BLESSED BE GOD OUR FATHER’S CHOICE OF THE VIRGIN MARY TO GIVE BIRTH TO THE SON OF GOD
One night long ago a prominent Jewish ruler came to Jesus in search of the answer to life’s most pressing question - asked in various ways . . . for example, “What must I do to inherit eternal life” and “What must I do to be saved”?
In response to this inquiry by Nicodemus, Jesus answered, “No one can enter the kingdom of God unless he (or she) is born again” – mysterious pronouncement which led to yet another probing question, “How can this be”? Jesus explained to his inquirer that the miracle of new birth is wrought by a supernatural act of the Holy Spirit. Now . . .
The very fact that a “new birth” (spiritually speaking) is even possible stems from that miraculous birth of the Christ Child which we celebrate every year at Christmas.
Mary, the mother of the Son sent by God the Father to save repentant sinners from the punishment of eternal separation from God (spiritual death), asked God’s messenger the same question Nicodemus asked: “How can this be?”
How can what be? How can it be that a virgin who had no sexual relations with a man conceive, let alone give birth to, a son? So, not only was the mandate by Jesus of a “new birth” shrouded in mystery . . . but also his own birth that had occurred without implantation of a man’s seed in Mary’s womb.
In both instances – the birth of God’s Son and the new birth mandated by God’s Son – the “how” is the same: The Holy Spirit of God!
In the first instance: The LORD God miraculously transplants the essence of that part of the Triune God known as God the Son to Mary’s womb, causing her to conceive a Holy Child – human yet divine.
In the second instance: When a sinner repents, the LORD God miraculously transplants the essence of the Son’s holiness - with a new nature bent toward righteousness - into the hearts of believers who accept Him as Lord and Savior.
The key contributing factor in the birth of God’s Son, and the “new birth” of all who, in Christ, have become “sons of God”, is TRUST.
God’s Spirit works in the lives of those who trust the LORD --- with whom all things are possible. Mere mortals may be unable, but, God is able! When the time came for God to send His Son into the world so that the world through Him might be saved, the Holy Spirit of God acted in accordance with God’s directive.
God’s plan of intervention for defeating Satan and for declaring victory over sin and death - so that all who repent and receive Christ might be saved, had been foreshadowed in the Book of Beginnings . . . prophesied 1000 years later by Isaiah . . . delayed for seven centuries until the timing was right - in God’s sight.
Then, as now, the darkness of a sinful world begged for the light of God’s grace to appear. For centuries the people that walked in darkness prayed for the Messiah to come.
At last, in response to the longing in hearts, and prayers on lips, the LORD God dispatched His special messenger “Gabriel” to inform and involve the Virgin Mary whose unique privilege it would be to give birth to God’s Son, our Savior – Luke 1:26-38 . . .
Blessed Be God our Father’s Choice of the Virgin Mary to Give Birth to the Son of God! Mary was chosen because she had found favor with God - a devout worshipper with whom the Father was well pleased - a devoted daughter who had lived up to the standards set by her parents - a dedicated servant of the Lord who had sought to be and do right in God’s sight, observing rules of righteousness and always ready to serve Him to the best of her ability.
Mary was chosen because she would take God’s messenger seriously – yet in humility assess the situation cautiously – not doubting the authenticity of Gabriel’s message but asking for more information – wanting to make sure that she was indeed God’s chosen vessel.
Mary was chosen because she would accept her role graciously - knowing that the Lord works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform and that if God ordains it to be so, it will be so – understanding that “If Elisabeth can be blessed with a miracle baby, why not Mary?”
Accept her role she did – consenting to be what God the Father had chosen her to be . . . willingly submitting her will to the Father’s will . . . understandingly seeing her role in Redemption’s Story from the perspective of biblical prophecy – “Be it unto me according to thy word.” Folks:
Always trust the Lord to do what He says He will do, and willingly submit to the call of God in faith - believing that what He does is right!
Mary’s trust meant she knew the Lord so well that she was compelled by a firm belief in His love, character, reliability and strength to devote her all to Him - in the confident expectation that everything would turn out just like He promised.
Mary knew that, although humanly speaking a virgin could not conceive, “nothing is impossible with God”. Mary was not chosen because of her virginity. Rather, God’s choice of Mary was due to her godliness which kept her, of necessity, a virgin - until after her divine conception of perfection - the one and only perfect God becoming the perfect God-Man (thereby, Deity preserved) for reconciling the world unto Himself . . .
Did Mary know every detail of how and when and why this or that? Did she know what the outcome of her virgin birth of God’s son would be? As the popular little song puts the question on the minds of many, “Mary, Did You Know?”
“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’ve kissed the face of God.
“Mary did you know?
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!
Oh Mary, did you know?”
Mary’s trust in the Lord did not require her to know all that there was to be known. She knew the LORD God.
She took the LORD God at His Word. By her faith in the LORD God, Mary did not need to know any more than God’s messenger had revealed to her. Nor do we!
“You will call Him JESUS . . . He shall reign . . . and of His kingdom there shall be no end!”
Be glad!
Rejoice!
Joy to the World!
The LORD has come!
Amen and Amen!
