Advent: Mary

 This Advent I am taking a closer look at four characters in the Christmas story.

You're pregnant.

Those two words will change your life forever.  If you've ever heard these words you remember what you were feelings.  If you've ever seen that stick with a dark line and a faint, yet life-altering, line you know what the knowledge of those words can mean: fear, excitement, anxiety, hope, anticipation, planning.

When you found out you were pregnant it came after sex or IUI or something like that, but Mary had the most surprising "You're pregnant" of all time from the angel Gabriel.

"Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!"  But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.  And the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus.  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 father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." Luke 1:28-33

Now for the million dollar question.

"And Mary said to the angel, 'How will this be, since I am a virgin?" Luke 1:34

Gabriel went on to tell her that the Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High will overshadow her and cause this to happen (Note the Father and Spirit begetting the Son).  He also said that Mary's elderly cousin Elizabeth is six months pregnant with a son.  

Mary responded to this life altering news in a wonderful way:

"Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." Luke 1:38

Think about what Mary was finding out.  She, an unmarried virgin, was pregnant.  God had chosen her for the awesome task of carrying, birthing and raising the Son of God.  Yet Mary was in for the shame of people thinking she was a loose woman, she was to bear the taunts of people calling her son a bastard.  She was to live a life with a story few could ever believe.

Following Mary's encounter with the angel Gabriel there was nothing else God needed to do for Mary to confirm her role in the Christmas story.  Yet our gracious God did give her further confirmation.

Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth as quickly as she could to see the miracle that Gabriel had told her had happened.  As soon as Mary entered she didn't have to tell her story, she didn't need to ask Elizabeth's story.  No, God graciously gave Mary more confirmation than she needed.

"And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb.  And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." Luke 1:41-45

At hearing this prophesy of the mother of the greatest prophet, Mary was filled with joy.  God graciously gave Mary the glimpse into His plan that she needed to carry on.  Mary then burst into a song that mirrors that of Hannah in 1 Samuel (you can read this in Luke 1:46-55).

Mary was given a wonderful and hard job.  

You're pregnant.

Those two words changed Mary's life.  They gave her the most blessed title a woman could have, mother of Jesus.  They also gave her a future that included pain like a sword through her soul (Luke 2:35).

The announcement of Mary's pregnancy was the announcement that God was coming down to us.  Emmanuel was embryonic.  The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14) and that process began right after Gabriel's very early gender reveal party for Mary when he told her she would have the Son that would save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).

Think today at how the surprising pregnancy announcement changed Mary's life.  Consider how our gracious God gave her strength to perform her task.  Most of all, ponder what the incarnation of Christ means for you today.