Don’t Let a Life Crisis Become a Crisis of Faith
Photo by Paola Chaaya on Unsplash
This is a blog version transcript of podcast episode 006 by the same title. Listen here.
There are times in life when things don’t seem to go like we hoped or planned. Mary, who eventually became the mother of Jesus, knew all about unexpected and life-changing news.
In the last blog, the priest Zechariah is offering incense in the temple when an angel appears with a message that Zechariah and his wife will be the parents of a son--a surprising turn of events for a couple old enough to be grandparents or even great-grandparents.
Not only are they miraculously having a child, but he will prepare the way for the Messiah. As a priest, Zechariah had memorized the Hebrew Bible, and Luke says he was a righteous man, yet he doubted the angel's words to him.
Our story today begins with Elizabeth, who is now six months pregnant. Gabriel is again called to duty, this time in Nazareth, a farming village of less than 2000 people in the region of Galilee about 100 miles north of Jerusalem.
Galilee is important for several reasons:
• The Assyrians first invaded Israel in this region. Eventually, the invasion results in all ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel being conquered, carried off, and lost. Galilee was considered a place of dishonor.
• The region of Galilee surrounds the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, which supported a major fishing industry.
• Galilee was also a transportation hub. Two Roman highways intersected in Galilee, which made it convenient for international trade and possibly the reason Assyrians targeted it for their invasion.
The region was sometimes called Galilee of the Nations because of the international influence, Galilee of the Gentiles because Gentile Assyrians had intermarried with Jews, and Galilee of the Pagans because the region was filled with people who didn’t follow the Jewish law.
Gabriel’s Message
God sends His messenger to a place of dishonor, full of Gentile pagans. Gabriel’s assignment: a message for Mary, a virgin who is engaged to Joseph—well, not exactly engaged as we know it.
The marriage process in the Jewish culture was a bit more complicated:
1. A marriage is arranged by the parents, with the couple’s consent.
There is a contract that outlines the bride price, how much the groom will pay the bride’s father because the groom is taking his valuable daughter, and the dowry, what the father pays to his daughter as a nest egg for her in case something happens to her husband.
This contract is legally binding. The only way out is divorce or death.
2) After the contract has been drawn up and money has exchanged hands, the couple is betrothed for about a year.
They legally married, but not living together and prohibited from spending time alone while they are betrothed.
3) Finally, there is a wedding celebration.
When Gabriel appears to Mary, Mary and Joseph would’ve been in that betrothal year of not living together.
So, Mary, about 13, 14, 15 years old, is betrothed to Joseph who is 17, 18, 19 years old, and she is still living with her parents. Joseph is a descendant of King David, and in Luke 3:31, we find out that Mary is also a descendant of King David.
Any Jew reading this would sit up and take notice. King David was famous. He has a great reputation because he was a good king and a follower of God. But Jews are also waiting in anticipation for the fulfillment of prophecies and promises in their Bible that the Messiah will come from the line of King David.
Tradition says that Gabriel appears to Mary in her home, but the Bible doesn't indicate where he meets her. We do know that this is the same angel who appeared to Zechariah in our last blog, and centuries before that he had appeared to Daniel.
Daniel 8 and 9 describe Gabriel as having the appearance of a man, and he was “in swift flight.”
We don’t know if he had wings, but when Daniel saw him, he fell on his face and was sick for days.
Gabriel appears to Mary saying: “Hello, highly favored one who has received God’s grace! The Lord is with you, and you are blessed among women.”
Mary is greatly troubled (both words emphasized in the original language). Her thoughts and emotions are probably swirling at warp speed, and she’s confused.
Gabriel says, “Don’t be frightened, Mary,” the same words he spoke to Zechariah. “You have found favor with God, the Creator of all things. He is leaning toward you with grace and kindness.”
I love the Greek word found, because it means “to discover, especially after searching.” I believe Mary was a student of the scriptures and wanted to please God.
In Jeremiah 29:13 God tells his people, “You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.” (BSB) I believe God answers her searching heart, just as He answers ours.
Gabriel continues, “And See! You will become pregnant in your womb (Gabriel is being clear this is literal, not figurative). You will give birth to a son who will share the same nature as His Father. And you will name him Jesus.”
Jesus’ Name
Jesus is a Greek name, his personal name on this earth. Greek is the common language of the day and the language used to write most of the New Testament.
The Greek name Jesus is the same as the Hebrew name Joshua. Hebrew was the language of the ancient Jews and the original Hebrew Bible, which we call the Old Testament. The names Jesus and Joshua both mean, “The Lord Saves” or “The Lord is Salvation.
Gabriel continues his message in Luke 1:32, "He will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord will give Him the throne of His father David. He will reign over Jacob's descendants forever, His kingdom will never end (2 Samuel 7:16)." (Emphasis in the original language)
Mary’s Response
Mary, probably feeling a bit overwhelmed, says, “How is this going to happen since I'm a virgin (emphasized in the original language)?
This is a very different question from Zechariah's in Luke 1:18. Zechariah asks how he can tangibly know what the angel said was true. He wanted more proof.
Mary isn’t doubting the truth of the angel’s words. God doesn’t have to prove anything to her, because she believes He is faithful. But she says, “How is this going to happen?”
One source translates “How” as “someone asking for information and wanting to be taught.” Can you explain to me exactly how this is going to occur?
Gabriel answers, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow or envelop you. The holy one to be born will receive the name, the Son of God (Psalm 2:2-7).”
Did her jaw drop? Did she cry? Just reading it makes me tear up. I remember my excitement when I found out I was going to have a baby. I can’t imagine how I would feel to find out that my baby would be the son of God.
Did she fall to her knees? Maybe she was overwhelmed with the honor and the realization that the Messiah her people had been waiting for would be arriving soon and that she, a nobody from a region of dishonor, would play a part in setting her people free.
Gabriel continues, “Even your old relative Elisabeth, who was barren, is in her sixth month of pregnancy." Maybe it’s God’s way of saying to Mary, “If I can do it for Elizabeth, I can do it for you.”
And Gabriel’s last statement in Luke 1:37, “For nothing will be impossible with God.” Mary would’ve recognized these words as nearly identical to the words an angel spoke to Sarah after she laughed at the thought of becoming pregnant in her 90’s. “Is anything too hard for the LORD (Genesis 18:14)?”
In Greek, Luke 1:37 is presented a bit differently: Instead of “nothing” the Greek says, “Each and every thing” or each and every “rhema,” which means a word, event, or promise.
Rhema is often used of the Lord speaking His living word. From the original Greek, this verse could be translated as, “Each one of His living words will not be impossible.” In the Joy Moore version, each and every word of God is absolutely possible.
Her life as she knows it is about to change--forever. Mary isn’t doubting nor is she panicking. In her culture, an “unplanned pregnancy” will change her relationships, her reputation, her family’s reputation, and every part of her future. She is well aware of that.
But Mary’s sweet response is, “Here I am! l am the Lord's servant. . . May it happen to me according to your Word.”
In the middle of what could seem like a crisis in her life, she doesn’t let it become a crisis in her faith. She chooses to trust God and submit to His plans. Without negotiation or debate. She gives him a blank check as if to say, “Whatever you say, God. I’m yours.”
In these verses, this is what I see about God:
God dwells in hearts that are searching for Him.
The power of God is overshadowing, enveloping, surrounding Mary while she is enveloping and surrounding the power of God within her. This says a lot to me about who Mary is. God is holy and his dwelling place is hearts who are committed to Him.
I know I can’t be perfect, though some days I’d like to be! But I can live in a way that quickly deals with my sin and keeps my heart always prepared to host God’s presence.
God doesn’t play hide and seek. When we wholeheartedly search for Him, we will find him.
God specializes in the impossible.
There are many miraculous stories in the Old Testament—Abraham and Sarah having a child in their 90’s, the Red Sea that parts, food that falls from the sky every day for forty years and then mysteriously stops, a battle where the sun stands still.
Luke 1:37 sums it up so well:
From the NIV: "For no word from God will ever fail."
From the Amplified Version: "For with God nothing is or ever shall be impossible."
Phillips: "No promise of God can fail to be fulfilled."
VOICE: "So the impossible is possible with God."
We can trust God with everything,
even the things that look impossible.
God wants us to trust Him completely.
Mary’s encounter is much different than Zechariah’s. You would think his response would be more like Mary’s. He is a priest, educated and trained in the scriptures and how to worship God, but he has his doubts when Gabriel shows up. Mary, a teenager awaiting her marriage, hears God’s invitation through Gabriel and wholeheartedly dedicates herself to her Lord.
Being dedicated to God is not about a title, position, or what we know. It’s about the humility of our heart that recognizes God’s supernatural power and His good plans that we can’t possibly comprehend.
Today, I hope you’ll join me in saying,
“Here l am, God! I’m all Yours. I trust Your plan.
May it happen to me according to Your Word.”
Think about it . . .
When your life is in crisis, how do you respond to God?
What seems impossible in your life at the moment?
Thank Him for taking care of the details, and ask Him what your part is in this situation.
Sources:
Today’s blog comes from Luke 1:26-38.
Notes on the Bible by Albert Barnes [1834]. Public Domain. (Is. 9:1-2)
Map of the Roman Road System in Palestine
Betrothal in the Jewish Culture (from Walking the Text)
Jesus, Son of David
The Angel Gabriel
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. (Daniel 8:15; Daniel 9:21; Genesis 18:14)
The Discovery Bible New American Standard New Testament Copyright @1987 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved. (Luke 1:26-38)
Bible Hub for meanings of original words
The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible, BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee. This text of God's Word has been dedicated to the public domain. (Jeremiah 29:13)
Amplified Bible (AMP). Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved. (Luke 1:37)
The New Testament in Modern English by J.B Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by Permission. (Luke 1:37)
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. (Luke 1:37)
