Mary, the mother of Jesus accepted a task that could have possibly led to her being ostracized by the community. She knew fully well the consequences of getting pregnant outside marriage. She was a virgin and she knew that the possibility of convincing her family and her betrothed husband, Joseph, that the pregnancy was divine was almost impossible. Yet, when she had the opportunity to make a decision, she didn’t even ask Angel Gabriel for time to think about it. She was up for it and ready for the task. Mary’s encounter with angel Gabriel was brief and yet life-changing. Angel Gabriel went to Mary and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” (Luke 1:28). This high favour from the Lord according to the angel will cause Mary to conceive and give birth to a son, and Mary was 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. (Luke 1:31-33).
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:38)
Mary asked a legitimate question, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34). To this, she was told that “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.” (Luke 1:35). Mary’s response was this: “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:38). This single act of accepting to be used by God even though the consequences were great led to the salvation of all humanity. What lessons can we learn from Mary?
Accepting the will of God: Mary, like any young woman in her time, had plans for her life. She was hoping to be officially married to Joseph in an awesome ceremony full of love. Yet, when the angel told her what God requires of her, Mary laid aside her own dreams and ambitions and willingly accepted the will of God for her life. She was aware that the task will come with life-changing consequences but she was determined to see the will of God for her life fulfilled. Many times, when the will of God interrupts our personal plans, we are more likely to proceed with our plans and refuse God’s will. In Jeremiah 29:11, God told the Israelites that “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Even if God’s plan does not seem appealing at first sight, it is still a good plan intended to prosper, to give us hope and a good future. This is what Mary saw, she saw the redemption of her people as the bigger picture. If her child will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; and his kingdom will never end” (see Luke 1:32-33), then that is an everlasting Saviour for Israel.
Obedience to the Lord can be costly: As Mary agreed to the angel’s message, her obedience immediately fulfilled prophecy. As soon as she said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled” the Holy Spirit overshadowed her and the holy seed was planted. There was no mention that the Holy Spirit came upon Mary on another day. Her obedience immediately changed her situation. She suddenly became a pregnant virgin. There are times our obedience to the Lord will likely cause us to be hated and oppressed. For Mary, she looked forward to the salvation of the whole nation of Israel and she was willing to sacrifice her integrity. Joseph, her betrothed husband did not know the background story to Mary’s pregnancy and this was his initial response: “he had in mind to divorce her quietly” (Matthew 1:19). Thankfully, an angel appeared to Joseph and clarified things for him. There are many believers around the world who have become susceptible to enemy attacks just because of their decisions to follow Jesus. Some have been imprisoned, killed, ostracized, abandoned etc. for their faith in the Lord. Obedience to the Lord can sometimes be a costly decision.
Favour does not alway lead to the Palace: In the book of Esther, we identified that when Esther was favoured by the people and the king, a crown of honour was laid on her head and she became the queen in place of Vashti. Mary was highly favoured and the Lord was with her (Luke 1:28). When Mary was even startled by the angelic greeting, the angel again told her “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God” (Luke 1:30). Mary’s condition of life didn’t translate from a low class to the Palace. Infact, she and Joseph welcomed their favoured child in a stable because the favour did not locate them a serene and conducive place for her delivery. After her child was born, favour did not shield him from his enemies, Mary and Joseph had to flee to Egypt at night to save their child. When her child grew, Mary witnessed a crown of thorns placed on his head. Mary saw her son killed through crucifixion. What kind of favour is this? Mary also witnessed her son’s resurrection and the redemption of all humanity through his sacrifice. Till date, Mary is celebrated within the Christian faith as the woman who brought God’s redemption to fruition. That’s eternal favour! Mary might not have been celebrated while alive, but her importance in the body of Christ cannot be ignored.
Faith: After the angel left Mary, she didn’t hesitate to visit Elizabeth to share in her joy. At that instant, Mary knew that she was pregnant. She didn’t even ask for the time the pregnancy will start. She had faith in the words of the angel. When she responded, “May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38), she knew that her life had changed. Hebrews 11:1 defines faith as this: ”Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Mary was confident in the words of the angel and even though she did not see the baby being put into her, she knew she was carrying the seed of God. No wonder the seed of faith responded to the seed of prophecy when Mary met Elizabeth. Luke 1:41 states that “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” The babies on divine assignment could transcend the connections of divinity. Mary’s voice caused Elizabeth’s baby to leap in response. Faith moves mountains and it causes the virgin womb to host and deliver God’s Saviour. Jesus in one of His teachings admonished us with these words: “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.” (Luke 17:6).
Mary was an ordinary God-fearing young woman who through obedience, favour, faith and accepting God’s will for her life has become a global icon in the Christian faith.
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