Luke 1:26-38
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art [a]highly favored, the Lord is with thee[b]. 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this might be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found [c]favor with God. 31 And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 and he shall reign over the house of Jacob [d]for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 And Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also [e]the holy thing which is begotten [f]shall be called the Son of God. 36 And behold, Elisabeth thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her that [g]was called barren. 37 For no word from God shall be void of power. 38 And Mary said, Behold, the [h]handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. (The American Standard Version. Bible Gateway, biblegateway.com, Accessed December 20, 2021).
A baby announcement is a momentous occasion. There are times when it’s great news and times when it is not so great news. Luke 1:26-38 is the announcement of the coming Messiah, and many wonderful things happen during this announcement. Starting with the angel Gabriel delivering the message to Mary.
28 And he came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art [a]highly favored, the Lord is with thee[b]. 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this might be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found [c]favor with God. 31
We gather from the text that Mary had a concerned look upon her face as Gabriel quickly tries to console her that there was no cause of alarm, he was bringing good news. In many biblical recounts when an angel appears, there is great fear, but Mary seemed more confused than afraid. Could it be that she’s heard of angels appearing, is it possible that Gabriel didn’t want to scare her and appeared in a more human form than the majestic being, or was Mary simply so young that her fear instinct didn’t turn on? The text doesn’t convince me that she feared the angel at all but his reasoning for coming should have floored her.
Gabriel began to explain to Mary that she was going to be a mother. In detail, she was told the name of the baby, the lineage of the child, the purpose of the baby, and the rule and reign of this unborn child’s never-ending kingdom. And once again in great composure Mary simply asked a question.
34 And Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? Following this question came the answer of immaculate conception that once again did not rattle Mary. I am in awe of her composure but in great awe of Gabriel’s next step. He is an angel bringing world-changing news, and all this information was filled with wonder, majesty, and heavenly influenced concepts. So, Gabriel took the liberty to bring in something tangible for Mary. He explained to Mary that her cousin Elizabeth who was deemed barren is six months pregnant. And the same God that spoke life into Elizabeth’s womb has created this child birthing experience for her. A convinced Mary stated, 38 And Mary said, Behold, the [h]handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
Being a Jewish young lady Mary undoubtedly had learned of the coming Messiah. With great expectation, she probably longed for his arrival in hopes of the oppression being lifted off the backs of her people. But being chosen as a vessel worthy of carrying the Messiah, being trusted in her youth to handle such a task, and knowing that it must remain one of the world’s best-kept secrets until the appointed time. What strength, what composure, what faith she displayed with one statement “be it unto me”.
I am an adult with the Holy Spirit dwelling within me and I have more questions reading the text than Mary had living the text. I would have asked, “What are Joseph, my parents, and the townspeople going to say?” “How will I care for the Messiah?” And these are only scratching the surface of the questions that I would have asked. Maybe it was her faith, maybe it was her desire for change for her nation, maybe it was her youthfulness, but whatever it was we need a be it unto me spirit.
We are surely living in perilous times with the conditions of man’s heart, the weather, the uncontrolled plague released into the Earth, the government, the economy, and the list goes on and on. And as we pierce our eyes to the heavens expecting the Messiah to come again, we need a be it unto me spirit. There is no man-made answer for the issues of today. We need a word from Heaven. We need to position ourselves in a posture that brings favor from the Lord upon us so that the Holy Spirit can give us detailed instructions on how we are to cautiously proceed from day to day until Jesus Christ returns. And more than anything, like Mary we need to ask questions for clarity only but never question the plans and Authority of God. Accept that we will be given more instructions in the days to come and continue in our purpose.
Prayer,
Most gracious Heavenly Father, you alone are omniscient. I ask that you release an indwelling of the Holy Spirit amongst your people of this great nation. Place us under Holy Ghost arrest, contend with us until we submit, and teach us to listen to the Holy Spirit above all else. Above all the problems in the nations and our lives, above all the demonic distractions released into the Earth, above our cares and desires. Because the nations need your detailed instructions to survive these times. We cry out to you Father. We need your loving hand to rescue us. Hide us in the wings of your safety, assist us with your hand of provision, supply us with discernment not to fall into the traps set before us, and forgive us for our unbelief. We are the sheep of your pasture; speak Lord and we will not only hear your voice but follow you.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Categories: Journey
