PROPHECY OF JESUS AS MESSIAH: MARY ON MY MIND

I have to backtrack just a bit.... Mary is on my mind.

Luke 1:26-38

In the sixth month (of Elizabeth’s pregnancy with John) the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 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. 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 Yeshua (translated Jesus in English). 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.”

And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy – the Son of God. 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. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

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Mary was young. In her youth she made a commitment that would lead her on a journey she couldn't possibly have conceived. It would be easy for us to conceptualize her life being fairy-tale perfect because of whose child she was bearing - but it wasn't. Her commitment led her on a path punctuated with disappointment, upheaval, sorrow, pain and grief. She was chosen! God trusted her. We honor her for giving birth to the Christ child - but in her day, very few people recognized that reality. Her story was tainted with being pregnant before marriage. It was a stigma she lived with for the whole of her life. A few people knew and understood the truth, but very few - and she had to live above their judgment of her.

Thank you, Mary! I know God blessed you with many more children - but you suffered horrible agony when your firstborn was rejected. I'm quite certain that you had some preconceived assumptions about what the Messiah would do and anticipated the fulfillment of those hopes, only to have them cruelly crumble. I know He didn't come as the people expected or fulfill their expectations - but He fulfilled God's purpose for redeeming fallen mankind, and the next time He comes it will be in all of the majesty, glory and power that His people expected the first visit. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!