Mary, Thou Shalt Conceive
Last week we took a look into the life of Mary. She was preparing for her marriage to a carpenter named Joseph, when an angel appeared to her.
So what does the angel have to say?
Luke 1:30-33 (ASV)
The angel told Mary “thou shalt conceive and bring forth a son”
And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God.
And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
After we get over the shock of an angel before us, he says that you are going to have a child, however you’re not even married to your betrothed yet.
Not only are you told that you are going to have a child, but also what his name will be. To hear the words of the angel, as he explains that your son will have the throne of King David.
These were in the days when the Jews believed that the Messiah would be a warrior and in a military type coup reclaim the throne. Did Mary share this belief?
Did the words of Isaiah come to her mind? Whether she heard it at home from her father or in the synagogue, the Jews knew the laws and prophets.
Luke 1:34-35 (ASV)
And Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
Mary and Joseph were not yet married
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God.
Mary is clearly a smart enough woman to know how babies come about. She asked the angel how can this be. She’s not known a man, she’s not even married yet. The angel tells her that the Holy Spirit will come upon her.
Can you imagine being told that the Holy Spirit was going to be the father of your child? That’s beyond our comprehension today, but imagine in that day.
There is a program on TV called “I Didn’t Know I was Pregnant.” The women find out usually in their 9th month of pregnancy or as they are giving birth that they were pregnant, unbeknownst to them. Yet, all of them participated in the act that causes pregnancy.
Mary, had not participated in this act. However, now the angel is telling her she’ll be a mother. Not only is she going to be a mother but the Holy Spirit will come upon her so that she may conceive.
I don’t know about you but I’d be shocked. Then again, when an angel is standing before you telling you this news, maybe she was past the point of shock.
I’d be pinching myself wondering if this were a dream.
Then the angel had more news to shock her.
