Christmas, Mary's Point Of View

Christmas, Mary's Point Of View

Scripture: Luke 1:5-25, Mathew 1:18-25, Luke 2:1-21, Isaiah 7:14

We each have heard the story of Christmas many times: the angel Gabriel visits Mary and then visits Joseph, the shepherds, the Host Angels phrasing God, and the Wise Men. Today, I want to concentrate on Mary’s part, the human part, her story.

Luke 1:5-25 records how Zechariah and Elizabeth had never had children. Indeed, they had grown old praying for God to send them a child. Then the angel of the LORD, Gabriel, appeared to Zechariah and told him that Elizabeth would bear a child. This child would grow and bring many Israelites back to God. Zechariah did not see how two people so old could have a child but they did. He was John the Baptist, the one who would prepare the way for our Lord Jesus. That was a miracle. Now we read of an even greater miracle to befall the Virgin Mary.

Luke 1:26-38, “26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom, there will be no end.’ 34 Mary said, ‘How can this be since I am a virgin?’ 35 The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.’ 38 Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.”

Mary came face to face with the angel Gabriel: I cannot imagine what it was like for Mary, a girl aged twelve or thirteen face to face with the angel Gabriel. Gabriel, the archangel communicates God’s will to humans, and speaks to Mary, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” God Almighty favors this young girl. She was perplexed and confused, puzzled. She must have asked herself, what is happening to me? Gabriel senses Mary’s puzzlement and says, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” She is humble and must have asked herself, God favor me a young girl? Then Gabriel told Mary what God was going to do, “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.” Mary, I am going to have a baby? Then Gabriel said, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.” How can this be? Further, Gabriel told her, “He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Mary finally gathered herself and spoke to Gabriel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” Gabriel says, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.” Gabriel then shared with Mary that she was not the only one shocked, “Your relative, Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.” Mary had to wonder what this was about. Gabriel reminded Mary, “Nothing will be impossible with God.”

From Jonah to Moses, God asked many of the people in the Bible to do something; most argued against their assignment. Not Mary. She responds to Gabriel, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.”

Mary’s Task: Matthew 1:18-25, the Book of Mathew tells us that Mary had a problem, with Joseph. She was engaged to him, he lived in the same town as Mary, Nazareth. In Bible times, you married into a family. Jewish marriage customs regarding a couple’s engagement were far different and much more stringent than today. The parents made marriage arrangements for the bride and groom often without even consulting the couple to be married. The groom’s parents prepared a contract and paid the bride price. Such a contract was immediately deemed binding, with the couple considered married even though the actual ceremony and consummation of the marriage would not occur for as long as a year afterward. The time between was a sort of testing of fidelity with each other. Somehow, the Bible does not say, Joseph found out that Mary was with child. The law called for a divorce. However, Matthew tells us that Joseph was a righteous man unwilling to expose her to public disgrace. He did not want to hurt her so he planned to divorce her quietly. However, just when he had resolved to divorce her, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Emmanuel, for he will save his people from their sins.”