December 24, 2011

  • Mary, the mother of our Lord

    Mary: 

    Had Favour with God:  What traits do we see in her thatwould elicit God’s favor?

    She was a sensitive thinker: She received a message from a high ranking angel with information fit for a keenthinker:

     

    Luke1:[26] And in the sixth month theangel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, [27] Toa virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; andthe virgin's name was Mary. [28] And the angel came in unto her, and said,

     Hail, thou that art highly favoured{highly favored = indued withspecial honor –covered with , honor=high respect, as for worth,merit, or rank:  

    It couldinclude : high public esteem; fame; glory}   ` Honorable , worthy ofrespect

     

     the Lord is withthee:                                                                             

    { blessedart thou among women. (this entire phrase was added by the translators inthis passage…all the words are # 9999 which means “inserted word”)

    [29]And when she saw him, she was troubledat his saying, {troubled= agitated, wholly disturbed}

     and castin her mind what manner of salutation {greeting} this should be. {cast in her mind: “reckoned thoroughly”, “deliberated byreflection”

     [30] And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: {don’t be alarmed}: for thou hast found favour withGod.

    {favor = acceptance, He is pleasedwith you}

     

    [31] And, behold, thou shaltconceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.

    32.He shall be great, and shall be calledthe Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of hisfather David: [33] And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and ofhis kingdom there shall be no end. [34] Then said Mary unto the angel,  {PURE}

     How shall this be, seeing I know not a man35Andthe angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, andthe power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thingwhich shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

    36And, behold{SEE!}, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her oldage: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
    37Forwith God nothing shall be impossible.
    38    And Mary said, Behold the handmaid   {# 1401: slave, voluntary or involuntary)of the Lord; be it unto me according to thyword { Be  it:  bring it into being, cause it) .       {Wholly submitted to God as her Lord and Master  - full of FAITH}

     

    The fact she said“according to thy word” means she had faith immediately that what the angel wassaying was from God. To have that kind of faith means she knew God! Shebelieved Luke 1: 37For with Godnothing shall be impossible.

    Faith in ACTION:  {Doesnot sit around and think about everything too longs – she believes; she ACTS} v. 39she immediately ACTS on what she has been told! She does not wait around tomake sure she “feels it “ and it is “worked in her”…she believes; she responds.She does not run to everyone else and try to “get a witness”…she knows herselfwhat she saw , heard, and believes. Elisabeth , though old, though previouslybarren ,Gabriel said, was pregnant. God said it; Mary believed it.

    Gabriel said, “Behold” {See} –Mary goes to see.

    Luke1:  [39] And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country withhaste,into a city of Juda; [40] And entered into the house of Zacharias, and salutedElisabeth.    [41] And it came to pass,that, whenElisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; andElisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: [42] And she spake out with a loudvoice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit ofthy womb. [43] And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should cometo me? [44] For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mineears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. [45] And blessed is she thatbelieved: for there shall be a . performance of those things which were toldher from the Lord.

     

     At this  point, if Mary were prideful, she could think: “The sound of MY VOICE caused all this exhilaration?”Instead, she immediatelyglorifies GOD!!!!  {Humble; full of praise and worship (worshipdemonstrates adoration and love of God)– She knows who is the Source of thisblessing – She is FULL OF JOY}

     

    Luke 1: [46] And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,[47] And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. [48] For he hath regarded thelow estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generationsshall call me blessed. [49] For he that is mighty hath done to me great things;and holy is his name. [51] He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hathscattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. [52] He hath put downthe mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. [53] He hathfilled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.

    [54]He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; [55] As hespake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

    {Her mind is filled with the plansof God – she is not fixed on her self; she has heard and knows God’s plans –they are in her heart and mind as well as in her words.}

     

    Marywas MORE into worship and seeing God’s prophetic fulfillment than worryingabout thepossibility that , e.g., – when she told Joseph of this – Joseph would notunderstand!  He may think she was guiltyof being impure, unfaithful:

    Matt: 18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: Whenas his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she wasfound with child of the Holy Ghost.
    19Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willingto make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.
    20But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of theLord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear notto take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of theHoly Ghost.
    21And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his nameJESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
    22Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spokenof the Lord by the prophet, saying,
    23Behold, a virginshall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his nameEmmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

     

    {Mary was mindful of the promises givenin the Old Covenant writings  :}

    Luke 1: [54] He hath holpenhis servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; [55] As he spake to ourfathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

     

    Jacob, grandson ofAbraham,  prophesying to his sons: Genesis49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between hisfeet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

     

     

    micah 7:18Who is a God like unto thee, thatpardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of hisheritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth inmercy. 19He will turn again, he will have compassionupon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins intothe depths of the sea. 20Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, andthe mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days ofold.

     

    Psalm 45:6 Thy throne,O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.

    Isaiah 9:6 For unto usa child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon hisshoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God,The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. [7] Of the increase of hisgovernment and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and uponhis kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justicefrom henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

     

    In studying Mary, we learn whatdraws God’s favor: Purity, obedience, humility, awareness that we are raised upby God into a place of blessing and favor, thinking of God’s plans above ourown, knowledge  of His Word, Faith, andbeing a worshiper – which manifests LOVE and ADORATION to God.

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