to the cross. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed “O My Father, if it is possible let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” After spending an hour in prayer talking to the Father, He had the strength to fulfill the destiny on His life. He brought glory to God and salvation to man. Knowing Mary and Jesus both had to have conversations with God for clarity and encouragement, it is imperative that we also have those conversations with God. The old song used to say” Let us have a little talk with Jesus, let us tell Him all about our troubles, He will hear our faintest cries, He will answer by and by.” After you talk with God, remember “For with God nothing is impossible.” Luke 1:37. Merry Christmas!
Cathy Nesmith