Luke 1:5-38
The Gospel's are packed full of fulfilled prophesy because the Bible is all about and only about Jesus. So it stands to reason that the Old Testament looked toward Jesus' coming whilst the Gospel's detail the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. This passage is one particularly packed with prophesy fulfilment, and some of the most important.
Two of the main characters in beginning of Luke Mary and Zachariah are both visited by a Angel Gabriel proclaiming the fulfilment of prophesy and how each is being called to be a part of that. Now Mary and Zachariah would not have been unaware of the Old Testament Prophesy of the coming Messiah, and Zechariah more than most being a Priest. But it is somewhat surprising who in these passages shows the most mature faith.
The second visit by Gabriel is to a very small almost Gentile village of Nazareth in the north of Israel. To a teenage girl Mary, betrothed to a man named Joseph. Both of whom are descendants of King David. Royal blood hanging out in obscurity but not overlooked by the Lord who delights to use the weak things of this world to shame the wise.
Mary seemed almost un-phased by the appearance of the Angel and simply seemed to be pondering the implications of being greatly favoured by God. It was this that seemed to have her concerned but the Angel says "Do not fear!" Then Gabriel proceed to hit her with the most amazing of proclamations. She was to conceive and bear a son, within the context of a committed marriage relationship but yet not as a result of the marriage consummation. She was to call him Jesus which means The Lord Saves. He will be great, not popular or well liked but Great. He will be called the Son of the most High, where "son of" means the same nature as the Most High God the Father. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, his own people won't give it, Israel won't give it but the Lord God. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, the spiritual house of Jacob and not the fleshly house of Israel who will not receive the rule of Jesus. Of his kingdom there will be no end, an eternal kingdom beyond imagining!
Unlike Zechariah Mary barely blinked at the amazing things that the Angel was proclaiming she was about to be part of. And her only question was just one of confirmation on the practicalities of such an undertaking.
Mary's faith in this instance was remarkable. She would have immediately understood the implication of pregnancy outside of consummated marriage and how Joseph might view the whole circumstance. However despite this she has an incredible humility and responds to God offering her service and obedience. All this despite being a teenager. In contrast we have Zachariah who is mature in his Faith "walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord" v6. Yet he meets the Angel's message with doubt despite the news unlikely to cost him anything. What a challenging difference between the faith of Mary and that of Zachariah. Such faith comes from a powerful view of who God is.
Why not take a few minutes to think about three images you have of what God is like. Are we allowing this view of God to shape our Faith and Obedience, If not why not? May we repent and return to the faith of our first love.
