The Ladies’ Corner

Women of The Bible:

Mary

The Woman Who

Found Favour With God

Luke 1:26-56

26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshdow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
39 ¶ And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;
40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.
41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.
45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

This portion of Scripture declares the exciting story of Mary being made aware that she has been selected by God to give birth to the Saviour of the world. Mary was used of the Lord in a special way. What qualities in Mary’s life enabled her to find favour with God? “And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.” Luke 1:30

I. The Purity of MaryLuke 1:26-27, 34
26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

It was prophesied in the Old Testament that Jesus would be born of a virgin.

Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

The Scriptures also record that Jesus would be a descendent of the tribe of Judah.

Genesis 49:10
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

and the line of David

Luke 3:33
Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda,

Matthew 1:2-3

Isaiah 9:7
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Isaiah 11:1-5
1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

Matthew 1:1

But the unknown in this Old Testament prophecy is the name of the young maiden, the virgin, who would be chosen for the sacred task of giving birth to the Son of God.

Although Mary did not know she would be selected by God, Mary still made the decision to keep herself pure. Just as Mary had done, we need to keep ourselves pure and clean (physically and spiritually) to be used effectively for the Lord’s work.

A. Purity from Sin

Psalm 65:3
Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.

Isaiah 1:15-18
15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Hebrews 9:14
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

I John 1:7-9

Revelation 1:5

B. Purity of Heart

Psalm 24:3-4
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

1 Timothy 1:5
Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

2 Timothy 2:22
Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

1 Peter 1:22

C. Purity of Conscience

Acts 23:1
And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.

Acts 24:16
And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

1Timothy 1:5, 19
5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:

2 Timothy 1:3
I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;

Hebrews 13:18

II. The Humility of Mary Luke 1:38a
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord;Deuteronomy 34:5
So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.Joshua 24:29
And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being an hundred and ten years old.

3. Hannah
1 Samuel 1:11, 18
1 And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life.

Mary could have easily been lifted up in pride due to the praise given by the angel Gabriel. Instead, Mary refers to herself as the “handmaid of the Lord.” Handmaid is synonymous with servant (slave); one who gives himself up to another’s will; those whose service is used by Christ.

A. Examples of Servants

1. Moses

2. Joshua

18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

4. Paul
Titus 1:1
Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;Matthew 20:25-28
25 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.
26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;
27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:
28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Philippians 2:7
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:B. Characteristics of Servants of the Lord

2 Timothy 2:24, 26
24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

1. Peacemaker
2. Patient
3. Gentle, Gracious
4. Meek
5. Teachable
6. HumbleIII. The Submission of Mary

Luke 1:38
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.

5. Our Lord

James 4:10

“…be it unto me according to thy word:.

Mary submitted to the divine will of God.
Matthew 6:10
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.2 Chronicles 30:8
Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.IV. The Faith of Mary

Luke 1:45
And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

A. The Divine Example of Submission

Matthew 26:39-42
39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

John 5:30
I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

B. The Command of Submission

Romans 6:13-19
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Luke 2:19
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

Mary demonstrated her faith by never questioning or doubting the message that the angel Gabriel had brought to her. Mary also believed the message that was brought to the shepherds. She believed that God would do what He said. We need faith to please God

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. V. Mary Exalts the Lord Luke 1:46-55
46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.
51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
55 As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

A. Her Magnifying

Psalm 34:3
O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 69:30

B. Her Rejoicing

1 Samuel 2;1
And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

C. Her Thanksgiving

Psalm 20:5
We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions.

Psalm 32:11
Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

Psalm 33:1
Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.

Psalm 97:2
Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.

Philippians 4:4, 6

Psalm 100:4
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Psalm 147:7
Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:

Philippians 4:6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

************

Things to ask ourselves:

Am I desiring to be a spiritual success?

Have I found favour with God or with man?

Remember:

“The man who humbly bows before God
is sure to walk upright before man.”