Show And Tell

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 
Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

Luke 1:26-33

 

Imagine going through your daily activities and someone comes to you, whom you have not met up to this point, and tells you that you have found favor with God AND that you're going to do something incredible!

Mary was engaged to Joseph.  Joseph was a carpenter and an ancestor of King David.  Gabriel informs Mary that "The Lord is with you!"  Mary is confused and had no idea what this glowing angel is trying to tell her.  Now....put yourself in Mary's place. You're going about your day and someone you have never met tells you that God is with you.  In our society, this phrase has lost most of its meaning and has become just a pious greeting. But in reality the phrase literally means "The Lord fills and surrounds you."  Gabriel is telling Mary that God she is so favored by God that God has completely enveloped her.

While Mary is trying to comprehend this rather odd greeting, Gabriel drops the bombshell: "You're going to become pregnant and have a son."  For a single woman in this time in history was not a good thing to become pregnant.  People frowned on it and the woman (and the child's father, if he could be discovered) could be killed!  Not a good condition for Mary.

But, as if that weren't enough, Gabriel continues, telling Mary that this son she will be great and will be called the Son of the Most Supreme AND God, Himself, will give this son the throne of his ancestor King David.  Now remember, King David was known as the "Beloved of God" so, like every mother, Mary wants her son to have the best future.  AND Gabriel tells Mary that her son will reign from the throne of David forever and his kingdom will have no end.  WOW!  Every mother's dream, her son will be successful beyond her wildest hopes.  If only the whole unwed mother thing can be overcome!

But God was in the miracle business then and is still in the miracle business today!