seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Luke 1:26 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[b] 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.
The Bible hasn't mentioned Mary telling her parents. I don't see anything at all about Mary's parents. Mary was betrothed.... engaged... there was a contract. In those days... women were still property. Mary's father had already agreed [engaged] Mary would marry Joseph. Joseph would have taken over the cost of caring for Mary. There had been a betrothal ceremony. Mary vowed to stay faithful to her future husband Joseph. After about a year... the groom [Joseph] would surprise Mary with an unscheduled visit..... that was the big deal about groom taking his bride by surprise. The marriage ceremony in the day.... when all the finest wine was brought out.... was actually a betrothal ceremony. So.... Mary had already been betrothed.... she was waiting for her "surprise".
Back in the days of Jesus.... bloodlines were extremely serious. The reason the bride was betrothed a year before the groom came in to "surprise" his bride..... was to make sure she wasn't already pregnant. No man wanted to raise another man's child. No man wanted to raise another man's son. So.... it was the custom that they waited.... after the ceremony.... they waited.... Mary was waiting.... she was engaged... she was betrothed.... but she was still a virgin because they were in that year of waiting.
Back in the days of Esther.... the women in line to be considered for the position of queen.... were given beauty treatments while they waited. Mary was a young girl.... baby making machines were valuable.... if she was older.... she would have already been wed and have a child of her own. Women were property back then.... they were there for chores and children.... helpers.... tools. Mary was a commodity under contract legally.
From the git go Mary was a little apprehensive about this cat Gabriel who showed up in her life to announce she was going to get pregnant and have a son. I bet, knowing now that Mary was under contract.... betrothed..... I bet Mary thought Gabriel was trying to trick her. She was really quick to tell him in no uncertain terms that she couldn't be having a son anytime soon because she was a betrothed virgin.
I don't think she was being all goody two shoes when she said "I am the Lord's servant". I think she was telling Gabriel.... "yeah right, mother of the Messiah.... yeah right". Gabriel had to tell her about Elizabeth [her cousin] so Mary could go check it out. The only other person who knew Elizabeth was pregnant was her husband, Mary's uncle and he wasn't talking.
So Mary went to see Elizabeth. I bet all the way to her cousin's house Mary was telling herself how ridiculous the story was. Elizabeth was an old woman and everyone knew she couldn't have kids. So Mary would go debunk this whole story when she saw Elizabeth. But when she finally got to Judea... where Elizabeth was living..... she learned the news was true. Elizabeth was pregnant.... and Mary realized.... she was going to have a son...
How in the world was she going to tell her "husband" Joseph? She didn't have to worry about that. When Joseph found out.... he knew the "legal" demise that was going to befall her. Joseph must have liked Mary.... because he planned to divorce her quietly. If Joseph was a vengeful kind of guy he would have told people the baby wasn't his and they would have stoned her to death.... along with the baby. Joseph was given a vision.... and he agreed to keep Mary and the Baby.... and Joseph agreed to name the baby Jesus.
Mary was a betrothed woman who was pregnant. When she came back from visiting Elizabeth and Zechariah's.... she would have been showing.... and that's when Joseph would have found out. Joseph was a descendant of Jacob. Joseph was in the line of David. Mary was the niece of the temple priest Zechariah. They were good people. Joseph went along with the plan..... Just like God knew he would.
Merry Christmas Mary, Elizabeth, Zechariah, and Joseph..... a child will be born..... and He'll be the Savior.
Merry Christmas everyone.....
