Mary's Story Series

When God Crashed Our Story

Luke 1:26-38

December 7, 2025

When I was a resident chaplain my two year residency was coming to an end. So, I applied for other chaplaincy positions. One of them was at a place that specialized in physical rehab, Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital. I applied even though I didn’t meet their basic qualifications. It was one of those, I’ll apply and see what happens.

I got an interview and then a second interview and eventually was hired. I worked there for 5 years and ...

After a few years, my office got moved and I was now located in the Day Hospital wing. And the social worker in the Day Hospital was this really good looking gal named Debbie. And, well, the rest is history!

I didn’t meet their qualifications on paper. I didn’t think I had a chance, but then again, God had other plans for me. It was the start of a new journey, which ultimately leads to Alexandria, IN.

Have you ever felt like you were the wrong person for what God was asking you to do? Maybe you were too ordinary, too broken, it’s too late in life, or you’re too young?

Maybe you weren’t qualified. You didn’t have the right pedigree. But when God’s calling, He isn’t looking at your resume and your family tree. If that was the case, most of us would be out! We don’t have the right name, the right genes, the right DNA.

That’s not how it works for God. We’re looking at the advent story from the vantage point of God crashing their stories, just as He comes into our stories and crashes them as well.

Most of the time when there’s a crash, we look at it as a bad thing. And at the moment, it might be hurtful and devastating, or even unwanted - - - - we may not, now, or ever understand the plan . . . but we’re ultimately called to trust in God’s plan for us.

Last week we looked at Joseph’s story, and today, it’s Mary’s story. If you have a Bible, turn to Luke 1:26-38. Luke is the 3rd book in the NT. Luke tells us this - - - -

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.

30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.

32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you;

therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age;

and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.

37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”

38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Mary’s story begins in a nowhere town called Nazareth — the kind of place people joked about. She was a teenage girl with no power, no pedigree, and no plan for greatness. Yet Heaven knew her name.

When God crashed Mary’s story, it didn’t make sense on paper — but grace never does. The Christmas story is proof that God’s greatest work often begins in the most unlikely people, in unlikely places — people and places the world forgets, but God knows and remembers.

Nazareth had a poor reputation in Jesus' time. It was seen as an insignificant and obscure village where "nothing good" came from it.

Think about it ---- ----

• Nazareth was never mentioned in the Old Testament.

• It’s located in Galilee, a region which was viewed as a less than region. It’s the land of the Samaritans, people who were considered half-breeds by the religious elite in Judah.