Tag: Mary

As if there wasn’t enough going on, now, as a community-ostracized, pregnant young woman, we have to make a prolonged trip with thousands of others to another city with what seems minimal support!

If God is going to ask so much of someone, why would He allow such struggles?

We may wonder that, too.

But God doesn’t promise we won’t have struggles. In fact, the opposite is true.

Jesus says that in this life we are guaranteed to have struggles, but to take heart, because He has overcome them and is with us through them!

That’s enough!

Always.

Scriptures

• Luke 2:1-7
• John 16:33

I often wonder about the order of things here.

Did Mary go to visit Elizabeth before telling Joseph or after?

Did she do it to hide? Build up her courage to face Joseph and the community?

In any event, it would be welcome to get out of her town and visit someone who would encourage and help her through this difficult time.

Somewhere she could go to process and get a break from everything happening.

Sometimes we all need that!

But really, Jesus is the One through whom we find our true rest – for all time!

Scriptures

• Luke 1:39-45

The angel is gone. Perhaps Mary is starting to show. And Joseph has to be told.

Being found pregnant out before a wedding was not good!

What would this mean for her marriage; for the raising of this prophesied Son; for her family; for her standing in the community? Indeed, what would it mean for her literal life?

Scary!

But what God promises, He see through.

It was true with Mary. It is true with us.

Scriptures

• Matthew 1:18-25

Mary is amazing!

An incredible, special women who “found favor with God” and submitted to His will for her and, through her, for all!

Yet one has to wonder what was in her mind. She must have had questions. Perhaps a chief one being, “who am I”? Why was I the one who found favor in God’s eyes?

In this series for Advent and Christmas we will look at “Mary’s Advent” for the time leading up to, including, and just following Jesus’ birth, as well as our own Advent in the process.

Scriptures

• Luke 1:26-38
• Luke 1:46-56