A teenage girl. Nothing especially exceptional about her. She didn’t necessarily stand out in the crowd. She didn’t necessarily come from a notable family. Just an ordinary life until God made it extraordinary!
She is relatable to us in her normalcy. Yet, she is also a profound sign to you and me. God the Father delivered a clear message to the world through her life. What was and is He saying to us through her?
Mary, the mother of Jesus, a humble and willing servant found out she is with child supernaturally by the Holy Spirit. And the consequences of this carried potential ostracization and danger. Yet her faith in God was bigger than her fear. She sings in Luke 1:46-55 (NLT):
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One is holy,
and he has done great things for me.
He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear him.
His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
He has helped his servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
For he made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
Despite her lowly position as a woman in the ancient world and also her unmarried status, God elevated her to a high place of honor. She recounts the faithful acts of the Lord toward those who revere Him, and she sings of His goodness. I believe God saw in Mary a willing spirit that said “Yes." Yes to God and His purposes on the earth. Yes to let her life become an offering. Yes to hardship and loneliness that comes with being set apart. Yes to birthing the Son of God.
I am inclined to believe that Mary, even in her young age, had experienced the faithful provision of the Lord at other times in her life. To readily posture herself in a way that surrendered her will to the will of God displayed a healthy fear of God and also a deep trust. The more experiences I have with God, I too trust Him more readily. He has been so faithful to me over and over again, and I know He will be throughout my life. When I face challenges and circumstances out of my control, even though they still are hard, my heart knows His goodness because of what He has already done.
There was no way for Mary to know the unimaginable life she would lead as Jesus' mother. Seeing Him grow, watching His ministry, seeing Him perform miracles, witnessing His influence, and also experiencing the world's rejection and hatred of this son, whom she knew without a doubt was the hope of the world. Mary had to have held on to the promise God offered when the angel visited her. Luke 1:29-33 (NLT) says:
Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. "Don’t be afraid, Mary," the angel told her, "for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High.The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!"
Loved ones, as God called Mary to birth Jesus, the hope of the entire world, He calls you and I to do the same with our lives. We who know Jesus carry Him also. How astonishing and humbling that you and I bear the hope of the world because of Christ in us!
Our very purpose is to metaphorically “birth” Him in the way that we live and in how He has uniquely called each of us. We will experience miracles and influence and amazing things in Jesus' name, while also experiencing rejection and hatred from a world that denies him. Yet, we are uplifted through the life of Mary to remember the promise that He is the Son of the Most High. He will reign forever. His kingdom will never end!
Your friend,
Rachel
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