In the days of Old—the Old Testament that is—the prophets foretold of the coming Christ child. Isaiah said: “The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Immanuel means “God with us.”
Thanks to gospel writer Luke, we have an opportunity to become better acquainted with Mary before she learns she will be a participant in God’s prophesy-fulfillment. She is a young Jewish woman, in her teens, and a descendant of David. The remote city of Nazareth is where she calls home. Mary is betrothed, a “days of Old” term meaning she is engaged to a young man named Joseph. He also part of David’s family line. As Luke introduces us to Mary, he calls out her virginity, which definitely seems like TMI…until a few verses later.
Mary describes herself this way: “of humble state” and “his servant” (Luke 1:48). From a worldly standard, she is poor and obscure. Spiritually, she has faith in God and seeks to honor and obey Him.
She has heard her ancestors’ stories about God. She has heard about how God walked and talked with her great, great, great, great, great, great…well, you get the point…great grandparents, Adam and Eve. She has heard how their not-so-great-sin stirred up a bitter curse, resulting in a world of continual conflict: “And I will put enmity between you (the serpent/satan) and the woman, and between your offspring and hers…” (Genesis 3:15).
Mary understands sin’s bitter sting all too well. She sees the poor going hungry, the rich growing richer, and government leaders using their power to serve themselves while oppressing “their people.” Daily she experiences the challenges of humble circumstances. She is sorrowfully aware of how her sin-tainted heart struggles to obey God’s Ten Commandments. The sacrifices for sin that God’s people make in Jerusalem remind her that sin holds her captive. Though she experiences darkness daily, Mary has hope there is a God who who brings light.
She has heard about God’s merciful promise to her too-great-to-count grandparents and to all generations as He addressed the serpent with a curse: “He (Christ) will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:15). Mary has heard God’s mercy echo in the words of the prophets. She has learned from her ancestors that God is mindful to the needs of His people, merciful towards them, and acts mightily on their behalf.
*How do you feel sin’s sting?
*Would you say you are sorrowfully aware of how sin affects your heart and your relationship with God?
Through Hebrews 11:1, God provides us a definition of faith: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Through Mary, God provides a picture of a faith-filled heart preparing for the Christ child to come.
On one ordinary Old Testament day—maybe a mundane Monday morning or a #ThrowbackThursday—something divine happened: God came near to Mary, and He became dear to her!
(The conversation between the angel and Mary that follows is in Luke 1:28-37.)
“The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’”
When this awe-inspiring, majestic messenger suddenly shows up on the scene, Mary is surprised and startled. Considering how scary it might be to encounter an angel, don’t you just love the angel’s friendly, gentle, encouraging approach?!!
“Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.’”
She receives this sweet assurance that God sees her. God cares about her.
The angel continues, “You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.’”
Talk about a truth bomb! Her mind spinning over this shocking, miraculous message, she inquires, “How will this be?”
“The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God…’” The angel adds, “For no word from God will ever fail.”
This message is a God-send. The distant God Mary has known mostly through the stories of others, the Ten Commandments, and symbolic structures and rituals came near to her! In the days to come, He will come nearer to her; His Son and Spirit will be with her. With her identity affirmed and her faith strengthened, Mary dedicates herself to God and His Plan: “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38).
It must have been extremely challenging for Mary to carry out her daily chores with this God-sized message of Good News consuming her mind! God’s merciful promise spoken generations ago to Grandpa Adam and Grandma Eve would soon become a reality! The fulfillment of all of the prophecies was in sight! Redemption and relationship with God was within reach for God’s people! His redemptive plan included her! “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son…” (Isaiah 7:14). THAT virgin was her!
Some time later, Mary sung her heart out in worship to God, who had grown dear to her.
*When it comes to your faith, do you have the faith of your parents?
*Or do you have firsthand faith of God coming near to you and growing dear to you?
It will soon become obvious Mary is pregnant, and the world will misunderstand her situation, judge her, shun her, and cause her pain. When the world looks down on her, Mary will look up to the Heavens with firsthand faith that the baby kicking inside is the promised Savior who will bring light into the dark world. When she faces rejection from the world, she will have the assurance that she belongs to God and is favored by Him. God is with her, and she’s with Him! Nothing in this world matters more than that!
The world will think she’s delivering an unplanned, unwanted baby. Mary will know God so loved the world that He set His Plan in motion to deliver His Beloved Son, the long-awaited Savior, into the world as a baby! She knows that one day soon, Immanuel will be with us. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, We praise You, for You are a faithful, relational, merciful God.
Thank You that You didn’t give up Your people. We sinned against You, BUT You were mindful to the needs of Your people, merciful towards us, and acted mightily on our behalf. You reached down from Heaven and graciously reached out to us. You gave us Your very best, Your Only Son, Immanuel! You are the God who is with us!
“{Your} mercy extends to those who fear {You}, from generation to generation.” –Luke 1:50
“For {Your} eyes of the range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to {You}.” –2 Chronicles 16:9
“Come near to {You}, and {You} will come near to {us}.” –James 4:8
“Humble {ourselves} before the Lord, and {You} will lift {us} up.” –James 4:10
Your loving presence compelled Mary, to rejoice and worship You in song. This Christmas, the desire of our hearts is to draw near to You and for You to become more dear to us! Just as You saw Mary, You see us, and You care for us. Thank You!
When the world misunderstands us, You know our hearts. When the world rejects us, You call us Your Beloved Children. When the world looks down on us, You see us through the eyes of Christ. As the world’s darkness presses in on us, Your light shines upon us and lights our path.
When the world doesn’t see us, You see us. We long for Jesus to return and to be with You in the fullness of Your Presence forever! “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is heaven” (Matthew 6:10)
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
.
*Verses are NIV unless noted.
