July 5, 2016
CHALLENGE: SAY "YES" TO GOD EVEN BEFORE YOU KNOW THE BOTTOM LINE
Luke 1:26–38
Melissa Chandler
Central Truth
Rather than trying to be in control, let's readily obey the King and Creator BEFORE we know what the bottom line is. No matter what the outcome, we must depend on the Lord so that He alone receives glory and honor.
Key Verse | Luke 1:38
And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:38)
Luke 1:26–38
Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed 1 1:27 That is, legally pledged to be married 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!” 2 1:28 Some manuscripts add Blessed are you among women! 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. 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.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 3 1:34 Greek since I do not know a man
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born 4 1:35 Some manuscripts add of you 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.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant 5 1:38 Greek bondservant; also verse 48 of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Dive Deeper | Luke 1:26–38
Okay, people, I know it's July, but this passage reminds me of what I share with my third graders at Christmastime. It can be a challenge for my young friends because of all the conceive/virgin/come-upon-you concepts. Lots of questions. Lots. BUT, once we get past all of that, and I've wiped the sweat off my brow, I love pointing out the beauty of Mary's complete obedience to her King.
Get this: an angel came upon Mary (a virgin) when she was engaged to be married to a fella named Joseph. During those days, an engagement was a formal legal agreement between two families. Mary was most likely only 14 or 15 years old. If Mary went along with God's plan to "conceive in [her] womb and bear a son" and to call Him Jesus (verse 31), she risked possible disgrace and disaster. Unmarried pregnant girls had a strong possibility of remaining unmarried for the rest of their lives and being rejected by their own parents. Mary could have then been forced into begging or prostitution. If she shared her story about miraculously becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit, people would likely have considered her crazy as a loon. Mary did not concern herself with a possible spoiled marriage or blemished reputation, but rather, this teenage girl completely submitted herself to God's will. She gave herself to God, put her preferences aside, and acted in faith that God's word would prove true.
When Mary said, "let it be to me according to your word" (verse 38), not only was she was unaware of the soul-piercing nature of the gift she was about to be given, but she also may have anticipated the raised eyebrows that would be directed her way. But Mary did not wait to see the bottom line before she gave herself to the Lord. Let's pray that God will help us be ready to offer ourselves to Him as soon as He makes His will known rather than waiting for the assurance of a comfortable outcome. Oh, that God will help us trust and obey Him completely!
Discussion Questions
1. Share about a time that you chose not to readily obey God. How might things be different if you had chosen to do what He was asking of you? On which blessings could you have possibly missed out?
2. Share about a time that you DID follow God, even before you knew what the bottom line would be. How did you see God glorified in that example?
3. What is the area in your life that you struggle most with control/trust issues? Start praying that the Holy Spirit will help to grow your trust in Him enough to fully obey.