The story begins in an unlikely location: Nazareth, a town about 55 miles northwest of Jerusalem. Around 4 BC (we have this date because King Herod died that year, and Luke tells us he was still alive when Jesus was born), Nazareth was an unexpected place to start the story of the Messiah. No prophecies specified this location, and it was often overlooked and looked down upon. Nazareth wasn't exactly where you would expect to find royalty. It was held in contempt by many, located near a Roman outpost, and infamous for its corruption and prostitution. It had a reputation as a vulgar backwater town.

In John 1:45-46, Philip found his friend Nathanael and said, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets wrote… Jesus of Nazareth." Nathanael, a man Jesus called guileless, asked, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Later, when the enemies of Jesus referred to Him as "Jesus of Nazareth," they meant it as an insult, a subtle dig. We might miss the insult today, but Jesus certainly understood their intent. The disgrace of His hometown was a small part of the stigma that Jesus would bear throughout His life.

II Chronicles 16:9 teaches that the eyes of the Lord search the earth, looking for people whose hearts are completely His, so that He may strongly support them. One translation describes these people as "wholeheartedly devoted to Him." The Lord looks beyond the prejudices and stigmas of the world, the things that bring disgrace and shame, and sees hearts wholly devoted to Him. In Nazareth, the eyes of the Lord found such a woman named Mary.

The angel Gabriel has been busy lately. We see him only four times in the Bible: twice in Daniel, where he brings prophecies about the end of this age when the covenant will be fully fulfilled, and twice in Luke 1. Six months earlier, he appeared to Zacharias to announce the birth of his son, the forerunner of the Messiah. Now, Gabriel appears before a young virgin named Mary, who is betrothed to Joseph.

In Jewish culture 2,000 years ago, entering into marriage involved two distinct parts: betrothal and the actual wedding ceremony. Betrothal was similar to, but held more significance than, our modern engagement. When a couple was betrothed, they entered into a legally binding arrangement. The couple was considered married even though the marriage had not yet been consummated. Unfaithfulness by either the bride or the groom was considered adultery, punishable by death by stoning, as stated in Deuteronomy 22:24. If stoning wasn't enforced, breaking a betrothal required a divorce.

At some point between the betrothal of Mary and Joseph and their actual wedding ceremony, Gabriel visited Mary. Upon entering, he said to her, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled by this statement and kept pondering what kind of salutation this might be (Luke 1:28-29). Mary was afraid because of Gabriel's fearsome presence; he carried the majesty of God, having just come from the very throne of God Almighty. Besides his presence, his words troubled her. "What does the angel mean? What is he even talking about? Why did he say I am favored and the Lord is with me?" she wondered. What kind of salutation is this?

The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end" (Luke 1:30-33).

Whoa, that's a lot for Mary to unpack! An angel just appeared before her, which is terrifying enough, but what he said is perplexing: finding favor with God, conceiving and bearing a son, naming him Jesus, the Son of the Most High, sitting on the throne of David, and reigning forever with a kingdom that will have no end. Mary, who knew the Scriptures well, surely understood immediately that Gabriel was referring to the Messianic promise in II Samuel 7:12-17, where the promises about a king reigning forever, eternity, rulership, throne, and David all point to the Messiah. So Mary would immediately know Gabriel was talking about the Messiah… but wait, she couldn't get past what he said at first… she would conceive and bear a son?

"Wait, wait, wait, how can this be, since I am a virgin?" Mary questioned Gabriel (Luke 1:34). On the surface, her question was quite similar to the one Zacharias asked Gabriel when he received the promise of the birth of his son, John the Baptist. He asked, "How shall I know this?" However, there was a big difference in their questioning. Zacharias was essentially saying, "Prove it to me, Gabriel. I don't believe you." Gabriel reproved Zacharias for asking this question and struck him mute, as Gabriel understood that Zacharias had a skeptical, unbelieving heart. But here, when Mary asked, "How can this be?" Gabriel didn't reprove her; instead, he explained more to her. Mary wasn't skeptical or unbelieving; she was just confused. She understood the basics of conception but didn't understand how this could happen to her.

It's okay to ask honest questions of the Lord; in fact, He is exactly the one to whom we should bring our questions. Isaiah tells us, "Come, let us reason together." He wants us to think things through with Him. Here, Gabriel provided Mary with more information: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, and for that reason, the holy child shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:35). Strong's Concordance defines "to overshadow" as to envelop in a cloud of brilliance.

Notice something here: God highly favors Mary, yet He has disrupted her life and asked her to do something incredibly difficult. This precious one, whose heart is totally devoted to the Lord, will bear the stigma of a pregnancy out of wedlock for the rest of her life. This would have meant a life of shame in that day and culture. And (halfway facetiously) do you think anyone would understand if she tried to explain what happened to her? She would be outcast and shunned. Sometimes God asks His very favorites to do difficult things, to be misunderstood, to be ostracized. He doesn't promise us an easy path all the time—just ask highly favored Mary. "For nothing will be impossible with God" (Luke 1:37).

The Greek word used here is "rhema," which means utterance or thing said by the living voice. This verse could be translated as "no utterance or word told by God, the living voice, will be without power." When God utters a word, its fulfillment is not impossible. Gabriel is saying, "If God promised it, it will come to pass." This holds true for Mary, and it holds true for you and me.

There are two primary Greek words for an utterance from God: "logos" and "rhema." Logos has a deep meaning, and we'll discuss it further in a few weeks. For now, think of logos as the entire word of God, the Bible. It's important for each of us to be grounded in the logos and to have a working knowledge of its themes and storyline. But as we read or listen to it carefully, sometimes the Holy Spirit quickens or makes alive a specific verse or promise from God that is just for you. I call that a rhema from God. Rhema is the Greek word that means utterance or spoken words.

Rhema is used in the temptations of Jesus when he says man does not live by bread alone but by every rhema, or word, that comes from the mouth of God. In Ephesians 6:17, Paul talks about engaging in spiritual warfare by taking the sword of the Spirit, the word (rhema) of God, which is a specific word from God. Rhema is also the word in Romans 10:17, which says faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. You can think of it as when the Lord highlights a word or passage just for you. You know it is for you; it is God's personal word for you. It may apply to a current situation, and you understand what He is promising. You can claim it, declare it, stand on it, and pray it back to the Lord.

Notice Mary's response: "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word, your rhema" (Luke 1:38). What an amazing response: "I may not understand how this all works. I may not like the curve that has been thrown my way.

This is not the way I envisioned my future, following the Lord with Joseph as my husband and our lives together. God, you have outrageously disrupted my life, but I am your bondservant. Be it done to me according to your rhema, according to your word." Mary laid down her plans and her agenda; she released her will and her future. Mary released her life; she released everything to God. Everything, including how in the world she would explain this to Joseph. The Lord would have to take care of him. How do you tell your beloved that you are pregnant with God's baby? Gabriel might have to make another house call.

Gabriel also told Mary, "And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age, and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month" (Luke 1:36).

He brings His comfort and strength. In this case, we see that He provided a safe shelter for Mary in the home of Zacharias and Elizabeth, her relative. They, of all people on earth, would understand that God's miracles can do surprising things. Surely, they would offer support and empathy for Mary's situation. They, more than anyone else, would comprehend the explanation of her pregnancy and encourage her.

Zacharias and Elizabeth would nurture Mary during the crucial first trimester of her pregnancy, and surely she encouraged and supported Elizabeth in what may have seemed like an endless final trimester of her late-in-life pregnancy.

John the Baptist, the one who would prepare the way for the Messiah, literally leaped in his mother's womb when Mary's voice reached Elizabeth's ears. Elizabeth immediately recognized that Mary was pregnant with her Lord. She also knew by the Spirit that Mary had a believing heart. "And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord" (Luke 1:45). Mary believed the word of the Lord.

This name comes from the first word of the Latin translation. Mary's song reveals that her heart was saturated with the word of God. In these nine verses, there are 15 quotes from the Old Testament. Her song shows that Mary understood perfectly the connection between all those Old Testament promises and her son. The covenant of God is front and center. She knows the birth of her son is the fulfillment of God's covenantal faithfulness. God is on the move; history is going somewhere. God has not forgotten His covenant. You know the Christmas song, "Mary, Did You Know?" Well, from her song in Luke 1, we see that Mary knew exactly who her son would be.

God searched the whole earth and found in Nazareth a woman who would be His vessel to bring His Son into the world. He found a woman whose heart was totally devoted to Him.

The Lord sees past the biases and prejudices the world puts on us and sees hearts. Mary laid down her life and released her plans, agenda, and will. She said yes to the Lord and trusted Him in a difficult place. The Lord would bring her strength, comfort, and the grace to follow His path. 

Mary's response to Gabriel's message demonstrates profound faith and trust in God's plan, despite the personal challenges and uncertainties she faced.

The Magnificat contains numerous references to the Old Testament, showcasing Mary's knowledge and understanding of how these ancient promises connect to the coming of her son.

Mary's song, the Magnificat, reflects her deep understanding of God's covenantal promises and her recognition of her son's birth as the fulfillment of these promises.

Mary is chosen as the vessel through which God brings His Son into the world, highlighting her unique role in the divine plan of redemption.

Mary's willingness to lay down her own plans and submit to God's will exemplifies a heart fully devoted to serving the Lord.

In the face of life's disruptions, Mary finds strength and comfort in God's promise, trusting Him to provide the grace needed to navigate her path.

The support Mary receives from Elizabeth and Zacharias underscores the importance of community and empathy during times of divine intervention.

Mary's humility and obedience serve as a powerful example for believers, encouraging us to embrace God's will with a trusting heart.

In her song, Mary acknowledges the great things God has done for her, expressing gratitude and reverence for His mighty works.

Mary's story teaches us the value of saying "yes" to God, even when His plans are challenging or beyond our understanding.