Luke 1:26-55

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 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. 36 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. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 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. 39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” 46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Mary was a teenager. A teenager. I’m talking perhaps even 15 or 16 years old. She was a poor, humble village girl who lived in a small, insignificant place called Nazareth. And the Lord found her worthy enough to quite literally carry His plan for humanity’s salvation. In Luke 1:42, Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, proclaimed her “blessed among women” and certainly Mary the mother of Jesus is the most famous of biblical women. Her faith in Jesus, her Son and Savior, began the moment Gabriel visited her with the news of her immaculate conception. What faith in God it must have taken to share this divine news with her husband-to-be, Joseph, and any of her other loved ones. She never doubted the word of Gabriel, never doubted that Jesus would be born through her––she glorified the Lord for choosing to provide humanity’s salvation through her, someone who, in humanity’s eyes, was the lowliest of women.

Mary’s song in Luke 46–55, known as the Magnificat, is an incredible expression of unadulterated joy, obedience, and faith in God’s promised fulfillment. She had faith in the impossible, obeyed God’s will, surrendered control, and served her Savior with humility, loyalty, and courage. She lived with a contemplative heart and devout strength in the suffering; and she served in the role of interceder––for all of us! She literally carried, birthed, and raised our Salvation! And the Lord was with her through it all. Even when she experienced the cruelest suffering any mother could bear as they mocked, beat, and nailed her perfect Son and Lord to the Cross. Although fully God, Jesus honored Mary in everything; He obeyed and cared for her. His devotion to Mary makes it evident that He deeply loved His earthly mother. The Cross makes it evident that He deeply loves all of us. Mary had no idea how her life would change or what difficulties she would face as the mother of the Messiah. Yet she trusted in God’s plan, even when it meant uncertainty and hardship. God’s ways are not always easy, but they are always good, and He is faithful to bring His purposes to completion.

What does it look like to surrender your life to God’s will in everyday life? Are there areas in your life where you are struggling to let go and submit to God’s plan?

Like Mary, we may not always understand God’s timing or plan for our lives. Is there an area where you are struggling with God’s timing? Challenge yourself to trust His perfect timing and to rest in His sovereignty, knowing that He is at work even when you can’t see it.

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