Mary, Servant of the Lord (Luke 1:26-38)

Mary, Servant of the Lord

Luke 1:26-38

1. Mary Received a Special Message from God (27-33, 35-37)

a. an angel visited her (26-28)

b. Mary would conceive a child by the Holy Spirit (31, 35)

c. The child would be unique

- be great, called the Son of the Most High (32a)

- He will inherit the throne of David/reign forever (32b-33)

- He will be called the Son of God (35)


2. Mary Received a Special Mercy from God (28-30)

- She is highly favored by the Lord (28a, 30)

 [Lit. full of grace – used of all believers – Eph. 1:6]

- The Lord is with her (28b)

- Blessed are you among women (special undeserved grace from God)


3. Mary Received a Special Mission from God (31-33, 35)
- She will have a baby (fertility was important then; even as it is now to some extent)

- She will have a son (the son is the one through whom the name and inheritance is passed)

- He’s named by God (Jesus means “salvation is of the Lord”)

- He is to be great/ the promised King of the Old Testament prophecies

(the deliverer of Israel from Gentile rule – remember, they were under Roman rule)

- Son of God (she gets privilege/responsibility to raise this child

(One who is her very own in the flesh and yet God’s Son too!)


4. Mary Responded in a Special Manner to God (38)

- I am the Lord’s servant (I will do as He wishes)

- May it be as you said (humility, obedience and faith)

Thus Mary became a special mentor to us all (46-55)

a. By her example, she teaches us that if we wish to be used of God, godliness (not perfection) is crucial (cf 38; vs. 46-55)

b. By her example, she teaches us that any great thing done by or through us is done by the grace and mercy of God (vs. 46-47, 49, 52b)

c. By her example, she teaches us that the mission God has for us is much bigger than us (54-55)

Will you, like Mary, be the willing servant of the Lord?

While Joseph and Mary, as well as the Old Testament saints, looked ahead to the Savior Jesus and His sacrifice for our sins through His shed blood and resurrection, we look back with a much clearer view.  To begin this journey as a willing servant of the Lord, the first step is to trust in Christ as your Savior.  Let our friends from Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) help you with this step by clicking here.  

Father, thank you for Mary.  Thank you that in the abundance of your grace, you selected her out of all of the young women of Israel of her time, in fact of all time.  When the time was right, Jesus came forth, born of a virgin.  Mary's humility, godliness and faith were critical to her being eligible, as was her being of the line of David.  Yet, if we put it all on Mary, then we exalt her and minimize You.  Instead, we should maximize you by declaring like she did that You are the One to be praised for this great privilege.  May we be available for whatever you have for us, prepared in godliness, like your servant Mary was.  In Jesus name, Amen.