God chose a humble servant to carry the Savior of the world.
We have made a BIG jump. We have just left the Old Testament of the Bible and we are now in the New Testament. This portion of the Bible was written around 450 years after the last Old Testament books of Malichi, Ezra and Nehamiah. These years in between scriptural books were known as the Silent Years.
Our last Prophet quoted in “Prophets Hope” was Zechariah.
Zechariah 14:9
The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.
We find his story being told by Luke as the angel of Gabriel appears to him and promises him a son. Given the age of he and his wife Elizabeth, Zechariah questions the angel, who then informs him he will be silent until his son is born because he did not believe the angel’s words. I find this silence as a strikingly interesting connection to the Silent Years and the jump from Zechariah in the Old Testament to the introductory story in Luke of the birth of John the Baptist. His Mother Elizabeth, makes the the following lead in statement for our summary:
Luke 1:25
“The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
Mary Favored
God Creates
Adam Ate
Noah Floats
Abraham’s Oath
Jacob Schemes
Joseph Dreams
Bush Lit
Sea Split
Law Spoken
Tablet Broken
Judges Appointed
Kings Anointed
God Forgotten
Rulers Rotten
Kingdom Broke
Prophets Hope
Mary Favored
Baby Savoir
Crucified
Jesus Died
Third Morn
World Reborn
Spirit Glows
Love Grows
Earth Awaits
God Creates
Mary Favored
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy God sent the angel Gabriel back. This time the angel went to Elizabeth’s sister Mary. A virgin pledged to marry a man named Joseph.
Luke 1:28
The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
A further summary of this story just doesn’t seem to be appropriate. You really just need to READ THE BIBLE – Especially for this one!
Luke 1:29-38 NIV
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “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[b] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
Luke 1:39-55 NIV
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Mary Sings a Him of Praise
46 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.”
Mary Favored: God chose Mary, a humble young woman, to bear the promised Messiah. She found favor with God, responded in faith and obedience, and became the mother of Jesus, through whom God’s plan of salvation entered the world.