Location: Nazareth
Time: Circa 4 B.C.
Primary Scriptures: Luke 1:26-56 — The angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary and her response.
Mary, sitting under the shade of an olive tree near her home in Nazareth, recounts the life-changing events that began with an angelic visit. Her voice is steady, though her eyes reflect the awe and weight of what she has experienced.
From Mary:
I was just a girl, an ordinary girl from Nazareth. Our village is small, humble, and often overlooked. People say nothing good comes from Nazareth, but I have always known that God’s presence is not bound by grandeur or importance. Still, I never imagined that He would look upon me, someone so insignificant, to fulfill His extraordinary plan.
The day started like any other. I was busy with the tasks of the household, preparing for my betrothal to Joseph. He is a good man, steady and kind, a carpenter who works hard to provide for the family we were preparing to build together. My future seemed clear — simple, but full of promise.
Then, everything changed. The angel Gabriel appeared to me. How can I describe that moment? His presence was unlike anything I had ever known, radiant and overwhelming. He greeted me, saying, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28). His words troubled me. What could they mean? Why would God’s favor rest on me?
Gabriel must have seen the fear in my eyes, for he said, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; His kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:30-33).
The words felt impossible. I was just a girl, betrothed but not yet married. How could I bear a son? How could I carry the Messiah, the long-awaited King? My voice trembled as I asked, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34).
Gabriel answered with words that both comforted and awed me: “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). He spoke of my cousin Elizabeth, who in her old age had conceived a son. “For no word from God will ever fail,” he said.
No word from God will ever fail. Those words settled into my heart. I did not fully understand what was being asked of me, but I knew the One who was asking. He is faithful, and His plans are always good. So I said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38).
After Gabriel left, I sat in silence, the weight of his words pressing upon me. What would Joseph think? What would my parents say? What would the people of Nazareth, who watch everything and everyone, whisper behind my back? The risks were enormous, but so was the promise. I was carrying the Son of God. How could I not trust Him to guide me?
In those early days, I visited my cousin Elizabeth. When I arrived, she greeted me with a joy that lifted my spirit. Her child leapt in her womb, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit. “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!” she exclaimed. Her words confirmed what Gabriel had told me, and I knew I was not alone in this journey.
It was with Elizabeth that I found the courage to sing my song of praise, the Magnificat. “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant” (Luke 1:46-48). In that moment, all my fears were swallowed up by the greatness of God. His mercy, His faithfulness, His power — these were the things that mattered, not the doubts or judgments of men.
Now, as I look toward the days ahead, I know the road will not be easy. People will talk. Joseph may struggle to understand. And yet, I am at peace, for I know that this child I carry is the fulfillment of God’s promise to our people. He is the One who will save us, who will bring light to the darkness and hope to the hopeless.
To anyone who hears my story, I say this: Trust in the Lord, even when His plans seem impossible. His ways are higher than ours, and His purposes are beyond our understanding. But He is faithful. He does not choose us because we are worthy but because He is good. And when He calls, He also equips. I am just a girl from Nazareth, but through God’s power, I have become part of His eternal plan.
Closing Thought:
God specializes in the impossible, using the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary. Trust in His plans, for they are always good.
— Mary
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