Mary: A Story of Changed Plans

Mary, A Story of Changed Plans

Luke 1: 26     Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by 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. The virgin’s name was Mary.

Grab your Bible and read Luke 1: 26-47. In these verses Mary is waiting for something good. She is waiting for a husband. She is betrothed to a good man named Joseph and waiting for the day when they will live happily ever after as man and wife.

While Mary is waiting for that day to come, she is visited by the angel Gabriel. Gabriel tells Mary that she will conceive a son. Now stop for a moment, set aside our Christmas special image of this event, and think about it.

Mary does plan to get married and have a family, so why is the idea of conceiving a son so strange to her?

An ancient Middle Eastern betrothal wasn’t exactly like a modern engagement. In betrothal two families agreed that their children would marry one day. This agreement may have been in place for years before the marriage actually happened. Mary’s suspicion of Gabriel’s pronouncement indicates that the wedding isn’t imminent. Gabriel’s proclamation doesn’t synch with Mary’s good plan, so she’s suspicious.

We also need to recognize that the Bible’s depiction of Mary is not the simpering, mousy little vessel portrayed in movies. She was strong (consider all she had to endure as Jesus’ mother), and she was thoughtful. Several passages specifically refer to Mary observing and thinking deeply about what’s going on around her (Consider Luke 2: 10, 51). In Luke 1: 29 Mary listened to Gabriel and considered what manner of greeting this was.

When she hears Gabriel out, she asks a question which at first glance seemed to betray a lack of faith. Verse 34: Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” ("Know" meaning to have sexual intercourse.) Mary’s cousin Zacharias was struck mute for asking Gabriel a similar question in Luke 1:20. With a closer look though, the question really reveals how smart, strong, and faithful Mary was.

Mary is a virgin. Though betrothed, she’s not actually getting married anytime soon. So, in her mind, this self-proclaimed angel seems to be asking her to sin. And if Gabriel’s asking her to sin, he isn’t really a messenger from God. God will never ask us to achieve good or even great things by compromising His Word or by violating His commands.

For the faithful servant of God the end does not justify the means.

Gabriel explains that the Holy Spirit will overshadow Mary and that the child will be the Holy Son of God. He also points to her elderly cousin Elisabeth (Luke 1: 7, 13,14, 24,25) as a sign that what he says is true. This revelation is hard for Mary, but she tests Gabriel’s words and they line up with the Word of God revealed in the law and the prophets.

God has called Mary to discard her good plans and to become part of His great plan. God has accelerated her timeline and her objective. Marriage sooner. A child sooner. And not just a child by Joseph, but a child by the miraculous Incarnation of God Himself.

To this Mary responds “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (v. 38)

And in verse 39, Mary immediately gets up and goes alone to see Elisabeth and check out the rest of Gabriel’s story.

Deuteronomy 18: 22     when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

It is said that “Good is the enemy of great.” Because of the good, Mary could have rejected this word from the Lord.

She could have said, “Look, Gabey. I got a plan here. I got a good man who’s gonna marry me one day. That’s good enough for me. I never asked for this mother-of-the-Messiah-by-the-Holy-Spirit-thing. ”

But, when she sees that the word from Gabriel lines up with the word of God and when she sees the confirmation in Elisabeth’s life, Mary realizes that God’s plan for her, though not what she was waiting for, is better than good. It is great. And she praises God . At Elisabeth’s house, Jesus in her womb, and John the Baptist turning flips in Elisabeth’s, Mary declares, “ My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior (Luke 1: 46, 47)   .

Next-- Joseph: How A Good Man Goes Wrong Great