And Mary said:
Luke 1:46-49 NIV
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
I love Mary’s response to Gabriel when he told her about the child she would bear. She told him, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” Essentially she said, “Let’s go for it.” In no way was that a grudging or resigned acceptance on Mary’s part. Shortly after this, she went to see Elizabeth and uttered what has been labeled as Mary’s Magnificat. This was an exclamation of praise to God for what he was doing, and rejoicing that he was using her in that work.
There had to be some apprehension in Mary about all of this. After all, it’s not every day that an angel announces to a young girl that she is going to have a child and that God is his Father. And getting pregnant as an unwed mother in that culture was punishable by death. The future for her and her child was very uncertain, at least from a human perspective. But, nonetheless, Mary rejoiced. What an exceptional young lady. And what an example for us today.
Celebrating the Incarnation
At Christmas, we celebrate the incarnation of Jesus. And rightly so. But let’s not forget those like Mary who took part in that incarnation, gratefully being used by God, and considering themselves blessed. And, this Christmas, let’s join Mary in rejoicing in God our Savior. Who has been mindful of our humble state. And who sent Jesus to deliver us from bondage to sin. He has done great things for me. Praise God!
