God of Impossible

Highly Favored

We know that Mary was a Jew, and that the Jews were the chosen people. The significance of this statement should not be missed here. We know that Mary was troubled by what the angel had said to her. Luke 1:29 (NRSV)

29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. I think perplexed is an understatement. Perhaps the phrase highly favored is an understatement. We humans will take a lifetime to understand what the angel is asking Mary to accept in a few words.

Now let us look at Joseph. Luke 1:26–27 (NRSV)

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

Luke gets specific as to when the angel appeared, the month, the town, but perhaps the most important thing, and it would be hard to separate anything the angels speaks as more important than any other.

Sixth Month: gives us an important marker for when the baby will be born.

Galilee-Nazareth: gives those who seek to find the new born King a place to look.

Virgin: gives us all important information. The fact that Mary has not been with a man helps us to believe that the conception was of God, and not of man.

But another very significant message the angel had was that Joseph, who is not the biological father, who literally takes this baby to be his own through adoption, is from the Davidic line of King David who had been told long ago that the King child would come from his line.

Highly Favored-do you think this means that Mary will have no troubles? Highly Favored could be looked at as highly troubled. If we look at the history of the Jew, the chosen people, we will find that they have been attacked and suppressed for generations. It would literally be hard to imagine the Jew as Highly Favored, and yet God calls them to be chosen. Your It. Luke 1:30–35 (NRSV)

30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him 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 ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel said to her, “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 holy; he will be called Son of God.

Mary is perplexed again as the angel tells her that her son would reign on the throne of David. This story can be a hard pill to swallow. Do you think it was easy for either Mary, of Joseph? Following God has never been easy. Remember later when the boy becomes a man and begins his gathering of disciples, Jesus asks them to give up their lives and their families and follow Him. When James and John ask Jesus if they can tend to the burial of their father, His reply is that the dead should bury the dead. Again a hard pill to swallow.

When Mary and Joseph are given this mission I would suggest that God knew that they would follow. Of course sending an angel like Gabriel to have a little talk didn’t hurt. So many wonderful miracles make up the Christmas story and yet perhaps the greatest miracle is when we listen, hear God, and decide to follow the Word. We have had nearly two millenium to ponder the idea of a virgin having the seed of God planted in her, and we still struggle with belief, but lets take it a step further, as we apply this story to our lives; He has planted a seed in you as well. What will be born of you, and what will you do today with this seed?