In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”
Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For the word of God will never fail.”
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Luke 1:26-38 (NLT)
Whenever I read the story about Mary learning that she will bear the Messiah, this question comes to mind:
- How is she going to tell her fiance, family, and friends that she is pregnant?
I wonder if, in the split second before she reminded Gabriel that she was a virgin, her future as a betrothed mother-to-be flashed before her eyes. She could lose her fiance, bring shame on her family, be ostracized by her community, and surely made an example to all the other girls. Mary must have been afraid.
She may have even mulled over how Jesus would come to be and the pain and anguish that she would experience during childbirth. I could imagine that Gabriel’s explanation of how she’d conceive was all the more confusing.
All things considered, it seemed impossible. But when Gabriel shared Elizabeth’s testimony about conceiving John the Baptist in her old age, it changed Mary’s outlook.
Although she may have been afraid and confused about birthing the Son of God, Mary chose to trust God. I could imagine that she encouraged herself and said, “God did the impossible in Elizabeth’s life, so surely He can see me through His plan for mine.”
Call to action: In your personal reflection time, take some time to think about something God has laid on your heart to do that you have had apprehension about, and then scroll through your Rolodex of answered prayers.
Christian Barnes says
The Rolodex of answered prayers. Wow
Twanda B Smith says
I second that comment…..WOW ….A Rolodex of answered PRAYERS🙏🏽. Thank you Diamonds 💎
Michael J says
I third the comment Wow. I will even type it backwards Wow. Thanks for sharing Diamond.
Pas. Hubbard says
Outstanding and indeed profound!