Mary’s Encounter with An Angel
Writer Author Jim Oates
Christian Article
:
Devotionals
- Fiction No
Read Lk. 1:26 – 28
The word virgin, refers to Mary being a young woman, and not having had relations with a man. She may have been a teenager; the bible does not give her age. Some bible scholars say that Mary could have been 13 or 14 years of age.
I am sure Mary was frightened and confused by this strange apparition before her. This angel must have been an awesome sight. He probably frightened the living daylights out of this young girl.
The angel said she was highly favoured.
Favoured means – endued with special honour or to make acceptable. God made Mary acceptable.
Read vs. 29 – 33.
Mary must have been troubled indeed, and very frightened. The angel attempted to put her at ease by saying, “Don’t be afraid Mary, God is pleased with you, He has found favour with you.”
He then went on to tell her that she is going to have a baby. Moreover, this baby is going to be the coming Messiah. She had often heard the scriptures read, and knew the story about how God was going to bring the Messiah into the world.
“But not me!” she thought. If she was frightened before, surely, she must be on the verge of panic by now.
Read vs.34 – 38
“How can this be? I am still a teenager and living with my parents. I have never had relations with a man.”
There must have been a thousand things going through her mind at this time. “How am I going tell Mom and Dad? If they do not believe me, will they put me out of the house?” She thought on the verge of tears. “What will Joseph do? We are to be married; he will not want anything to do with me now.”
In the law, an unmarried woman was not to have children; because of this, “I could be put to death. The neighbours are sure to notice; I will not be able to hide my condition.”
The Holy Spirit must have spoke to her heart, convincing her, that the angel was real, and she could believe him. Mary loved the Lord and really wanted to believe. With fear and trembling, she finally said, “I am the Lord’s servant; let it be to me as you have said.”
She loved God with all her heart and if this was what He wanted, she was willing to accept and go through with it, even though it would be difficult. Faith was beginning to well up within her. She felt that if it were indeed, God’s will, He would work it out somehow.
Read vs.39 – 45 and vs. 56.
God did work it out. Mary went to stay with her cousin Elizabeth, who lived in the hill country of Judea. No one would know her there. She stayed with Elizabeth for three months and then came home, not knowing what to expect. In the mean time, God was dealing with Joseph, who had heard about Mary’s pregnancy and was trying to come to terms with his own fears. However, God reassured him, and he accepted Mary and her unborn child.
We all know the story of how they went to Bethlehem and the hardships they faced, and how it came about that Jesus was born in a stable.
It was faith in God and trusting that He would work out all the details that got Mary through this.
You and I also have favour with God when we place our faith in His Son Jesus. We can also trust that He will work out all the details in our lives. Just as Mary over-came all her fears, when presented with what seemed to be the impossible. We too, can over-come all our fears of the unknown.
This is called faith; faith in our Saviour Jesus, who was the child that Mary brought into the world on that Christmas day, some two thousand years ago.
It is all about faith; we cannot live the Christian life without faith in what He did for us at Bethlehem and again at Calvary.
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.
Editor's Comment:
About the Writer Author
State:
Ontario
Country:
Canada
Email:
Jim.O@faithwriters.net
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