A Matter of Trust

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

³⁴ “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

³⁵ The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called^[a] the Son of God. ³⁶ Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. ³⁷ For no word from God will ever fail.”

³⁸ “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:26-38

Can you just imagine what it would have been like?

A young, unmarried virgin girl has been given this unimaginable news.

A visiting angel tells her that she has been chosen to give birth to the Son of God.

Really?

I mean, how does a young girl...how does anyone...even begin to wrap their brain around that? 

I can't even imagine. 

This little book is one of my favorite things.

Maybe you have seen it or maybe you have it too.

I get it out every year as I put out my Christmas decorations. 

It was given to me back in 2005 from a sweet friend who was at the time, my Secret Pal at church. 

The book tells the stories of Christmas taken from scripture but written in short story form—

based on what is known in scripture and then elaborated on a bit.

As I read through the first story, the theme is trust.

God trusted Mary, knowing that she would be the perfect mother to His Son.

Even though the scripture doesn't mention the word trust, it really is what it's all about.

Mary had to trust God more than she ever had to before.

She had to trust Him, first, to be able to accept this truth...

...that she was going to have the Son of God.

She had to trust Him to get her through the many obstacles that she and Joseph would face.

Mary trusted God completely...it's the way she lived her life.

That's why He chose her.

That's why He trusted her to raise His Son.