Anchor My Faith

Title: Let It Be According to Your Word (Luke 1:36-38)

Mary was just told by Gabriel how she would become pregnant as a virgin. It would be accomplished by God just as God provided the ability for Elizabeth to conceive in her old age: “And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:36 – 37 ESV). There is some question as to how Elizabeth and Mary are related because Elizabeth, who was one of the daughters of Aaron, Luke 1:5, and consequently of the tribe of Levi, and Mary, who was of the house of David, and consequently of the tribe of Judah. We will accept the fact that is some way they are related.

Gabriel is building a case for Mary to help her understand that with God all things are possible. He uses Elizabeth as an example. She was old and well beyond the age to conceive and bear children, but yet God made it possible and he will make it possible for you to conceive as a virgin. If in the beginning God could create man in his image, then he could do it again by creating Jesus in Mary’s womb. Doing so would create Jesus as the second Adam, also free of sin.

Gabriel’s comment to Mary about all things being possible with God, was echoed by Jesus several times. One of those times was when he had conversation with the rich young man in Matthew 19. Jesus said it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. His disciples wanted to know then how anyone could be saved. This is when Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26 ESV). This was so true with Elizabeth and with Mary.

After hearing Gabriel’s argument Mary responds in a positive way where Zechariah was not so sure. “And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:38 ESV). Mary shows no hesitancy in accepting the assignment and yields as a servant of the Lord to do his will. Mary responds in obedience with the statement, “let it be to me according to your word.”

This brings us to the end of Sec06. In the next lesson we will begin with Mary’s visit with Elizabeth.

Prayer

Father, the thing that really stood out from this lesson was how Jesus could have been born free of sin. I have heard arguments that sin is passed down through the Father and since God was the father, then Jesus would have been spiritually alive, free of sin. As I wrote this the thought struck me that in the beginning God created Adam in his image free of sin. God did not have to use an egg from Mary. He simply created a second Adam in Mary’s womb. This way Jesus, like Adam, would be perfect without sin from Mary.