THE great promise coming true

Living in the obscure town of Nazareth, Mary had no reason to expect to lead a life that was exceptional. When God’s messenger greeted her with the words, “Rejoice, favored one!…God is honoring you,” Luke said the words confused her. With eyes that saw things human eyes could not, God had chosen her to become the mother who would miraculously bear the Messiah who all Israel had awaited for centuries.

• The angel said to Mary, ““Rejoice, favored one!” But that didn’t mean tinsel and bright lights, much less luxury and comfort. “Mary’s blessing… was a blessing of purpose, of new life, of relationship, of participation in what God was doing in the world. Her blessing brought hardship, confusion and grief, but it was still a blessing.”* Do you ever wish God’s favor toward you meant not mission, but simply happiness and ease? How did Mary’s life exemplify the sacrifices God’s favor may call for?
• Gabriel’s words to Mary evoked Isaiah 9:2, 6-7’s brilliant promise. It said a descendant of David would bring “a great light on those living in a pitch-dark land.” He would be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” It was not just a promise—it was THE promise at the heart of all God’s promises. Can you imagine Mary’s feelings as it slowly dawned on her that she was the one who would bear the long-promised child?

The Journey: A Season of Reflections

Today’s Insights was chapter 4, “You Will Conceive and Bear a Son,” from The Journey: A Season of Reflections, by Adam Hamilton. Copyright © 2011 by Abingdon Press, and available on our website for 24 hours by permission of Abingdon Press. If you’d like to buy the entire book of reflections, you can click here for a direct link to the Cokesbury sale page, as well as other Journey resources.