Luke 1:38, “Mary (the mother of Jesus) responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever He wants. May everything you have said come true.’ And then the angel left.”
In the passage above, we hear what turns out to be the beginning of the Christmas Story. Mary, a young woman who is about to be married to an older man named Joseph, finds out that God has a very unique plan for her life. Mary has been chosen by God to give birth to a child, a baby boy who would be named Jesus. This would be no ordinary child nor would it be an ordinary pregnancy. God had chosen Mary to conceive this child not with her husband-to-be, Joseph, but under the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus would not be an ordinary man, He would be both the Messiah and God revealed as Son. He would come to set the people of God free from sin and death.
The story of Mary’s response to an angelic visitation is amazing at many levels. First of all we must consider the fact that Mary was not a person of power or influence. She was a young woman who was chosen by God for this task for two primary reasons. Mary was a descendent of the great King David and she was a person of great faith. We know from the prophets that the promised Messiah, the Christ, was to come from the line of David. God knew what a challenge being the mother of Jesus would be and He knew that the humble heart, and faith filled strength of Mary would be necessary to endure all that she would have to endure. To find such strength in such a young woman was truly amazing.
How many of us, at any age, demonstrate the faith that Mary demonstrates in this story? How many of us can say with a sense of confidence and complete trust that we are willing to accept any task that God may place before us? Mary was willing to bear this God-child knowing that she placed at risk her relationship with Joseph and her own family. She trusted God to give her the strength she needed and to guide her through the challenges that would be ahead. Mary would become not only the mother of Jesus the promised Messiah, she would become a model for humble servanthood for generations to come.
What is God’s plan for your life? Have you ever considered that God has chosen you out of all the other people on earth for a unique mission? It’s true. Each of us are given unique gifts from God in order to serve Him and His purposes in the world. Many, unfortunately, never seek to know what purpose God has for their life and thus they live a life that never fulfills its promise. Can you, will you trust God to lead you into new ways and new places?
,,,God seeks each of us out to be in a deep and profound relationship with Him. Why not open your mind and your heart to know God and experience His love and grace?
