We.Wouldn’t.Have.Baby.Jesus
The Christmas story is an amazing story and it would be fitting for me to tell that one tonight. But instead I’m going to tell the story that took place right before Jesus was born. It’s the story of Mary. Luke 1:26-38 is where you can find this story.
It starts in verse 26 and 27 with this:
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
Have you ever been on a road trip? A really long car ride? Where you stop off in one of those middle of nowhere kind of towns. It’s got like a gas station. A general store. A mom and pop restaurant and maybe 100 people living there at the most? You know exactly the town I’m talking about. Well that’s the image of Nazareth. It was tiny town no bigger than 100 people in the middle of nowhere Galilee. This is one of the only places in the entire Bible that this town is mentioned and it holds no significance what so ever. But God sends the angel Gabriel to this town to speak to a virgin pledged to be married.
Christian culture and art does a good job at portraying this virgin girl to be in her late 20’s or early 30’s. She is always wearing amazing clothing and usually has a crown of some sorts on. She is glowing with a smile and has baby Jesus in her arms. The reality is Mary was no older than 14 years old. Girls in that day were pledged to be married between the ages 12 to 14. Also in other parts of the Bible we learn that Mary and Joseph weren’t that well off. So a better image of Marry would be a young Junior High student wearing rags and beat up shoes.
Of all the people. Of all the towns. Of all the situations that God could have chosen to announce the arrival of his one and only son. He ends up choosing a 12 year old poor Junior High student who lives in the outskirts of outskirts. It’s a much different picture than were used to isn’t it?
The verses go on to say this.
The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
I can imagine Mary preparing for her wedding. Excited like all women are for the coming day where her and her soon to be husband will become one. And out of nowhere an angel comes to pay a visit. Not only does he pay a visit but he brings news. Big news. “That savior and messiah that Israel has been praying for hundreds of years? That one that will be the King of Kings and rescue Israel. The ones the prophets speak about. You know that one I’m talking about Mary? He is going to be your baby.”
And then I can imagine her looking around. Pinching herself. Blinking. In utter shock and disbelief. And her response is awesome! “Um….. I’m a virgin? I know God sent you and all but just to go over things real quick. Last I checked Virgins don’t have babies? How is this going to work?”
Gabriel continues with this.
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
The part we miss here is the amount of social out casting that could take place with what’s going on. When Mary tells Joseph that she is pregnant he is then given every right to divorce her and find a new girl to be pledged too. This little Junior High student’s hopes and dreams for a normal life. For a normal wedding. For a normal engagement and marriage have been flushed down the toilet.
Joseph doesn’t end up getting a divorce but that doesn’t stop the out casting. In that day and culture the town’s people had every right to drag Mary into town and verbally and physically make an example of her. Calling her a whore for all to see so that other women could learn from Mary’s mistakes. Keep in mind this is a small town. Gossip circles are bad enough as is but when you live in a small town they could only get worse. All this taken into consideration Mary has a lot of options. She could have said just about anything to Gabriel. She could have cursed him or even God. She could have pleaded with him telling him how much this was going to ruin her life. She could have turned away from the faith. She’s only 12! But she simply says. “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”
And 2009 years later we not only celebrate the day Jesus was born. But we celebrate the faith and boldness this 12 year old girl had. God showed up on the outskirts of an insignificant town to a poor 12 year old Junior High student and trusted his one and only son to be born from her womb. He trusted that Mary would be the mother Jesus needed to fulfill the ministry set out before him.
I wonder what Mary was thinking in the early years as she was changing her savior’s diapers. As she was giving the King of King’s a sponge bath. As she put God to bed at night. I bet she whispered in his ear and said “The name calling, the social out casting, the fears and sacrifices. Every last one of them. They were all worth it”
We have a lot to be thankful for this time of year. Lets be encouraged by the faith of Mother Mary. Without her We.Wouldn’t.Have.Baby.Jesus
-Billy
