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Mary
(Luke 1:26-38)
Yearly Theme: “Goodness is… the Great I AM”
Series Title: “What Child is This”
December 8th, 2024

Something to think about:

In his commentary on the Gospel of Luke, Biblical scholar N. T. Wright suggests,

“Ask a newspaper editor what sort of stories will sell the most copies, and three categories come swiftly to mind: sex, royalty, and religion. If they can be combined, so much the better. ‘POP STAR’S LOVE CHILD’ is good; ‘PRINCESS HAS SECRET AFFAIR’ is better; ‘KING’S SECRET NIGHT WITH NUN’ is better still. So when people read the story of Gabriel visiting Mary, with the child to be born being the future Lord of the World, their minds easily jump in the way the newspapers have conditioned them to do. People have read into the story all sorts of things that aren’t there and have failed to notice some of the really important things that are.”

As we consider the narrative of Mary’s interaction with the angel Gabriel in Luke’s Gospel three distinct things stick out:

•The fact that she was a virgin.
•The reality that she was favored by GOD.
•Her willingness to risk everything to be GOD’s servant.

How do these things help to define one of the most significant women of the Bible when during her day she was seemingly insignificant and obscure? Let’s take a closer look:

Key Point: “Mary became the vessel of GOD’s salvation.”

How was Mary chosen to be the one through whom the Savior would be born? Let’s look in more detail at the following:

· Mary was a ______.

Luke 1:26-27 (NLT), 26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.

· Mary was a _______ woman.

Luke 1:28 (NLT), Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

· Mary was a _______ of GOD.

Luke 1:38a (NLT), Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”

Something to take home:

Biblical scholar, Ken Heer, explains that

“After delivering his message, the angel left her. Times of divine visitation are wonderful, but the moment comes when we are left alone. There are no angels. There is no further word from God. There is no one else with whom we can share our thoughts or questions. No doubt Mary would wake up tomorrow with a new set of questions, but who would answer them? Who would walk with her through the days of uncertainty that lay ahead? The words of the angel would become her assurance: ‘The Lord is with you.’ When we follow the plan of God, we experience the presence and receive the provisions of God.”[1]

Like Mary, you may seem insignificant and obscure. You may think that you have nothing to offer GOD; nothing that would make Him look your way. But you must remember you are fearfully and wonderfully made! GOD knows you better than you know yourself, and He loves you and desires you just as much as any other character in His grand story in the Bible. You are not insignificant; you are chosen. Do you choose Him? Are you willing to be the LORD’s servant? Are you willing to be a conduit of GOD’s message of salvation to the world that He has placed you in?

Key Point: “Mary became the vessel of GOD’s salvation.”


[1] Heer, Ken. 2007. Luke: A Commentary for Bible Students. Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House.

Try for a moment and put yourself in Mary’s shoes when the angel Gabriel came to her and told her that she was favored by GOD.How must that have felt?

Now consider the calling that the LORD had for Mary to accomplish:that she would conceive a child by the Holy Spirit and that He would be the Son of the Most High GOD.What was she to do?What would you have done?How would you have responded?

Consider the social and cultural conditions of Mary’s day.To become pregnant outside of marriage was to bring shame on yourself and your family.Mary had a lot to lose, even her engagement to her fiance Joseph.Compare and contrast what Mary faced then, and what she might face now under the same conditions.

Once convince, Mary submitted to the will of GOD in carrying the Son of GOD.Her response to Gabriel was the she was the “Lord’s servant.”Mary was completely surrendered and submitted to the Lord’s will.Are you completely committed to the Lord’s will in your life?Why, or why not?

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