Mary's Obedience and Surrender | The Christmas Story in 5 Verses

Throughout December, we're diving into 5 verses that sum up the Christmas story, and last week we kicked the series off by talking about Isaiah 7:14! We talked about how the prophesies and their fulfillment point to God's faithfulness, the awe and wonder we should have thinking about the miracle of Jesus' birth, and how impactful it is to remember that Jesus bridged the gap between us and God as Immanuel. Today, we're going to be talking about Mary and her obedience through this unexpected miracle, and what we can learn from her!

“‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her.” - Luke 1:38

I never fail to be amazed at how Mary responded to the news that she would be carrying the Son of God. She was so humble and submissive to what the Lord had planned for her, instead of protesting her own way. Mary likely would have been between 12-16 years old when she was pregnant and engaged to Joseph, and she had her whole life ahead of her. It was all planned out according to traditions, and then she gets told by an angel that she's pregnant through the Holy Spirit?! She didn't ask questions and trusted the Lord, even when this pregnancy could have (and very well might have) ruined her future marriage and her reputation.

I admire her faith so much, and her quickness to surrender to the Lord's plan for her life despite the curveball it was. No matter how unqualified or afraid she may have felt, she submitted to God and relied on Him to follow through on His word, to carry her through what must have felt like an uncertain and stressful time. Mary didn't let her feelings or fears hold her back from walking in the calling God had for her, and that is truly such a beautiful example of how we should respond to the Lord.

Her example makes me want to re-evaulate if I'm surrendering and submitting fully to what the Lord asks me to do. When He puts something on my heart, am I moving forward confidently and in faith, or am I holding back asking questions out of fear? Am I even making space for His direction and guidance in my life? Am I making space for Him to use me?

I also want to talk about Joseph's reaction to finding out Mary was pregnant, because even though he reacted differently, he still sought the Lord and surrendered to His desire for their life and relationship. Joseph had a tender, kind heart towards Mary, not wanting to embarrass or shame her, while also trying to do what he thought was most biblical. When an angel came to guide and correct him, Joseph was immediately obedient and took Mary home as his wife the very next morning. He didn't ask questions or hesitate either, and I think that is incredible. Both Mary and Joseph put their reputations, careers, and relationships at risk to obey and follow what the Lord had told them, but they did it so faithfully, and I feel so challenged and convicted by that.

Obedience is not an easy thing to think about because sometimes it means giving up something you really love, or doing something that puts you wayyyy out of your comfort zone. But I often forget that obedience also puts you a step further into the Father's presence, demonstrates your love for Him, and shines a light reflecting His love and glory to others around you. Obedience isn't easy, and sometimes it's risky, but it's a beautiful act of worship and surrender to the loving and safe God we serve. God will never ask us to go somewhere that He isn't already there, or do something without remaining with us. God led Mary and Joseph through that season, and He will lead you through every step of obedience and faithfulness to Him.

I wanted to take a peek at the Greek words in Luke 1:38, and here are a few things that stuck out to me:

• "servant" = δουλή (doulé) = one who worships God and submits to Him

• "Word" = ῥῆμα (rhéma) = promise

These two words tie into themes we have already discussed, but I think they're important to emphasize. Mary's response was an act of worship and submission as she handed over everything to the Father. Her hands were open wide and she obeyed what He instructed her to do. And what the angel spoke to Mary was a promise. The word promise has a really positive connotation to it and that's a beautiful perspective to see this story through. It's easy to recognize how hard it would have been to go through what Mary did, all of the emotions and fears and even rejection that she probably experienced. It's easy to feel scared or shocked for her, but the news that Mary was going to give birth to the Messiah is an incredible honor and fulfilled promise that people have been waiting for centuries to come to pass. Mary herself was also waiting for the Messiah, and now she was given the privilege of raising and loving the Messiah in her womb and in her home. While that is such a burden to carry, it is such a joyful one as well. God was faithful in fulfilling His promise and He chose a young girl to be the vessel of that promise.

May we be vessels carrying the Lord's promise as well, demonstrating and sharing the light He has put inside of us for all to see. May we be open to obedience to do the scary thing because we know that our Father desires our participation in unlocking and experiencing new answered prayers and magnificent blessings - even if we're unsure what that looks like. May we be worshipful with every step we take, living biblically and lovingly, and keeping our hands open in surrender to wherever the Lord leads us.

I am Your servant, Father. May Your promise be fulfilled.

---

Friends, this post CHALLENGED me! It's uncomfortable for me to think about obedience because some steps God has asked me to take in the past brought a lot of grief following my obedience, and it's hard to want to obey when you fear heartbreak. But God is so gracious and so kind to us, isn't He? He never leaves or forsakes us, and He is faithful, even when we are faithless. Mary and Joseph's roles in the Christmas story are so crucial, and I pray that this post reminded us about their example of surrender and submission to the Father's plan. I pray that in this Christmas season, we take a moment to reflect on our own heart postures towards obedience and ask the Lord to reveal where we need to grow. We will never obey perfectly, but with every effort and moment of surrender, we are demonstrating our love for our Father, and that is so special. May we be bold to walk in obedience to what He is leading us to do and where He is leading us to go, and through that, experience an immense amount of His presence and kindness.