Mary was chosen by God to be the mother of His Son. The angel, Gabriel, came to Mary and told her God’s plan…but gave Mary the choice of whether to step into this significant role. I know God doesn’t tell us everything about the future, but I believe somehow Mary understood the cost of this decision. And her acceptance of the plan almost cost her marriage to Joseph—until an angel shared the truth with him. It certainly cost her reputation. Can’t you imagine the wagging tongues in Nazareth?
Mary endured a lot of pain as the mother of God’s Son:
•Gossip about her pregnancy
•Disbelief of Joseph
•Conflict between her children (the perfect son vs. the not-so-perfect children
•The persecution of Jesus’ ministry and disbelief by many—including spiritual leaders
•Watching her son’s torture and crucifixion
But God also sent her a lot of encouragement:
•The encouragement of Elizabeth
•The shepherds hearing the angels proclaim Jesus’ birth
•Simeon declaring the arrival of the Messiah
•Anna declaring the arrival of redemption
•God speaking to Joseph in dreams
•The wise men worshiping Jesus
•Being a part of the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry
•The miracles
Mary was a normal human being. I think we see this in Mark 3. Jesus’ brothers and Mary came to where Jesus was. They (at least the brothers) had decided Jesus was out of his mind! As a mom, have you ever been caught in the middle of your children’s conflict? Our normal response is to “fix it!” I think Mary had come for that very reason. When Jesus was told his mother and brothers were outside, he said, “Who are my mother and my brothers? It’s those who hear the word of God and do it!” In that moment, He was saying everyone has a choice to say “yes” and follow him—even His mother and brothers. We know Mary chose to follow Him—she was a part of His ministry. But it wasn’t until after His resurrection that his brothers saw the truth and followed Jesus!
Mary was just like you and me. She was a sinner in need of a savior. The difference is that she was miraculously pregnant and gave birth to her redeemer. I like what Jack Hayford says, “Mary’s miracle is intended to be ours. We can all be pregnant with the promise of God.”
Have you said “Yes” to following Jesus? What promise has God given you? Did you know that every promise of God is filled with its own inherent power to explode into our circumstances? It is! God wants to take you on the journey of a lifetime—it may be full of highs and lows like Mary’s. But I think, at the end, your heart will be full of thanksgiving for how the hard things made you grow—and full of wonder and praise over each fulfilled promise of God.
