People of the Advent: Mary

 

Luke 1:38(ESV)

³⁸ And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

 

Another important person in the Advent story is Mary.  She was a young girl, and she was in the line of David.  She was minding her own business when an angel appeared before her.  She must have been astounded. She must have thought she was dreaming, maybe had fallen asleep during the day, in the middle of her work. 

 

True to form the angel started out his talk with the words, “do not be afraid.”  Angels almost always had to say that, because no one ever expected to be confronted by an angel.  He called her favored by God. Then told her God was with her.  His next tidbit was very puzzling.  He told her she was going to have a baby and He would be Jesus, the Son of God.  Here she was a single girl betrothed to Joseph.  And now she is told she was about to be pregnant with the Son of God.  Mary asked him, “How can this be?  I am not married or intimate with a guy.”  But the angel had a ready answer.  It would be the work of the Holy Spirit.  It would be a miracle, and speaking of miracles, your relative Elizabeth is six months pregnant with a son.  Mary, God can and does do the impossible.

 

Mary’s response is a model for all of us.  “I am God’s servant, so bring it on.  I accept the challenge.”

 

Are you willing to accept the challenge and take the consequences?  That is what God wants us to do!