26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “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[b] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Every day now, children are born. A lot of them are born to very young, unprepared girls. Some of them are able to deal with the pressure, the criticism, the feeling of disappointment that may come their way. God takes this story and shows us that we shouldn't judge someone in their circumstance just because we do not understand it or think it is appropriate. We probably all know a young lady that became pregnant out of wedlock. Did we disapprove or help them plan a wedding? We all have sinned. Some sins are known, others not. And everyone in Nazareth thought they knew what Mary had done. What a fool she made of Joseph, they said. But no one knew or believed what Mary told them. An angel came and told her that God loved her and wanted her to be the mother of the Savior. Being who she was, how could she say no? How scared and alone she must have felt at first. No matter how much ridicule she would have to overcome, no matter how much humiliation she endured, she knew that God chose her! That would get me through the looks, whispers, and broken friendships. I'm sure it gave her the courage to become who she became. The mother of Jesus, Christ our Lord!
Mary, Did You Know?
Buddy Green and Mark Lowry
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.
Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.
The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb.
Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am.
No comments:
Post a Comment