Good morning! My name is Mary. I am the mother of Jesus. My journey in life has embraced the good and the beautiful and also the painful, but always God has been with me. My son and my savior is no longer with us, but his disciple, John has taken care of my needs and been like a son to me since Jesus’ death. As Jesus hung on the cross, I was standing nearby. He looked at me and at John standing next to me and said, “Woman here is your son.” He then looked at John and said, “Here is your mother.” From that hour John took me into his own home. Again the loving provision of God in my life, but the story I want to tell you this morning goes back to when I was just fifteen years old. I was engaged to a man named Joseph. We married a whole lot younger in those days than you do today! I suspect we had to grow up a little faster.
I grew up in a small village called Nazareth in a very small nation called Israel. It is a wonder to me that God had even noticed our village. It is so small and it isn’t the most glamorous village around. In fact there is a saying I have heard more than once; “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Well, God did notice us and our village and he loved us too.
Your pastor has told me that you people come from a small town. I want to tell you to never under–estimate what God can do in a small town. You may be more valuable to him than you think you are. I have noticed that it is God’s joy to exalt what is humble and bring down those whose hearts are proud, as the rest of my story will illustrate.
When I was a very little girl, we girls would gather and talk about the coming Messiah. We knew he would come as a baby because of the words of prophecy in the scripture and we all dreamed to be his mother! But we didn’t think for a second that anything like that could really happen to us. Surely it would be the daughter of someone important living in Jerusalem. And who knew when the Messiah would ever come? Our nation had been waiting for the Messiah for centuries!
I can remember hungering to know more about God even back then. I would listen carefully to my parents and the Rabbi when they spoke about God and I would treasure those words in my heart. I would ponder their meaning over and over again and I tried very hard to obey. I was always one to ask questions and I am afraid I drove my parents a bit crazy. I knew in my heart that God was good and I loved him as well as I knew how.
Well, I had better get back to my fifteenth year! One morning just like any other morning, an angel appeared to me. Yes, I said an ANGEL! His name was Gabriel, but he wasn’t how you all imagine him. Now I understand that you people imagine angels as beautiful delicate women with long flowing tresses and long flowing dresses and wings! A thousand years ago people imagined angels as chubby toddlers with wings, but that tradition changed over time. Well I can’t speak for all angels, as I have only seen one, but there was nothing delicate or babyish about THIS one. He was strong, mighty, and majestic. You could feel the authority he held, and he was more than a little bit frightening. He quickly assured me that I needn’t be afraid and I could feel his love as well as his authority. He told me that I had pleased God and was soon to be the mother of a son who was to be named Jesus. This son will be great and will be called the Son of God. A thousand questions jumped into my head, as is usual for me, but I quickly limited them down to the most obvious one; “How could I have a baby since I am a virgin?” My mother always said I was a bit too forthright in my words, but the angel didn’t seem to mind. He answered simply. The Holy Spirit will come upon me and the power of the most High will overshadow me and my baby will be the Son of God. Wow! I told the angel I will obey. I will be God’s servant and do all that he asks of me
The angel was very kind to me in all that he did, but the kindest thing for me personally was telling me about my Aunt Elizabeth. When I heard that my Aunt Liz, who was far beyond her childbearing years, was already with child and in her sixth month of pregnancy, my faith was greatly encouraged. And now I was no longer all alone with no one to understand me! I will have her wisdom and love to guide me and help me through my pregnancy. It only made sense to go and visit her.
But before I left, I knew I had to talk to Joseph about all that had happened to me. This was the hardest part. I loved him so much, but could he understand? What man would? An angel told me that I would have a child by the Holy Spirit—likely story! I believed because I saw the angel and felt the awe of his presence and heard his words, but who would believe without that? I put off telling him for a week because I was so afraid of losing him and losing my reputation as a good girl. I was miserable! But the longer I thought about it, the more convinced I became that I had to obey God even if it cost me the man I loved.
When I finally told him, I could sense the pain and doubt in his heart and see it in his eyes. I feared what lay ahead for us. It was so painful I needed to get away or my courage would fail. Not long after this, I left to visit Elizabeth.
I had no sooner greeted her at the door when she exclaimed, “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the child that you carry. And why has this happened to me that the mother of my Lord comes to see me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child within me leaped for joy! And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” We were immediately united in heart and I wept at her words. God was so good to give me someone who understood.
All I could think to do in the next few days was to praise God over and over. He hadn’t paid a bit of attention to the fact that I was just a small town girl about to marry a simple carpenter. He still chose us! Later on he sent his angels to some ordinary shepherds out on a hillside to announce His Son’s birth, SHEPHERDS! Our precious child was not born in a palace, but in an animal barn and he slept his first night in a feeding trough. Not only that, but God called these strange men from a foreign land to come and worship Jesus. They were the only ones to honor him with gifts. In many different ways He had lifted all of us up who were of low degree and brought down the proud of heart. This is the kind of God we serve! My heart was so filled with love for him that it overflowed in song. I hear that you still sing that song today! I enjoy thinking about that!
This time together with Elizabeth was so precious to me. I had always looked up to Aunt Elizabeth and Uncle Zechariah. Uncle Zeke was a priest and both of them lived such good lives. Aunt Liz and I were both new to this pregnancy business, but she was six months ahead of me and knew a lot more than I did in the first place. She knew just what to expect. And she knew just how to encourage me spiritually. We had wonderful times of sharing, even about Joseph. I was frightened to speak to Joseph again because I feared what he might say, but Aunt Liz paved the way and sent me back home at the right time.
The wonderful thing was that God had taken care of Joseph as well. Because he was a kind man, Joseph had planned to just quietly break off the engagement. But God gave him a dream. In his dream an angel came to Joseph and told him it was alright to marry me, for the child within me was from the Holy Spirit. He was also told that when the baby came, we were to name him Jesus, which was exactly what the angel had told me! Praise God! We were closer than we had ever been as we moved together in the calling God had for us. We were stronger in our faith because of the testing we had gone through. It took a lot of courage on Joseph’s part to stick with me.
Well, I am sure you all know about our long and tiring journey to Bethlehem when I was nine months pregnant! Everything had been going along so well, but then we got the announcement about that crazy census! I surely did not want to go on a three day journey right when my baby was due! I was so exhausted when we finally arrived! As we came to the last Inn in Bethlehem, I was beginning to feel the signs that the baby was soon to come. I could picture us out in the open, in a strange place, with no protection from wind and weather. I will never forget the wonderful provision of the animal barn when it looked like there was no hope of a place to stay. I know it doesn’t sound like a very exciting place to have a baby to you, but it was better than the Trump International Hotel in downtown Chicago to me! I was exhausted that night, so I am afraid I missed a lot of the excitement about the shepherds. Joseph told me all about it in the morning. He was so excited about the birth that night that he didn’t sleep a wink. Wasn’t God good to those shepherds? I am so glad that he blessed them with his announcement. And wasn’t he good to me! Isn’t it just like the Lord to wait to the very last minute to supply that blessing?
Now I want to remind you of another event just shortly after the birth of Jesus that will not be as familiar to you. Joseph and I traveled to Jerusalem to present Jesus to the Lord, as this is commanded in the law. While we in the temple, a man by the name of Simeon approached us. He was a righteous man, devoted to God and the Holy Spirit rested upon him. After giving us another confirmation that God was with us in this calling, he pulled me aside and said these words: “This child is destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” I pondered these words as I had pondered so many of the words spoken to us during this time. I knew God was telling me that suffering was ahead for Jesus and for me as well. This word may not sound like a kindness to you, but it was a great kindness and perhaps the greatest kindness to me. It allowed me to prepare my heart as well as I could for the great suffering that I now knew was to come. As I look back now I am so glad I had some preparation for what was to come. Now I knew that when things get scary it doesn’t mean that God has abandoned me.
Yes, looking back at those early years is very good. I am reminded of all the blessing and kindness that God has brought to me in this journey, of all the many ways God has made provision for me and guided my steps. Like so many before me I feel so unworthy of God’s goodness. May God bless your journey as well and don’t forget to count those blessings and not underestimate what God can do through you. God is good
Here is the story as recorded for us in Luke 1:26-38, 46-55:
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 to the angel, "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…
46 And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. 52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
