The Brave Profiles: Mary
“The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." (Luke 1:28 NIV)
Can you imagine being personally approached by an angel saying to you that you’ll someday give birth to a handsome baby boy? And not only will you give birth to this child, but He is also fully God! The Son of Man, the one who will die for the sins of humanity as a whole? Both Mary and Joseph were not only given the responsibility by God to raise the Messiah from birth but to also acknowledge him as God’s very own Chosen One. Whew, no pressure!
As we take a look at Mary's life, there are a few topics we're going to discuss. Who is this Virgin Mary? What role did she play in the Bible? Why was she chosen by God to give birth to His Son? And how did her decision have an effect on mankind?
Mary was a young girl living in Nazareth who was (as the scripture says) highly favored by God. Mary played various, important roles in her life. She was a wife to her husband Joseph. She was a daughter, sister, and friend. And she too was the mother to Jesus Christ.
“The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35 NIV)
I could not begin to imagine how blessed Mary must have felt once hearing from God that she were to carry the child who would bring change into the world. It’s exciting yet a little frightening to learn that your son would be born to die, but for a divine purpose! Once being approached by the angel, Mary had a decision to make. A choice as to whether she would reject or accept the assignment God gave to her to be a mother and nurturer to baby Jesus.
We learn that Mary, like many others, also witnessed the suffering of her Son Jesus Christ. He was beaten badly by soldiers, spat at, called names, and then nailed to a cross. Can you imagine watching such activity take place in your child’s life as a parent? It is a part of a mother’s nature to grieve on the behalf of her own children, as well as protect them.
Even though it's hard to imagine being in Mary's shoes, we can learn three things from her and apply these lessons to our own lives.