By Mary Denison Williams

“Don’t be afraid, Mary, the angel told her, God is good to you.” The young girl had just been told that she was to have a child though she was still a virgin. At that time, being found pregnant and unmarried was a hopeless and dangerous situation and would have had serious consequences for her. She was startled and tried to understand. Though troubled and unable to understand the impossible, her response of faith was immediate: “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it happen to me as you said.”

During her pregnancy, she visited her older, formerly barren cousin, Elizabeth, who was also miraculously pregnant. Upon hearing Elizabeth’s greeting, “You are blessed for believing that the Lord will do what he has promised you,” Mary replied in praise, “My soul magnifies the Lord, my Savior.”

The very night Mary gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, shepherds arrived at the barn and told of the good news the angels proclaimed to them: “A great joy will come to all the people: the Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you this day in Bethlehem. This is how you will know him; you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” All who heard were surprised, but Mary with her new mother’s insight “treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

As Mary’s Child grew strong in body and wisdom with the favor of God upon him, he went missing after the family’s annual journey to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. After Mary’s twelve-year-old son was found in the Temple, sitting among the teachers, listening and answering questions, all were amazed at his understanding and answers. But his mother, in her growing knowledge of him, “treasured all these things in her heart.” It was as if she could see through a veil, but not yet understand.

When Jesus came to manhood, Mary revealed the complete trust she had in him at the wedding feast at Cana when she turned to her son and simply said, “They

have no wine.” Though he told her, “My time has not yet come,” he performed the first miracle of his ministry at her request by turning water into wine.

Just a few short years later, Mary stood in anguish next to her beloved Son as he hung on the cross. Though in excruciating pain and near death, Jesus looked upon his mother and provided for her needs as he said to her, “Woman, behold your son.” Then to his beloved disciple John he said, “Behold, your mother.” From that day, John took care of Mary.

Then the words Simeon had spoken to Mary years before at Jesus’ circumcision must have finally made sense. Perhaps she recalled the day she had taken her infant son to the Temple when Simeon had taken her babe into his arms and praised God saying, “My eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared for all people.” Then he said to Mary, “Here is what this child is appointed for...and pain, like a sword, will go through your own soul, too.”

One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Mary, did you know?” Some of the lyrics are as follows: “Mary, did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water? Mary, did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters? Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?... And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.”

Mary was called for a great purpose - to believe the unbelievable. We too are called to believe the unbelievable - God became flesh and lived among us to die for our sins so that we might live forever and someday kiss the face of God. What Mary saw and heard that gave her Faith and Hope, we too can see and hear in God’s Word. This December, let us ponder along with Mary the wonder of the Person and life of Jesus by reading one chapter a day of the Gospel of Luke. I invite you to join me, starting with Luke, Chapter 1, on December 1st and reading a chapter a day through Luke 24 on Christmas Eve.