Day 245 – Luke: Character sketch of Mary, Jesus’ Mother

“Mary responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.’ And then the angel left her.” Luke 1:38 NLT

Motherhood is a painful privilege. Young Mary of Nazareth had the unique privilege of being mother to the very Son of God. Yet most of the pans and pleasures Mary experienced in motherhood can be understood by mothers everywhere. Mary was the only human present at Jesus’ birth who also witnessed His death. She saw Him arrive as her baby son, and she watched Him die as her Savior.

Until Gabriel’s unexpected visit, Mary’s life was quite satisfactory. She had recently become engaged to a carpenter, Joseph, and was anticipating married life, but all was about to change forever. Angels don’t make appointments before visiting. Feeling as if she were being congratulated for winning the grand prize in a contest she had never entered, Mary found the angel’s greeting puzzling and his presence frightening. What she heard next was the news almost every woman in Israel hoped to hear: that her child would be the Missiah, God’s promised Savior. Mary did not doubt the message, but put her trust in God and His plan. We can imagine that even if she had known all she would suffer as Jesus’ mother, she would still have given the same response, “I am my Lord’s servant.” Are you, like Mary, available to be used by God regardless of the cost?

Strengths and accomplishments

Mary was willing to be available to God regardless of what people thought of her or the road ahead. She knew and understood the prophecies of the Old Testament and held to God’s Word even when her tears stained the earth as she watched her son die for the world.

Lessons from Mary’s life

God’s best servants are often ordinary people who make themselves available to Him and are willing to be involved in the extraordinary events that come with the road ahead. Their response to the unexpected reveals a person’s character.

Prayer: Father, thank You for choosing Mary to be the mother of Christ. Not just because of her willingness, but to accept all that went with it, from His birth to His death. We do not know the unexpected around the corner of our own stories, but may we respond like Mary, “I am my Lord’s servant.” Amen.