Luke 1:26-28 New American Standard Bible
Jesus’ Birth Foretold
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin [a]betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the [b]descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was [c]Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord [d]is with you.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
In an instant, in one moment of time, young Mary’s life was forever changed.
As the angel of the Lord spoke about her future, Mary went from an obscure Jewish teenager to the hand-selected mother of the long-awaited Messiah.
In that exact moment, everything changed when she understood her destiny.
This obscure teenage girl Mary didn’t have nor know any power or popularity, wealth or fame; nothing was great about her we don’t even know her last name.
Yet in this great moment she was chosen by God above all women throughout all time to bring the greatness of God’s salvation and healing into this world.
The bearer of God’s greatness in her womb, it’s the kind of salvation needed by both paupers and presidents, rich and poor, black, white, known and obscure.
And such healing would become the spark of life in the darkness of dead men’s souls, and bridge the one great divide between lost humanity and a loving God.
Yet her journey was not without difficulty as she had to deal with practical facts: not fully understanding God’s plan, or God’s greatness, all of those judgmental people speaking lies about her, about the coming greatness of her own first born son, her own doubts and fears, and trusting God to vindicate and protect her – Mary’s story was that trial of faith – yet she made it through and so can we.
Because like Mary, we are all, in our own God-ordained way, anointed, called to bring something extraordinary into the world – the Greatness of our great God.
Psalm 145:1-7 English Standard Version
Great Is the Lord
[a] A Song of Praise. Of David.
145 I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6 They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7 They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
But to do so, we must learn from Mary’s experience.
1. Commit Ourselves to Personal Righteousness
“Personal righteousness” refers to a commitment by believers to live their life consistent with our great God’s high calling to carry His light into a lost world.
Matthew 5:13-16 New American Standard Bible
Disciples and the World
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how [a]can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a [b]hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor do people light a lamp and put it under a [c]basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
We must commit to display integrity, purity, honor, respect and holiness.
Our lives should be examples for others to emulate – not perfect lives without fault, failure or messiness, but lives consistent with being on a mission for God.
We must hold on to, we must cling to God’s grace, not as an excuse to sin, but as a motivating force to present our whole selves to God live honorably before God.
Romans 12:1-2 New American Standard Bible
Dedicated Service
12 Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, [a]acceptable to God, which is your [b] spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this [c]world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may [d]prove what the will of God is, that which is good and [e]acceptable and perfect.
We should neither become judgmental nor a stumbling block to those who desperately need to experience His humbling greatness, Christ’s forgiveness.
Personal righteousness is an enormous battle that we commit to fight in order to be messengers, examples, of God’s love that helps lead people to salvation.
And I believe a life of “personal righteousness” was a factor in “Hailing Mary” Mary’s favored anointing by our great God to bear the Messiah for mankind:
Luke 1:26-28 Revised Standard Version
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
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, “Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”[a]
These verses imply that Mary, who was divinely chosen for this extraordinary task, was chosen partly because of her commitment to personal righteousness.
In fact, the Word makes it clear that there is a connection between personal righteousness and God’s decision to entrust great responsibilities to people.
This also implies lackluster personal righteousness limits the effectiveness of the individual in their being God’s messenger, their message in their success.
Hebrews 12:1-2 Revised Standard Version
The Example of Jesus
12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Anything less than focused commitment to personal righteousness will become our own millstone, weight standing in the way of our God-given assignment.
And I am quite convinced that if we would fight as vehemently for personal righteousness as we do for social righteousness, or pointing out the sins of the world, we would greatly impact the world in much more GOD profound ways!
2. Make Our Not So Great Selves Available Unto God
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 The Message
26-31 Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, actually chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That’s why we have the saying, “If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God.”
Translation – neither you nor I have to be ‘great’ to do great things for God!
Notice here what Mary later says of herself on behalf of future generations:
Luke 1:46-55 The Message
46-55 And Mary said,
I’m bursting with God-news;
I’m dancing the song of my Savior God.
God took one good look at me, and look what happened—
I’m the most fortunate woman on earth!
What God has done for me will never be forgotten,
the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.
His mercy flows in wave after wave
on those who are in awe before him.
He bared his arm and showed his strength,
scattered the bluffing braggarts.
He knocked tyrants off their high horses,
pulled victims out of the mud.
The starving poor sat down to a banquet;
the callous rich were left out in the cold.
He embraced his chosen child, Israel;
he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.
It’s exactly what he promised,
beginning with Abraham and right up to now.
Luke 1:46-48 New Living Translation
The Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise
46 Mary responded,
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
47 How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
“Lowly Servant Girl,” “Low estate” means someone who is low in rank, considered vile, or who is humiliated.
It describes a person who is down and out, rejected, despised, overlooked or simply not popular!
Although it can’t be proven, some people believe Mary was perhaps the least in her father’s house, as if she were under some particular contempt and disgrace among her family – like the belittled Cinderella archetype of ancient Israel.
Regardless, whatever her actual social place in her family, it is clear that Mary felt there was nothing “favored” extraordinary about Mary! Yet, God chose her.
Why?
The Word of God for His Children demonstrates that she made herself available to God; “unfavored” to be used by Him to carry out His extraordinary mission.
In her own “unfavored” “humbled and lowly estate,” She was willing to make room, in her “unfavored by man” life, in her virgin womb, for God to use her.
I might guess if we took a hard look at our “unfavored lives” our own “humble estates” busy schedules, our wildly diverse priorities, most of us would mirror Martha, the sister of Mary Magdalene rather than Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Luke 10:38-42 New Living Translation
Jesus Visits Martha and Mary
38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Translation – our “blessed and highly favored” schedule is probably packed too full to focus on the “blessed, highly favored” things of God, matter most in life.
At times, our “favored” lives get so cluttered, so over-burdened that we don’t have time or mental space to be available for God to use in any significant way.
If that somehow unfavorably resonates with you, then it’s time bring them back into favorability, to reorganize, reprioritize some things; we must intentionally make ourselves fully available so that we are able to carry out anything He asks.
3. How Well Do We Understand the Purpose of Favor?
One of the most memorable words of the angel’s announcement was “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you…” (Luke 1:28).
Many times, we will intentionally misunderstand favor in our society.
God’s favor is not all about a blessing, good breaks and open doors, favorable versus unfavorable circumstances in order to increase personal or social status.
Rather the purpose of divine favor is to anoint us, to bring God into our spheres of awareness, which allows us to accomplish what God needs done in our lives.
– Joseph found favor with Potiphar, found favor in prison, and found favor with Pharoah…because his purpose was to serve as Prime Minister over Egypt in a time of great famine.
– Young David found favor in the eyes of the prophet Samuel, and God touched David’s sling shot with favor to defeat the giant Goliath in battle…because his purpose was to serve as King of Israel.
– Daniel found favor in the courts of the wicked King Nebuchadnezzar…because his purpose was to serve as the prophet of the LORD to the nations.
– Esther found favor in the eyes of the King of Persia…because her purpose was to serve as an intercessor to save her people from destruction.
Favor is not as much for our person, as it is for our purpose.
Even so, when we commit our humbled unfavorable selves to God, that mindset then status of “favored by God” does positively affect our lives in many forms.
4. But Are We, like Mary, Willing to Risk Everything
Think of what young Mary risked to bring the salvation of God into the world.
Imagine all of those dinner conversations with her parents.
Or the angry, hushed argument raging between her parents, Joseph’s parents.
Imagine the “eyes and gossip” of her village community, what it felt like to walk to the marketplace, sit in synagogue or look into Joseph’s wounded eyes.
For Mary to fulfill her God-given assignment, she had to release control and risk it all: her reputation, family and friends, her financial security – her life.
In the culture of that day, she could have been severely humiliated, divorced, and ultimately stoned to death for adultery while being betrothed to Joseph.
Whatever God entrusts you to bring into the world, regardless of your sphere of influence, be aware there could a day, might be a high and mighty personal cost.
Jesus did not try to hide this aspect of being His disciple.
Luke 9:22-24 New Living Translation
22 “The Son of Man[a] must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”
23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
One of the greatest challenges for many of us, especially in Western society, is seeing, acknowledging, publicly confessing ourselves as God’s actual servants.
We will allow ourselves to forget that as believers, we have given our lives over to Christ, we are no longer our own; rather, we have been bought with a price.
The Christ who created us and redeemed us from death now has the sovereign right to direct our lives and our actions in it, regardless of perceived risk to our most favored plans, our most favored social standing or financial well-being.
But every person who lives, who impacts the world in a significant way for God understands this truth.
For example, we will see the Apostle Paul in his epistles constantly reaffirm his submission to Christ.
Romans 1:1-4 Amplified Bible
The Gospel Exalted
1 Paul, a [a]bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative), set apart for [preaching] the [b]gospel of God [the good news of salvation], 2 which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the sacred Scriptures— 3 [the good news] regarding His Son, who, as to the flesh [His human nature], was born a descendant of David [to fulfill the covenant promises], 4 and [as to His divine nature] according to the Spirit of holiness was openly designated to be the Son of God with power [in a triumphant and miraculous way] by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
A “bondservant” was someone who had been purchased as a slave.
At the time appointed for them to be set free, they elected to stay with their master for life and serve them, because of love.
Ultimately, that’s what it takes to bring divine greatness to the world in an impactful way.
By Covenant, it requires we that love Jesus so much that, even though we must reprioritize things in our lives to reflect His character, intentionally make room in our schedules to answer His call at any time, and to be courageous enough to step out in our unfavored status in life, in a faith well beyond our comfort zone.
We devote our lives and everything we do to favorably serve Him as our Savior.
It may seem unfavorably impossible now, but nothing is impossible with God!
He is greater than our human limitations, He can find favor in our unfavorable circumstances to prepare and position us for every good thing He has planned.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 16 Complete Jewish Bible
16 (0) Mikhtam. By David:
(1) Protect me, God,
for you are my refuge.
2 I said to Adonai, “You are my Lord;
I have nothing good outside of you.”
3 The holy people in the land are the ones
who are worthy of honor; all my pleasure is in them.
4 Those who run after another god
multiply their sorrows;
To such gods I will not offer
drink offerings of blood
or take their names on my lips.
5 Adonai, my assigned portion, my cup:
you safeguard my share.
6 Pleasant places were measured out for me;
I am content with my heritage.
7 I bless Adonai, my counselor;
at night my inmost being instructs me.
8 I always set Adonai before me;
with him at my right hand, I can never be moved;
9 so my heart is glad, my glory rejoices,
and my body too rests in safety;
10 for you will not abandon me to Sh’ol,
you will not let your faithful one see the Abyss.
11 You make me know the path of life;
in your presence is unbounded joy,
in your right hand eternal delight.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 