Advent Day 4
Luke 1:29-33 ESV
Matthew 1:18 ESV
Matthew 1:2-16 (Tribe of Judah)
Luke 3:23-38 (Lineage)
Imagine with me if you will, how you would respond if an Angel suddenly appeared to you to give you a message from God. The first words you hear are, “Do not be afraid.”
I’m not sure just what I might say.
We know from what scripture tells us about Mary’s countenance that she was a bit confused.
Luke 1:29-33 tells us, “But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 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, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Mary was confused, greatly troubled, and she was trying to figure out what was going on. Not much is said in scripture about Mary’s age at the time the Angel appeared to her. We know she was young, but we are not told how young.
What we do generally know is that at that point in Jewish history girls were traditionally betrothed (engaged) around the age of 12 years old. The young maid would need to be able to bear a child, so she would need to have physically become a woman. Even though she was possibly betrothed at the age of 12 years old, she would most likely have been 13 or 14 years old when she married.
The couple could marry as soon as the intended husband had established a home and a trade. Because that was required the husband of the betrothed was usually as much as ten years older. Why does that matter? It gives us clues about what Mary faced at a very young age. Even though being betrothed and married at a young age was common, Mary’s life was anything but common.
She had just been told by an Angel of God that He chose her because He found favor with her. Something special in Mary caused God to realize she had a heart for God. She would also have been chosen because she was loving and maybe mature beyond her years.
In this section of scripture we learn that she was told she would conceive and have a son and she was to name Him Jesus. In Matthew 1:18 we read, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.”
God did reveal that Mary’s boy would be the Son of God who would be great. Before His conception Mary would not have known what that would look like. Mary did not know her son would preach and teach and have many many followers.
She did not know He would cause a great ‘stir’ within the Roman Empire.
She absolutely did not know he would eventually be arrested, beaten, and crucified.
She could not have known that her boy would conquer sin and death and arise from the grave.
She WOULD have known about King David. Mary’s Father was from the tribe of Judah (Matthew 1:2-16) and she would have known about the tribe of her father.
Mary was told by the Angel that her son would be part of the Hebrew lineage of Jacob. We read in Luke 3:23-38 that Abraham was the father of Isaac who was the father of Jacob. Jacob had twelve sons and one of his sons was Judah.
At the time the Angel appeared to Mary she was betrothed to Joseph who raised Jesus and taught Him how to be a carpenter.
Mary, Mother of Jesus was at the cross when Jesus died. Because there was no mention of Joseph at the time Jesus was crucified it is believed Mary was the only parent living.
Remember, Joseph would have been approximately ten years older than Mary. Life expectancy of men and women at the time of Jesus was around 35 - 40 years old (https://earlychurchhistory.org/daily-life/longevity-in-the-ancient-world/).
Experts put the timing of the death of Jesus on the cross somewhere around 33 A.D. (https://earlychurchhistory.org/daily-life/longevity-in-the-ancient-world/). That year takes into account that Jesus was born between 4-5 A.D.
Mary was told her Son’s Kingdom would be without end.
Could Mary have understood what that Kingdom would look like?
Would she have known what it was in reference to?
We have no way of knowing for sure. We do know that believing what the Angel said would have required an element of faith on Mary’s part. What is amazing is that Mary received the words the Angel spoke to her and held onto them.
In faith she believed she would have a Son who would be from the line of David and of the lineage of Jacob. Even though she was a young maid, she believed and she received the words the Angel spoke to her.
I think that’s a big part of the reason God chose Mary. God had searched her heart and KNEW that she was the perfect Mother for Jesus.
The bottom line is that Mary found favor with God.
Spiritual Practice: God Knows
Sit quietly with God and give God permission to search your heart. Listen and wait for God to move IN you.
In God, Deborah
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