To help you hear what she said, let's go back to Luke 1:26-38 (ESV) 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, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
Mary was a virgin engaged to Joseph and God found favor on her. Don't lose sight of verse 29 when it says that she was "greatly troubled at the saying". This wasn't a casual conversation that you have every day. An angel had appeared to her and it frightened her.
Oh, the beautiful words of verse 30... "Do not be afraid". We see them often in scripture but yet how many times is God telling us not to be afraid? [Before you read any farther, is there some area in your life that has you frightened that you could pray about right now and ask God to give you peace?]
After the angel said that Mary had found favor with God, he began to describe an amazing event that was about to take place in her life that would not only change her life forever but also everyone who would be saved by His life, death, burial and resurrection.
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” If you were Mary, I am sure that this news would have surprised you too. Because she didn't know what she was supposed to do, she asked "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" in verse 34. The angel answers her by saying “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Now comes the statement that I don't want you to miss. A statement so bold, so powerful, so full of faith! She said "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." Can you sense the tension in what she said? A virgin woman agreeing with becoming pregnant in such a way that most folks would never believe how she got that way. What if they tried to stone her because they accused her of adultery? Agreeing to becoming pregnant even though she didn't know how Joseph would handle that situation. And what about all of those details about Him being the Son of God? What did that mean? And yet she said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."
Today, are you a totally-committed servant of the Lord? Are you willing to lay down your life to serve God and accept whatever He puts in front of you? What is holding you back from full obeying God?
May it be said of you and of me that we are willing to say "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."
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