Not So Little Women: Week 13
Mary

Merry Christmas Eve. We tend to see Mary and Joseph as people who were overflowing with blessings because God had provided them with the miraculous birth of Jesus. Instead, the reality is that they had just as many questions as we would about a “virgin birth.” Mary and Joseph most likely lived with rumors and innuendos following them most of their life.

What do we learn from Mary? We learn four main things that many believers today are fearful to talk about:

1. Rational Thinking – Luke 1:28-29 And he came to her and said, “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.

The word “discern” means to “logic through something,” to rationally think through it. Mary doesn’t say, “What an honor! The Lord has sent me an angel!” She analyzed what the greeting meant. “Is this a hallucination, is this a dream, or is this the real thing?” C.S. Lewis says, “The reason I believe in Christianity is because nobody is brilliant enough or crazy enough to have thought this up.”

2. Honest doubting. Mary’s first response is, “How will this be?”

There is a process for a real request for real information because Mary knows a virgin birth is impossible. That is humility and bravery, because it is brave to doubt in such a way that you are willing to listen for the answers. Luke 1:37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.” Mary asked the right questions, in her doubt, and received a powerful truth.

3. She gets in community.Luke 1:36-37 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. Mary goes to see Elizabeth.

Mary will sing a song about God’s goodness called the Magnificat, but she doesn’t start the song until she spends time in community with Elizabeth.

4. Mary shows a truly complete and sincere surrender.Luke 1:38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

There are lots of people today who have all kinds of reasons for not fully surrendering to Jesus--lifestyle choices, monetary choices, etc. Many only want to call themselves “Christians” if it means that God leaves them alone to do their own thing. They are spending all their time looking inward and NOT toward God.

To follow Jesus means we have to surrender all that we are to all that He is. He is the one who died, He is the one who rose from the grave, He is the one who made us and knows us better than we know ourselves. Mary is willing to trust Him and surrender herself to Him. Mary just doesn’t stop with rational thinking, dealing with her doubt, or living in community…she comes to the place of surrender. Will we, as well?