“Then 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 bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.’ Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’ And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. For with God nothing will be impossible.’ Then Mary said, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her.” – Luke 1:30-38
As we celebrate Christmas this season, many organizations and churches across our county will discuss the story of Jesus’ birth as a prime example of God using people to accomplish the impossible. But how does God use people, or how can God use you to fulfill the impossible? This is the question that Mary, Jesus’ mother, asked when she was approached by the angel Gabriel. To fully understand the nature of her question, we first must reflect on the prophecy of the birth of Jesus – the coming messiah.
The Prophecy and Purpose
Approximately 700 years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah prophesied that a virgin would conceive and give birth to the Son of God (Isaiah 7:14), who would dwell among us on the earth and become the Savior of the world. In so doing, the judgment for humanity’s sin would be upon him (Isaiah 53:4-6), all because God loves the world and desires all humankind to have everlasting life with him (John 3:16). However, for the prophecy to be fulfilled, a virgin had to conceive and give birth to God’s Son.
The Fulfillment of the Prophecy
As noted in the passage above, the chosen virgin was 15-year-old Jewish girl by the name of Mary who was also engaged to be married to a man named Joseph. Here you find the angel explaining to her that she has “found favor with God” (Luke 1:30) and, therefore, has been chosen to conceive and bring forth the Son of God (Luke 1:31). The inference here is twofold: first, for the manifestation of God’s promise to be fulfilled, God needs people, and second, if you are chosen for such matter, you have found favor with God. In other words, God chooses various people, like you, to accomplish his divine work.
We further learn that being chosen by God can stir up lingering questions in one’s mind because of a lack of understanding as to who, what, where, or how things will be accomplished. From Mary’s viewpoint, it’s not possible to conceive without the natural interaction of a man. Therefore, her question to the angel was related to how, “How can this be, since I do not know a man” (Luke 1:34)? The response from the angel was even more complicated: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35). In other words, the conception would occur by the power of God’s Spirit, whereby the Child would be the Son of God. Mary responded by saying, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). She believes by faith that God is able and would do what he said he would do by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Closing Thoughts
As we reflect on the above, we can see that God will use those of us who have faith that aligns with the work of the Holy Spirit to make the impossible possible. As we go through this Christmas season, let us believe in God by faith that he can use us to fulfill his promises to bless others. Remember, if you believe, you will receive; if you receive, you can conceive.
Leecroft Clarke,
Director of Pastoral Care Ministry
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