As we are now in the midst of the advent season, Mary, Jesus’ mother was the timely subject of this week’s lesson by Janet. There are so many wonderful things to touch on regarding Mary….so many things we could learn! In the Bible Mary is introduced to us as mere girl of about 13 years old. Interestingly, her name itself means ‘loved by Yahweh’. Her life was like no other woman who walked the face of the earth. She witnessed the birth, death, Resurrection and Ascension of the Messiah. The child she bore changed human history for all time into eternity!
Mary’s story begins with the visitation of an angel. Could you imagine?? There was nothing remarkable about what she was doing – probably going about the routine of her day. When the angel appears he gives her a special message from the Lord. This in itself incredible. In scripture there are only a handful of times when angels appear to people.
The message from the angel to Mary was very specific and deliberate. His words were rich in meaning. They would alter the course of her life, and our lives as well. The angel told Mary some very important things regarding the birth of her Son. Let’s look at what the angel told her:
“Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30).
What does it mean to be highly favored by the Lord? The word for highly favored is based on the word grace. The only other place in scripture is used in Ephesians 1:6, “to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves“. God had bestowed upon Mary a special measure of His grace, blessing and favor. These words would provide comfort in what she was about to hear but also would be something she could hold on to in the future .
“You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus” (Luke 1:31).
The angel tells Mary that she will name the baby Jesus. This name is translated from the Hebrew Joshua which means ‘Yahweh is salvation’. In their culture names were important – they told who the person was and gave insight into their character. How much more so for Jesus!
"He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:32a).
Being called the ‘Son of the Most High’ is deeper in meaning in Hebrew than it is in English. In the Hebrew mind-set it would mean that the son would be equal with the father, a ‘carbon copy’. The son would possess the qualities of the father. The father that the angel meant would not be Joseph, but the Most High God. In Hebrews it says “The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven" (Heb. 1:3).
“The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:32b-33).
Looking at the genealogies in Mathew & Luke we see that Jesus is in the line of David, thus David would be His father. In the Old Testament it was prophesized that David’s kingdom would be established forever. “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me your throne will be established forever.'" (2 Sam. 7:16) and in Psalms, “You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, 'I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations” (Psalm 89:3-4).
The angel’s words should give us hope today. Things in the world may look bleak but we can hold on to God’s promises because they are truth. “I will maintain my love to him forever, and my covenant with him will never fail. I will establish his line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure” (Psalm 89: 28-29).
“The Holy Spirit will come upon 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. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:35-37).
The only question that Mary asks after the angels words was ‘How can this be?” As a virgin, she knows that having a child would be impossible. The angel does not rebuke her for her question as he did to Zechariah when he was told that Elizabeth would have a son. Mary did not doubt the angel’s words. Instead, he explains to her that the Holy Spirit will come upon her.
In our group time at bible study we discussed why the angel told Mary that nothing was impossible with God. If you read ahead in the Gospel of Luke you will find Mary’s song, also known as the ‘Magnificant’ (see Luke 1:46-55). From reading this it’s clear that Mary knew the scriptures and knew God’s ways. We proposed that maybe the angel was reminding Mary that God will do the impossible - not only in the nation of Israel – but in her life as well. It is a good reminder to us. God works in each of our lives very personally. This too is a truth we can walk in every day.
As I was thinking about Mary’s encounter with the angel and its implications I was reminded of a BibIe study I have been doing on life’s interruptions. God interrupted Mary’s life. With the angels words, Mary knows that the future she had planned will look entirely different than what she had thought it would be. Her response? "I am the Lord's servant, Mary answered. May it be to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38a). After Mary heard what the angel had said, her reply speaks of the depth of her faith and her relationship with God.
Like Mary, I’m sure we all have had plans for our lives. Could it be that when God interrupts those plans it is actually a privilege and not punishment? Mary accepted God’s calling with humbleness and praise. While I am sure most of us don’t have the same calling as Mary, I believe that God does have a plan for each of us. Like many of the lives we have studied in scripture, God’s plans will often times challenge us and press us into a deeper relationship with Him as we cooperate. Mary experienced great joy and great heartache as well. It wasn’t going to be an easy road. Mary is a wonderful example for us in that not only does she surrender to His ways as impossible as they may seem to be but she also embraces the interruption as part of His plan for her as well.
“Not My will but Your will be done” (Luke 22:42b).
may we all surrender minute by minute tohis grace
ReplyDeleteThank you Heavenly Father for your gift, your son Jesus. It's amazing how God so patiently carries out His purpose in our lives. Looking at the geneology of Christ, I see how intricately God interwove generations of lives in order to fulfill His promise. How fitting that it should end with young Mary. A beautiful vessel in the hands of God. So refreshing to be reminded again during the commercialism of the season. Certainly Jesus is the reason for the season.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!