Mary the Supermodel

What do we know about Mary?

Mary was betrothed: She was a committed young woman. Her husband had already been chosen, by God, and he was a Godly man.God in His ultimate wisdom picked them both, and put them together.

Mary was of the House of David: It is important to note that Joseph was of the house of David, because the Messiah would be of David's lineage.

The Messiah would be of David’s lineage

Jeremiah 23:5-6

Jer 23:5-6

Jeremiah 23:5–6 NKJV

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS

We see her genealogy in Luke 3:23-31. (Emphasis on verse 23).

Mary’s Genealogy

Luke 3:23-31

Luke 3:23 NKJV

Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli,

Luke 3:31 NKJV

the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

Joseph's genealogy is found in Matthew 1:2-16 (Emphasis on verse 16)

Joseph’s Genealogy

Matthew 1:2-16

Matthew 1:16 NKJV

And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.

The phrase "son of" is much less definite than begat.

It would not be unusual to use it in reference to a son-in-law. We often do that today.

Also, it was normal practice to list men in the genealogies.

v.28:

God had chosen her for a special task, and the announcement was of the Messiah Himself, therefore nothing less than an angel This type of announcement would eliminate all doubt that it was indeed a message from God.

Mary was “highly favored” (“full of grace”) by God.

This speaks to her character.

God's favor comes through faith and obedience.

Mary was, as we will see, very faithful and obedient.

She had gained God's favor, and been chosen for a once-in-the-history-of-the-universe task.

She would conceive, carry, and give birth to God's own son, God incarnate, the Messiah, our (and her) salvation, Lord of lords, and King of kings!

Mary had been chosen, nobody else. She was truly blessed among women.

"The Lord is with you"

God was certainly with her in a big way.

She would conceive out of wedlock, yet be protected from the standard punishments.

God would intervene with Joseph so that He would go ahead with the marriage, giving Jesus a proper home with two Godly parents.

God would also be with her physically in the form of Jesus Christ.

The Lord was with Mary, so that He could ultimately be with us!

She was certainly blessed and favored, but understandably perplexed and afraid.

v.29:

When you consider Gabriel’s greeting, you can understand why Mary was perplexed and afraid.

This type of greeting was not typical for someone like Mary.

She wasn't yet married, and wasn't from a wealthy family, so she had little or no social status.

To be addressed as "highly favored one" must have been strange.

Mary’s response reveals her humility and honesty before God.

She certainly never expected to see an angel and receive special favors from heaven.

There was nothing unique about her that such things should happen.

This was all a surprise to her, and she handled the unexpected very gracefully.

v.30:

"Do not be afraid" were common first words when an angel would appear to someone, and understandably so.

The angel reassures Mary that she is on God's "nice" list, and this all points to the fact that Mary was the recipient of God's grace, NOT the giver.

v.31:

The angel informed her that the child she would carry would be named Jesus (Jehovah is Salvation).

v.32:

"He will be great" the emphasis is on the greatness of the son, not the mother.

The angel here confirms both the deity and humanity of Jesus.

As Son of the Highest, Jesus' deity is revealed, and in referring to "His father David", we see His humanity through earthly lineage.

v.33:

Jesus is referred to as the King, whose reign will last forever.

This is all in line with God's covenant with David

As Promised to David, Jesus is the King whose reign will last forever

2 Samuel 7:12-13

2 Samuel 7:12–13 NKJV

“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.

v.34:

Notice Mary's question.

The angel had told her that the child would be the Son of God.

She was told that He was a king who would reign forever.

None of that seems to impact her as much as how a virgin can conceive.

Mary understood the angel to be speaking about an immediate conception.

She was understandably curious as to the "how" since she was still in her engagement period.

Being no actual marriage yet, there had been no consummation.

Her question was one of awe and wonder, not doubt or disbelief.

The angel then proceeds to explain what will happen.

v.35:

The word overshadow is not the same as begat, and does not imply any type of sexual intercourse.

This was a creative act of the Holy Spirit, not some sort of god-human cohabitation that is sometimes seen in pagan mythology.

It was entirely supernatural and miraculous.

Overshadow literally means to cast a shadow upon.

It is reminiscent of the glory of God coming to rest on the tabernacle

The overshadowing is reminiscent of the glory of God coming to rest on the tabernacle

Exodus 40:35

Exodus 40:35 NKJV

And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Jesus being holy means more than just morally pure, it means being totally set apart to God.

v.36:

In order to reinforce his news, the angel tells her of Elizabeth's pregnancy.

Mary would have understood that God had a hand in that as well, since Elizabeth had been barren.

v.37:

There should be no doubt that God is capable of anything, even the things which we can't even begin to understand.

v.38:

Look at Mary's response!

We need to understand that this would put Mary in an extremely difficult and dangerous position.

Imagine what she must have been thinking.

Being unmarried, she faced the stigma of unwed motherhood.

Obviously, Joseph would know that the child was not his.

She would be accused of adultery, an offense punishable by stoning.

Now. . . if she had been listening carefully (we can safely assume that she was), she knew that she wouldn't be killed.

The angel had told her that she would give birth Luke 1:31

That she would name the child is evidence of the birth taking place.

The naming didn't normally occur until the time of circumcision on the 8th day.

Even so, she had no idea how much she may have to suffer.

Despite all of that, Mary was immediately obedient.

She didn't say "let me pray about it." God had already spoken.

When God speaks on an issue, the time for prayer is over!

Mary willingly gave of herself.

In a totally selfless manner, she was willing to obey, regardless of what others (even Joseph) might think.

Mary was a selfless, and giving person, the model of what a mother should be. The model of what a Christian should be.

I'm sure that Mary had her own plans, her own idea of what the future would bring, yet she willingly gave that up.

Because of this, Mary bore the greatest gift that was ever given to mankind. Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world.

Giving is something that is on everyone's mind this time of year, but what does it really mean?

The best gifts are a genuine token of your love, which are not beyond your means.

What we give should be given in love. The best gift is a sacrifice of love that puts others ahead of yourself.

The best gift is the love of Jesus Christ, which you can easily share.

Mary was truly a giving person.

Mary is the model woman, model mother, model wife, and model Christian.

She is really is a super-model, because of her obedient and giving attitude, the world gained a savior.

You won't be called to give birth to the Messiah, but God does ask you to give of yourself in some way.

How far are you willing to go? What inconveniences and hardships are you willing to endure for the sake of God and others.

Even in the giving, the focus must be on Christ, for without faith it is impossible to please Him.

Hebrews 11:6

Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

The first step is to place your faith in Christ, because without that, we are all lost.

Romans 3:23

Romans 3:23 NKJV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 10:9

Romans 10:9 NKJV

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

What God really wants is you, and after He has that, the giving will come naturally.

Matthew 22:37

Matthew 22:37 NKJV

Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’