Characters at the Cradle: Mary, Nothing is Impossible

by David Chadwick

Mary. Cousin to Elizabeth. Betrothed to Joseph. Visited by the angel Gabriel. While she wore many hats, the most important one was this: Mary, mother of Jesus!

After Gabriel visited Mary, she became aware of the divine conception that would take place in her womb. She also found out that her formerly barren cousin, Elizabeth, was now with child. The story of Mary is full of faith, hope, and wonder.

Threaded throughout Mary’s life is a strong and fervent belief that with God, nothing is impossible! In fact, these were Gabriel’s last words to Mary (Luke 1:37).

Take a moment to break down this verse with me today. It starts with these two words: “for nothing.” As I often joke, I looked up nothing in the dictionary. Guess what it means? Nothing. Not a single thing. Then comes that word “impossible.” Did you know there is not one single hurdle, roadblock, or setback that is impossible for the Lord?

The next two words are also very important: with God. Communion with the Father. A life of abiding. Perfect union with the God of creation. The Savior of the world was ushered in on a foundation of faith and a life deeply connected to the Father.

What a firm foundation!

This theme of faith is found throughout the Bible. Do you remember Sarah? After 25 years of waiting for a promised son, she was told that one year later she would finally have a son (Genesis 18:14).

Then in Jeremiah 32:17, we are told that nothing is beyond the power of our God who created the heavens and the earth.

Consider Jesus’s own words in Matthew 19:26: “But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”’

Meditate on Ephesians 3:20-21: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

We should contemplate these truths today and forever. Whatever you are facing, consider Sarah, consider Jeremiah. Meditate on Scripture that strengthens your faith. Now consider again this beautiful story of Mary. And remember that with God, nothing is impossible.

Just as Mary did, let us all contemplate these last words for our lives today as well.

Nothing is impossible for God.

Characters at the Cradle: Mary, Gabriel's Message

by David Chadwick

Gabriel’s initial appearance to Mary left her “greatly troubled” as she tried to figure out why he said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” The angel went on to tell Mary not to fear and explained that she had found favor with God.

Mary settled into the news that she would bear a son and would call him Jesus. He would be the Son of God and the Savior of the world. Gabriel went on to say that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the power of the Most High would overshadow her. With every word that she held in her heart, her fear turned to faith.

After a powerful proclamation of the news of the coming King, Gabriel gave Mary an “Oh, by the way.” What did he tell Mary, you might ask? He said, and I paraphrase, “Oh, by the way, your cousin Elizabeth, in her old age, is also with child.” He told her that Elizabeth, too, was pregnant with a son and was just six months ahead of Mary. If you remember, Elizabeth was barren and she had been totally healed!

Can you imagine Mary trying to process all this information?

In those moments following Gabriel’s message, Mary had to contemplate that she was a virgin who would be having a child who was the Son of the Most High God. She also had to wrap her head around the fact that her cousin Elizabeth was also going to have a miracle child as well. In Elizabeth’s old age, she found herself miraculously pregnant.

Without Gabriel telling her, Mary could not have known of her cousin’s pregnancy because Elizabeth had been in solitude and quiet for five months. In those quiet early months of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, without a soul ever knowing, promise was growing, hope was arising, and promise was flourishing. Every word of the story God was writing would point to the ultimate hero, Jesus, the Savior of the world.

I wonder if Mary had enough time to even contemplate all that was happening in those moments. Do you think she had the wherewithal to recognize God’s redemptive purpose for all of mankind? Did she feel the anticipation swelling inside of her? Was she overjoyed? Was she stunned? I’m sure there was a mixture of many emotions!

Whether she fully knew it or not, Mary was watching the early stages of God’s plan of salvation begin to unfold before her very eyes!

Characters at the Cradle: Mary, The Divine Conception

by David Chadwick

There are many holy and purposeful connections that took place between the Creator of the universe and his creation leading up to Jesus’s entrance into the world. Join me as we continue to look at some of the special characters at the cradle.

I love the significance of both Gabriel and Joseph as characters at the cradle. But today, I want to place our focus more specifically on Mary, who played the very special role as mother of the Savior of the world.

I left you with a cliffhanger yesterday, thinking about the profound question Mary asked after hearing from Gabriel of the coming Savior. Mary said to Gabriel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

The answer: it was only done by the power of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, who is also known as the silent sovereign.

Mary’s conception as a virgin is the reality that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. It is one of the most profound mysteries of the Christian faith. Some false theologians have tried to downplay the importance of the Virgin Birth. They have implied that it is not an essential doctrine of the Christian faith. Hear me loud and clear, my dear friends, and I don’t use this phrase lightly, but this is a false teaching. Anyone teaching this could not be more wrong, and their teaching is heretical. You should never ascribe to it as a follower of Jesus. It’s a biblical teaching. The early church’s credal statements affirmed it. So should we if we are faithful followers of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary’s humanity to conceive a holy child in her womb. Jesus, the Son of God, would be different. He would live as a perfect human and the Savior of the world. Perfect God and perfect human at the same time. A mystery, for sure, but it’s what the Bible clearly teaches.

Jesus’s perfect holiness came from a divine conception. He had to be perfectly human in order to die for our sins, but perfectly God in order to forgive us for our sins. The Incarnation, God coming to earth as a man, paved the way for the greatest story ever told!

As we wrap up the miracle of divine conception, do you notice the Trinity here? The Father, the Most High God, ordained the entrance of Jesus, his Son, who was then created by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all present in the divine conception!