It was a lot for a teenage girl to take in. That she would be the one God chose to be the mother of the Messiah would be a bit like winning the lottery. That she would be able to have a child without having relations with a man was simply impossible. But that the child she would bear would be the Son of God? We still can’t understand the mystery of the incarnation, and we’ve had 2000 years to think about it.

But all this wasn’t just hard for Mary to believe. It would be even harder for her to participate in God’s plan. If she were to become pregnant in such a miraculous way, who would believe her? Her father could have thrown her out of the house. Her fiancé Joseph could have had her stoned as an adulteress (engagements were much more serious affairs back then). And at the very least, she would have to endure the scorn and the whispers of her neighbors for the rest of her life. Her reputation would be ruined.

And yet she responded in verse 38, not in fear but in faith. “Behold the handmaid, the bondslave of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” She trusted God even though trusting Him might mean losing everything she had, and perhaps even life itself. She trusted God with all she was and all she had – and great blessings came not only to her but to the whole world.

How is God calling you to trust Him today? What might happen if you laid down your comfortable expectations and followed God in radical faith? Why don’t we give it a try and see what happens? For after all, with God nothing shall be impossible.

Luke 1:36-38 (NASB)

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee, called Nazareth,
27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And coming in, he said to her, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
29 But she was greatly troubled at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this might be.
30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.
31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.
32 “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;
33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God.
36 “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.
37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.”
38 And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.