Submitted by Lara Cook
And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38
And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38
Mary was just a teenage girl when the angel appeared to her and told her that she would be the mother of Jesus, even though she was not married and had never been with a man. I can’t imagine that happening to me or one of my daughters. My daughter played Mary in the Christmas production the year she was 15, which is thought to be about how old Mary was when the angel appeared to her. I just kept thinking about her as a mother at that age, and in such a scary situation. Mary had many different responses to the message the angel gave her.
She was perplexed- But she was very perplexed at this statement and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. v 29. Mary was a little confused in the beginning. She is looking at this angel wondering “What on earth is happening?” The angel tells her not to be afraid and continues with his announcement. He gave her a lot of information about what would be happening in her life. She handled it pretty well I think.
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.
She was inquisitive - Mary said to the angel,“How can this be, since I am a virgin?” v 34. Mary does what anyone in her shoes would surely do…she asks how can this possibly happen? She is likely thinking, “You must have the wrong person!” The angel answers all her questions:
The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 36“And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37“For nothing will be impossible with God.”
She was willing- And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. So, Mary has just been told that she will give birth to a child and raise this child so that God’s plan could be fulfilled. This is not her child, but it is. She will not conceive this child in love with her husband. In fact, she doesn’t know what will happen when her fiancé finds out. She could be stoned or publicly disgraced. But she still is willing. She tells the angel that she is the servant of the Lord and ready to be used according to His will.
Mary was willing to give up her whole life for God’s plan to be fulfilled. This was a long-term gig. She was going to give birth to and raise the Son of God. Mothers know better than anyone, this was going to take her whole life. Would you be so quick if the angel of the Lord appeared to you and asked you to give up your whole life for God’s plan to be fulfilled? And it might mean you lose all your friends, or the person you love. What a sold-out faith Mary had! The angel of the Lord might not have appeared in front of you, but you have already been asked by the Lord to give up your life for Him. Are you willing to be a bondslave to God?
