How Can this Be?

I set expectations that my blog would be updated on a Friday evening, so I was not sure if some folks might be checking it first thing Saturday morning. If you did check for a new posting yesterday, then I apologize for not being ready. I was invited to a chartered trip to Boston to see the Red Sox game on Friday, it was rain delayed and since it was a bus charter we could not leave till the game was over. I got back to my house at 4:00 AM Saturday.

After looking over last weeks blog with the Bible passages and all I went way over my planned one page blog limit so I will keep it brief and refer to the same passage as last week. It is my prayer and hope that last week my comments about Mary did not offend anyone. My desire is for you to know the truth from God’s word, and that it will truly set you free.

We are looking at Luke 1:26-38, where we read the story of Gabriel letting Mary know that she would be the mother of Jesus the Son of the Highest. First of all let me be clear this is a story of God’s grace and compassion by fulfilling His promises to us. The announcement from Gabriel is about Jesus “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give 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”.

But this passage has a lot of human drama. Just like we read several weeks ago, when Gabriel announced the birth of John the Baptist by telling Zacharias do not be afraid in the same way he also tells Mary to not be afraid. Then he gives her the good news. Now this is where it gets interesting, Mary responds “How can this be, when I do not know a man?” It would appear that Mary is not expressing doubt about the miracle as was Zacharias as the announcement about John, but she must be wondering about the nature of the miracle. What is she supposed to do, how is this going to happen? Gabriel is not dismayed at her question and again I would imagine he was expecting it, since he had the explanation all ready. “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God”. Wow this is an incredible declaration, God will be the father by the power of the Holy Spirit, the full trinity will be involved in the conception of Jesus the Son of God.

Finally Mary proclaims , “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” If God has promised blessings in your life, isn’t this a great example about how we should respond. I am ready God to be your servant, I am ready to live and trust in your Word.

So leaving all tradition aside, what have we learned from this passage?

She is blessed and favored by God

• She will be the mother of Jesus the Son of God
• She was a virgin when Jesus was conceived
• She views herself as a maid servant.