The Difference A Child Makes: Mary

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.