Gift of God
“The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!’”
– Luke 1:27-28
What an honor for Mary; she was blessed! You can hear in her prayer a deep love for her Maker (Luke 1:46-55). It is impossible to pray this way unless there is a genuine love relationship with the Lord. Notice that Mary is not greatest above women, but she is blessed among them. Mary was graced with the privilege of giving birth to our Savior, Jesus Christ.
As Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the Temple, they were met by Simeon. Simeon loved God and was waiting for the “Consolation of Israel.” Since the Holy Spirit was upon him, he recognized he had been waiting for Mary’s Son Jesus. The Bible tells us, “Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, ‘Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35). The description of the sword was for Mary alone. It represented the sorrow she would experience as the mother of Christ. Although she would experience suffering in this way, her portion of God’s redemptive work was limited to this. Jesus alone died for the world’s sins (1 Timothy 2:5-6).
Jesus said, “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more” (Luke 12:48). This is a spiritual principle, and it was true for Mary. Along with a promise of blessing, she was also assured a moment of heartache. Today we experience the same spiritual truth. Many times blessings come with, or even through, pain. It could be to keep us humble and grounded, such as the case with the Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 12:7). We may not understand why, and it could be for many reasons. In Mary’s situation, her willingness to experience this blessing and subsequent heartbreak helped usher in salvation for all humanity. It is possible that whatever you are experiencing today will help steer Jesus Christ into the hearts and minds of those around you. In your circumstances today, look for those opportunities to share the gift of God’s Son this Christmas.
"We have here an account of the mother of our Lord; though we are not to pray to her, yet we ought to praise God for her. The angel assured her that she had found favour with God, and would become the mother of a son whose name she should call Jesus, the Son of the Highest, one in a nature and perfection with the Lord God. JESUS! the name that refreshes the fainting spirits of humbled sinners; sweet to speak and sweet to hear, Jesus, a Saviour!"
- Matthew Henry