A FAITHFUL SERVANT

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”

Then the angel left her.

Luke 1:38

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Zechariah and Mary.

Two people, each visited by the angel Gabriel.

Both received a message from God about a miraculous conception that would change their lives and, in Mary’s case, the course of history forever.

And yet here is where the similarities end, largely based on their responses to Gabriel’s delivery of God’s divine promise.

You’ll remember that Zechariah immediately doubted. The assertion that he and Elizabeth could somehow have sexual relations and conceive a child in their old age was just too impossible for the priest to accept. It was an error that brought on immediate consequences as Gabriel pronounced God’s punishment, a removal of Zechariah’s ability to speak until the time God would choose to restore it. In the interim, events unfolded, just as God had proclaimed they would. Elizabeth became pregnant and was finishing up her second trimester when Gabriel paid Mary a visit in Nazareth.

As we saw in yesterday’s message, the angel’s appearance was sudden and unexpected as he came to the virgin girl God had chosen to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah some 700 years earlier when he stated the following:

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and will call Him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

After working to settle Mary’s fear which was set off by his appearing, Gabriel told Mary that she had found favor with God who had chosen her to be the mother of Jesus, the “Son of the Most High”. This holy, divine Son would “be great” and be “given the throne” of David where He would “reign over Jacob’s descendants forever” because “His kingdom" would “never end” (Luke 1:30-33).

This pronouncement led to one big question, not grounded in doubt as to whether God would or could do what He said He would do but rather how He would do it, as Mary was a virgin, betrothed to be married to a man named Joseph. Gabriel accepted Mary’s inquiry, telling her that the conception wouldn’t be by conventional means but rather supernaturally by way of the Holy Spirit who would cause her to become pregnant (Luke 1:34-37).

Now, with that, Mary could have made the same mistake as Zechariah. She could have questioned the validity of such an unbelievable proposition, one that had never happened before to any woman. She could have pushed back against it happening to her because she was engaged to Joseph and becoming pregnant outside of her relationship with him would have terrible social ramifications. He and others would think she was unfaithful and had sexual relations with someone outside of the marital agreement, an act considered to be an egregious sin in violation of God’s commandment that would garner severe consequences.

And yet, Mary didn’t doubt at all. Not for a moment.

For we never see her waver in her faith that God would do what He said He would do. Rather, she only trusted that He would see her through what was about to come as she said to Gabriel:

 “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.”

Friends, we have a lot to learn from this young virgin girl named Mary, the faithful servant who would become the mother of Jesus. For when we are staring down circumstances that are seemingly impossible, we need to remain steadfast in our faith and submit our situation to the God through which everything is possible, the God who perfectly keeps His promises and is always working things out for the good of those who love Him, those who have been called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28).

And in those times when the Lord is calling us to do things that we don’t think we can carry out, possibly in fear of the unknown outcomes of our actions, we need to simply submit in purity of trust as Mary did, simply saying:

Lord, I am Your servant. I will do as You ask so that Your word and will to me will be fulfilled, no matter what comes my way. Thank You for choosing me to carry out Your work here on earth.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.