This article is excerpted from Lifeway Women's new Bible study, Behold the Savior - Advent Bible Study Book for Women: Treasuring the Story of Christmas.
A few years ago, my husband and I were on vacation with five of our kids. As we walked through an amusement park watching our almost two-year-old baby play, I commented to my husband that it was bittersweet to be closing a very long era of having babies at home, but I was excited to finally be hands-free for our bigger kids. Within minutes of that statement, we got an urgent call asking us to foster a newborn.
If you are familiar with the foster care system, you know that there is no time for contemplation on this; they give you minutes to make this major decision. My husband and I paused briefly in the middle of this amusement park to pray and decide. We said yes and spent the rest of the day in emotional chaos. We knew with complete conviction that this was what the Lord had for us, and we were excited, but in our flesh, we also wrestled with all the what ifs and overwhelming totality of the journey we were embarking on. We knew friends and family would struggle with our decision because it was out of the norm, but we also knew that the Lord was with us in this, and His grace was sufficient for all that was to come.
Our journey was nothing of the magnitude to which Mary was called, but that journey has given me an even deeper admiration for her and for the goodness of our God.
26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, "Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you." 29 But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 Then the angel told her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end."
34 Mary asked the angel, "How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?"
35 The angel replied to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God."
38 "See, I am the Lord's servant," said Mary. "May it happen to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.Luke 1:26-38 CSB
In Luke 1:26-38, Mary was given the most epic news of her life. She had been given the immense responsibility of being the mother of Jesus—the Son of the Most High. Just imagine the emotions this young girl was feeling! Joy at knowing the Messiah was coming; fear over how her betrothed, her family, her friends, her community would react to her unprecedented pregnancy; awe and reverence at being given such a precious gift. I would imagine the emotional overwhelm would be so heavy. The uncertainty of what was to come would be completely unmooring.
I love that in her moment of uncertainty, God provided her a confidant and mentor in her relative Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-45). In His gentle kindness, the Lord blessed Mary with someone to share her pregnancy journey with who could understand the magnitude and the emotions of this beautiful calling.
As Mary and Elizabeth spoke, I am struck by the words of Mary. With all the uncertainty and all the fear that she could have expressed, Mary chose joy. She chose to praise the Lord and all He had done and would do through Jesus. She sang unto the Lord the beautiful verses of her Magnificat:
46 And Mary said:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 because he has looked with favor
on the humble condition of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations
will call me blessed,
49 because the Mighty One
has done great things for me,
and his name is holy.
50 His mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear him.
51 He has done a mighty deed with his arm;
he has scattered the proud
because of the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has toppled the mighty from their thrones
and exalted the lowly.
53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering his mercy
55 to Abraham and his descendants[a] forever,
just as he spoke to our ancestors.Luke 1:46-55 CSB
Mary did not boast in the fact that she had been called to such a significant moment, but instead she boasted in her mighty Savior. In Genesis 12:2, God blessed Abraham and spoke of how a great nation would come from him. Mary knew that she was part of that great nation and recognized the immense gift that would come from the birth of the Savior for all generations to come. She illustrated in her song that apart from God, none of this was possible. She considered how she would be called blessed for generations to come, not by anything she had done, but by what God was doing through her.
God's mercy is laid out for His children, for those who fear Him. His mercy is for those who humble themselves and know that He alone is their strength and salvation. He alone will fill His people with the richness of His word and His mercy to all who are hungry with the yearning for His truth.
God chose a young girl—a girl of no real consequence or position—to be the mother of the Messiah, the King of kings. He brought our Savior into the world as a baby, born in a humble way and placed in a manger. Jesus could have come to us in mighty ways; He could have been a noble man of great riches, or He could have been a great warrior or a man of great power. But God, the Creator of all things, chose to bring Jesus into the world in a way that shows His great mercy to those who fear Him. He brought Jesus into the world through a young woman whose only qualification was her obedience, a woman who knew her Lord and had great faith.
We have seen God's goodness and His mercy in Luke 1, and we also see His faithfulness. Throughout Scripture we see moments where God remembered His people and was faithful to His covenants. In 1 Samuel 1:19, God remembered Hannah and was faithful to give her a child. In Genesis 19:29, God remembered Abraham and delivered his nephew Lot safely from destruction. In Exodus 2:24-25, God remembered His covenant with Israel and began the process of delivering the Israelites out from Egyptian rule. The same God that remembered His people in the Old Testament is faithful to remember His people and bring about the fulfillment of the words in Isaiah 9:6-7. Through Mary, God brought to us a Savior, our wonderful Counselor, and our Redeemer.