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Luke 1:26-27 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, [27] To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
What would you do if God came to you and told you He was going to shape human history through you? Many people would become arrogant. They would think “God really needed me to do this!” and would probably bragg to everyone they knew about it.
Mary was not that kind of person.
Mary Was Not Perfect
Now Mary was not perfect. But in a sexually charged world as Rome was she was faithful to God and not swayed by man. She was “espoused to a man whose name was Joseph”. The word espoused (μνηστεύω mnēsteuō) means “to be promised in marriage to”. Ancient Rome was as sexually sinful as America is today, but Mary remained faithful to her intended and her God. She was a virgin.
Mary was not perfect, but she was perfectly forgiven. She loved the Lord, and the Lord loved her. She was saved by grace, just as all are saved. Mary was a sinner saved by Grace. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) the Scripture says. All means all in the Scripture. All need a Savior. The Angel Gabriel told Mary:
Luke 1:28 (KJV) … Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Gabriel told Mary two things. He said:
Mary, you are HIGHLY FAVORED
This is the Greek χαριτόω charitoō which means “have been given abundant grace blessings”. Grace is that which saves us, dear Christian. The Scripture says:
Ephesians 2:8-10 (KJV) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast. [10] For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
God also told Mary “The Lord IS with thee”. If you are saved by grace and living in fellowship with Him the Lord is with you.
Grace is both a GIFT as well as a STEWARDSHIP.
We are saved to live in Grace to the glory of God.
Mary lived with God for the Glory of God.
When we honor the Lord with our lives God may offer to use us for something greater. This is what He did with Mary. Mary was not perfect, but she loved the Lord and was perfectly forgiven.
Luke 1:30-32 (KJV) … Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. [31] And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. [32] He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
Mary “hast found FAVOR with God”. This is the Greek χάρις charis which means “Grace”. The Bible says that:
Genesis 6:8 (KJV) But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
And God used him to build an Ark to save whosoever would believe and receive. The entire world was destroyed by flood – whosoever rejected Noah’s message. Now God is using not a man and a wooden Ark to offer salvation to the world, but a faithful virgin woman. God told Mary:
THOU SHALT CONCEIVE in thy womb
No human man would be involved in this Ark. God promised the serpent (which I believe represents the fallen satan or lucifer. The devil is called “that old serpent” in Revelation 12:9,14,15; 20:2) in the Garden of Eden:
Genesis 3:15 (KJV) {the seed of the woman} … shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Who is this “Seed of the woman” promised? It is the Christ, our Lord Jesus!
And bring forth a Son, and shalt call his name JESUS
It was prophesied by Isaiah that God would enter humanity through a virgin.
Isaiah 7:14 (KJV) Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name IMMANUEL.
Emmanuel or Immanuel means “God with us”.
“Jesus” means “God our Savior”
God would be with us to save us.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest
The Child that Mary would bear would be not the son of Joseph but the Son of God. God would enter humanity through a believer at the time He wanted to. The Scripture says:
Galatians 4:4-5 (KJV) But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, [5] To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
The Son of God would come to earth so that we could be saved and made sons of God. He would be born the Lamb of God, sinless, blameless. He would come to be born for us to die for us who would believe on Him.
the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David
God in Christ will fulfill the promise He made to David in …
2 Samuel 7:16 (KJV) And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.
God was not only coming to humanity, but God the Son would be the fulfillment of God’s promise to David. Christ’s Kingdom is forever. Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Those who believe on Him believe that He came to give us life.
1 Corinthians 15:21-22 (KJV) For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. [22] For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
What a wonderful Gift God gave Mary – and we who believe – the promise of Life. The bad news of Christmas is that we are all sinners. But the good news of Christmas is that God came for us through this miraculous virgin birth.
Matthew 1:21 (KJV) {Mary} shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
With God Nothing Is Impossible
When Mary hears the pronouncement of Gabriel she asks:
Luke 1:34 (KJV) … How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
She was not doubting the Lord’s announcement. But she was after all a virgin who had remained faithful to Joseph and to herself. So how would a virgin become with child? Gabriel told her:
Luke 1:35 (KJV) … The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Jesus Christ would become Perfect Man through the power of God. God the Holy Spirit would intervene and make this happen. The Bible says of Christ:
Colossians 1:15-17 (KJV) {Jesus Christ} is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: [16] For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: [17] And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
How can the Infinite God be placed inside a finite Mary?
How can the Eternal Son of God be placed in a mere human body?
The answer is in God.
How can God the Holy Spirit inhabit a sin prone human?
How can I stand right and righteous before God?
The answer is in God.
The answer is not in me, but in God. God is able. God is always able. Gabriel told Mary:
Luke 1:36 (KJV) And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
Mary, not only will you bring forth the Messiah, but your barren older cousin will bring for the Herald of the Messiah. The answer is in God. Mary did not disbelieve God, but hearing this good news replied:
Luke 1:38 (KJV) … Behold the handmaid of the Lord;
be it unto me according to thy word.
The Angel Gabriel gave Mary two BEHOLDS. He said:
BEHOLD, thou shalt conceive in thy womb (31)
BEHOLD, thy cousin Elisabeth has conceived in her womb (36)
Now Mary returns a BEHOLD to the Angel. “BEHOLD, the handmaid of the Lord”. Lord, I will present myself to you. Lord, do with me as You will. Lord, I love You, and surrender my life to you. Mary entrusted all that she was and all that she hoped to be to the Lord. If she appeared to Joseph pregnant on their wedding night it would appear that she had been unfaithful to him. According to the Law of Moses the adulterer was to be stoned with stones until they were dead (Leviticus 20:10). Mary was willing to be used of God. She did not question what the Lord wanted to do, but trusted Him with all her heart. The Bible says:
Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV) Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. [6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Trust God.
Trust In God Is Rewarded With Joy
That same day Mary went to her cousin Elisabeth’s home. She didn’t go there out of unbelief, but went so she could share her joy with another believer. The Bible tells us that:
Matthew 18:20 (KJV) For where TWO OR THREE are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
The Christian faith is born of love. It takes at least two or three to love the way that God wants us to love. When Mary entered Elisabeth’s home
Luke 1:41 (KJV) … when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
According to the Law “in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word is established” (Matthew 18:16):
Deuteronomy 19:15 (KJV) One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
Elisabeth and John the baby in his mother’s womb were the two first witnesses to the miracle of the virgin birth. I love this text because it shows our fallen world that the baby in the womb is not just tissue, but LIFE.
John knew the Messiah even while inside of Elisabeth!
Elisabeth had not been told that Mary was with child of the Messiah. And yet because of John Elisabeth cried out:
Luke 1:42-43 … WITH A LOUD VOICE, and said, BLESSED art thou among women, and BLESSED is the fruit of thy womb. [43] And whence is this to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
Again we see an affirmation that the Baby in the Womb is INDEED A LIFE. Elisabeth called Mary:
“The MOTHER of MY LORD”
Mary had just been told that she would conceive a child – yet she is ALREADY the MOTHER OF MY LORD. That child inside her is not tissue, but life. Though her egg is just now fertilile, she has the LORD inside. Oh Beloved, I so wish that we as a nation would stop this terrible mockery of death that is called ABORTION. It should be spelled MURDER. That fertile egg is life. Elisabeth said:
Luke 1:44-45 (KJV) For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. [45] And blessed is she that believed …
A piece of tissie cannot “leap for joy”. That child in the 6th month of pregnancy is a BABY. Period.
Note also that Elisabeth called Mary “Blessed” (the Greek εὐλογέω eulogeō) which means “to celebrate with praises, to joyfully praise God”. Mary was indeed blessed, as we are blessed by the Fruit of her womb. Mary knew this. So Mary began to praise the Lord:
Luke 1:46-55 (KJV) … My soul doth magnify the Lord, [47] And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. [48] For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. [49] For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. [50] And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. [51] He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. [52] He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. [53] He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. [54] He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; [55] As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
Throughout her praying praise of the Lord Mary magnified God and diminished her role in the birth of Christ. She was the very picture of humility. Mary was not “Immaculate” as our Catholic cousins like to say. Mary recognized the power to have Christ came of God. She recognized that she needed God my Savior. She recognized herself as from a low estate, and praised the Lord for ministering to her. Mary said:
Luke 1:50-53 …. his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. [51] He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. [52] He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. [53] He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
Throughout her prayer of praise Mary emphasizes that it is only the surrendered and willing that God will bless. May I ask you, do you have joy in your life? Is the joy of God in you? If it is not, then you are not living as God wants you to live. Turn to Christ. Believe on Him. Enter into the Covenant of Grace, surrendering daily to the Lord. As you give of your life to Him, He gives of His life to you.
The power of life is in Christ.
May God touch your hearts with His Word.
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