Christmas Through the Eyes of Mary

December 3, 2015 | by: Dale Thiele | 0 Comments

Posted in: Pastoral Encouragement | Tags: Mary

Can you imagine experiencing the Christmas story as Mary? There would be so much bewilderment, excitement, confusion, fear, anxiety, and wonder. Let’s survey what we know about Mary and consider how she would have experienced Christmas.

1. Mary was a young Jewish girl from Nazareth. Luke 1:26-27 says, “Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph.” It was common in the first century Jewish culture for young women to be engaged to be married between the ages of 12 and 14. She would have been primarily mentored by her own mother. Nazareth was a little Jewish settlement near Galilee (1,500-2,000 people). There really is nothing remarkable about Mary. She was just a normal Jewish girl preparing for marriage to Joseph.

2. Mary was well-acquainted with her Scriptures. When we look in-depth into Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) we see references, allusions, and quotes from all over the Old Testament. She highlights God’s mercy for the lowly and bringing down of the proud just like Hannah (1 Sam. 2:1-10); she mirrors Psalm 103:1 with her opening and then quotes Psalm 103:17 in Luke 1:50; then she alludes to God’s covenant with Abraham and his faithfulness to keep covenant. While scholars are unsure whether or not girls attended Torah school in the 1st century, we can see that Mary has been taught the Scriptures. The most likely source of teaching was her mother (cf. 2 Tim. 1:5 with 3:15). Mary learned that her identity centered on God’s covenant relationship with His people, and any hope for the future was rooted in God’s faithfulness to keep covenant.

3. Mary lived in submission to the Lord. Her response in Luke 1:38 is astonishing: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your work.” This was not just a token, “proper” response. Mary believed the angel and had faith in God (cf. Luke 1:45). The knowledge of the Scriptures had made her wise for salvation (cf. 2 Tim. 3:15). She may not have understood all of the intricate details of how God would fulfill covenant promises (Lk. 1:34), but she trusted God and hoped in him. Mary was a remarkable [young] woman of faith!

While Mary expressed faith in and submission to the Lord, she would certainly have experienced all sorts of emotions after hearing the angel’s announcement. We have the convenience of knowing the end of the story and the ability to read Luke 2 within 5 minutes of reading chapter 1. Mary, however, had to face her fiancé with the news of her mysterious pregnancy and wait the nine months for the arrival of this child. Other than Elizabeth’s affirmation in Luke 1:41-45, we assume that Mary had no further word from the Lord. Mary had to wrestle with so many uncertainties and unanswered questions.

Mary had to live by faith in a promise-keeping God. She had no idea of what would happen when the child was born (she certainly was surprised by the visit of the shepherds). She could not foresee the course of his life and eventual brutal death. While she knew her Scriptures, she did not know how God would fulfill the Scriptures. In many ways we are just like Mary: we have the testimony of Scripture to the faithfulness and kindness of God and yet we do not know how God will work out his faithfulness and kindness in our lives and the world tomorrow, next week, or even next year. Let us lay aside paralyzing uncertainty about the future and trust the Lord like Mary.

Mary’s faith led her to marvel at the works of the Lord in her life. Several times in the Christmas narrative, Luke tells us that “Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart” (see 2:19, 51). In Mary’s contemplation is the humble acceptance of “let it be done to me according to your work.” Mary did not seek to control God and his outworking. She treasured God and his outworking in her life. May we follow Mary’s example and learn to delight in what God is doing in our lives.

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