You Are As Mary

Luke 1:26-28 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
 
WHEN Gabriel went to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David, God kept three ancient promises.
    Mary is the virgin first promised in Scripture’s earliest prophecy. Immediately after Eve and Adam disobeyed God, he promised to them and Satan that a woman – not a man and a woman – would bring forth a Redeemer to destroy Satan’s authority: Genesis 3:15 “I will put hatred between you (Satan) and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”  
    Centuries later God reminded the Jews of the virgin-born Redeemer: Isaiah 7:14 “The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
    The third promise of Gabriel’s announcement is God’s word to David: 2 Samuel 7:16 “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” The Messiah will come from David’s lineage.
    The Sovereign Lord chose Mary, this teen-aged virgin descendant of David, pledged to Jospeh, also of David’s line, to bear the Savior of the world. Mary is the focal point of God’s salvation promise. That’s why Gabriel could say to her, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”  
    Here’s something you can know: You are as Mary. How is that? God, indeed, had a special purpose for highly favored Mary. And God has a special purpose for highly favored you.
    You see this, don’t you, in God’s eternal plan coming true in the virgin birth. We know of God’s favor even more deeply when we know the cross. Each thing God has done since the Garden of Eden has been to declare the time of God’s favor through the forgiveness of sins into life eternal for you and all he has favored to be his own.
    Yes, you are so highly favored, Immanuel came through David’s house to the virgin, so he could be your Savior. Immanuel came into creation to make you a new creation. Jesus entered into the earth to gloriously lift you into heaven.
    Oh yes, you are as Mary. When you confess Jesus is Lord of your life, God’s high favor lifts you up into the heaven’s height.
 
Prayer: Lord God, I am so very grateful and humbled to be saved in your choosing, to be so eternally favored. In Jesus’ name I give thanks. Amen.