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I struggle with surrendering because it takes me out of control. A simple example, I don’t like to surrender the keys to the car or truck and let my wife drive. We could be on a 12-hour road trip, and I’m going to stay locked in at ten and two for eleven of those hours and only surrender the last hour when I’m about to fall out. By then, I know my passenger princess is fully rested up and can carry us the rest of the way. She’s had her snacks and caffeine, rested, car danced, and she's locked in and ready to carry us the final miles to our destination. So, I surrender control for the last hour, sleep with one eye open, and still tell her how to drive. True story.
Mary was overwhelmed with the grace and mercy of the Lord that was being poured out on a lowly servant girl like her. It’s not uncommon to feel unworthy of what the Lord has called you from and what he’s calling you to. In fact, I think if you ever started to get over the feeling of your own unworthiness while following and serving Jesus, you’ve probably drifted into some pretty dangerous territory. Unworthiness is not a deterrent to obedience. Mary modeled this well.
Mary gets more details about the child she is going to conceive. He’s going to be the Son of God. He’s going to rule on the throne of David and over Israel forever. His Kingdom is eternal. The angel says, “Mary, you’re going to be the mother to the Messiah.” Do you remember what Sarah did in Genesis 18 when God told Abraham she was going to have a son, and she overheard it? She laughed. Yeah, right. I’m too old, and so is my husband. And God said, “Why did you laugh, Sarah? Is anything too hard for God?” Sarah doubted God and lacked faith. Just before this, Zacharias was told his wife Elizabeth was going to have a son, and he doubted God. So, the angel made him mute until the child was born.
We don’t see an attitude of doubt here in Mary. If you don’t take all of this in context, you might think she’s questioning God, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” Mary is questioning the method, not the message. She had already accepted the message and the responsibility. Now, she’s asking for clarity on the details. How is a holy God going to make this happen through a simple servant girl like me?
Mary has already surrendered at this point. In spite of her unworthiness, she leans into the calling in obedience. It’s like her saying to the angel, “Ok, tell me more.” Mary has the attitude of Samuel here, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening. Just tell me what I need to do.” That’s obedience. She is ready to accept the responsibility even despite the problems or consequences. Remember, faith begins where our control ends. Obedience means full surrender to God’s calling and plan on your life and stepping out in faith. Exactly what we see happening with Mary here in this passage. Lastly, with surrender...
The angel says, “Mary, this is going to be a work of the Holy Spirit. Something supernatural that has never happened before in the history of mankind is fixing to take place.“ He says, “The Most High will overshadow you.” This word overshadow means “preternatural” or beyond the scope of nature. The Holy Spirit himself is going to orchestrate a divine conception. And as a result, the baby born to you will be holy. And as if Mary needed more proof of what God can do and was going to do, the angel tells her that her barren relative Elizabeth is six months pregnant and she’s going to have a baby too.
And the last thing that the angel said to Mary is the most important to remember when living the life of faith - "For the word of God will never fail." Mary’s response? “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” Whatever the Lord requires of me, I’m up for the task. I know I don’t understand it all at the moment, but I’m just going to trust God for the outcome. Why? Because the word of God will never fail.
She would need to trust that the word of God would never fail when they were fleeing the wrath of Herod to Egypt. And again, when Herod died and they moved back to Nazareth. And she would need to trust that the word of God will never fail when her son was put to death on a cross, promising to rise again three days later. Mary trusted from day one when she surrendered to this calling on her life that the word of God would never fail.
I gave my life to Christ when I was around eight years old. That was my initial obedience. My surrender came later. I was later on in my twenties when I finally made a full surrender to Christ. We had a special speaker at church that particular week who finally made it clear to me what it meant to surrender my life fully to Christ. I’m not talking about salvation. I’m talking about a full commitment to serve Christ no matter the cost. With all my being, I trusted God would see me through whatever he called me to because the word of God will never fail.
Have you come to that same place in your life? Have you come to a moment of full surrender where you know God has called your name and has a purpose and a plan for your life? If you have confessed your sins and called on the name of Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit living within you now. Which means, you have been given a very special gifting and talent to be used for God's glory. Do you know why God created you? And more importantly, have you surrendered your life to do whatever he asks?
Surrendering is hard. It starts where our control ends, and that is a scary place. Too many times, our head gets in the way of what God is telling our heart to do. I’m unworthy. I’m not sure I have what it takes. I don’t know what other people might think. I’m scared. I’m worried. I don’t have the means and the resources. But it’s not about you. It’s about God and what he can do through and in you. Whatever God is calling you to in the new year, I pray you will surrender to His call. Step out in faith and trust him to do incredible things with your mustard seed of faith. Mary did.
I was raised in a military home, and my mom raised us to be independent. You don’t whine and complain about work. You don’t gripe and moan at the lot you’ve been given in life. You put your hands to the plow and get to work. My dad was in the Army for Pete’s sake…Be all you can be. Take control of your own destiny. That’s how a lot of us approach life. We like to be in control. We want to live like we want to live and do the things we want to do. Which is why Jesus said, “It’s easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.”
If we are going to experience the Kingdom of Heaven. We have to trust the King of Heaven with our lives. That’s what salvation is. It’s full admission that I am lost and undone. I’m a sinner in need of a Savior. I have tried doing things my own way, and I failed miserably. Now I’m living my life for Jesus. It’s giving up control of our will and surrendering to God’s will. It’s not knowing what God has in store for us in the future, but committing to trust our future to him regardless. And sometimes, it feels like you’re driving around Rockingham at 130mph, and you just disconnect the steering wheel and throw it out the window. Jesus, take the wheel. You’re not in control of your life anymore. You are seeking out, in faith, God’s will for your life in everything you do. It is surrendering complete control of your life to Jesus Christ. Faith begins where your control ends.
If we are going to experience the Kingdom of Heaven. We have to trust the King of Heaven with our lives. That’s what salvation is. It’s full admission that I am lost and undone. I’m a sinner in need of a Savior. I have tried doing things my own way, and I failed miserably. Now I’m living my life for Jesus. It’s giving up control of our will and surrendering to God’s will. It’s not knowing what God has in store for us in the future, but committing to trust our future to him regardless. And sometimes, it feels like you’re driving around Rockingham at 130mph, and you just disconnect the steering wheel and throw it out the window. Jesus, take the wheel. You’re not in control of your life anymore. You are seeking out, in faith, God’s will for your life in everything you do. It is surrendering complete control of your life to Jesus Christ. Faith begins where your control ends.
I think we see a beautiful picture of this in the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Everywhere we look during the Christmas season, we see familiar symbols that remind us of the birth of Jesus. Angels, wisemen, mangers, shepherds, stars, and so many other Christmas symbols are placed on display so beautifully around our homes, churches, and neighborhoods. The images are so familiar to us. They bring a certainness and concreteness to that old familiar account of the first Christmas that took place over two thousand years ago. With the many traditions of our holiday season, we sometimes forget that the birth of Jesus was anything but traditional.
What we find in the Christmas story is that life then, much like our lives today, is filled with uncertainty. Following Jesus rarely looks like a straight path. But throughout the Christmas story, we see time and again that even when the road is hard to understand, God is still in control and still accomplishing his purpose in our lives. Our job is to surrender our lives to him and trust that he knows what’s best. Some thoughts on how Mary modeled surrender to God’s plan for her life.
The angel of the Lord shows up with this greeting – “favored” woman, the Lord is with you. This word favored here is beautiful. It means “endowed with grace.” The angel is saying, “Mary, God is pouring out his grace upon you because he loves you and he has a special plan for your life.” And Mary’s response? It says she is confused and disturbed. A better word might be “perplexed.” By the world’s standards, Mary was anything but favored. Jewish customs of betrothal would have Mary at around 16 years old or so when Jesus was born. So, she was young. She didn’t have a lot of money as a young servant girl. And she was female. Women were not highly regarded in Jewish culture. Her confusion here is warranted. It is no wonder that she felt unworthy. She expresses her unworthiness in her Magnificat just a few verses later.
She Recognized Her Own Unworthiness
Luke 1:28-31
Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.
The angel of the Lord shows up with this greeting – “favored” woman, the Lord is with you. This word favored here is beautiful. It means “endowed with grace.” The angel is saying, “Mary, God is pouring out his grace upon you because he loves you and he has a special plan for your life.” And Mary’s response? It says she is confused and disturbed. A better word might be “perplexed.” By the world’s standards, Mary was anything but favored. Jewish customs of betrothal would have Mary at around 16 years old or so when Jesus was born. So, she was young. She didn’t have a lot of money as a young servant girl. And she was female. Women were not highly regarded in Jewish culture. Her confusion here is warranted. It is no wonder that she felt unworthy. She expresses her unworthiness in her Magnificat just a few verses later.
Luke 1:47-51
Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! 48 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. 49 For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. 50 He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. 51 His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
Mary was overwhelmed with the grace and mercy of the Lord that was being poured out on a lowly servant girl like her. It’s not uncommon to feel unworthy of what the Lord has called you from and what he’s calling you to. In fact, I think if you ever started to get over the feeling of your own unworthiness while following and serving Jesus, you’ve probably drifted into some pretty dangerous territory. Unworthiness is not a deterrent to obedience. Mary modeled this well.
She Stepped Forward in Obedience to God's Call
After telling Mary she’s going to have a son and name him Jesus, the angel goes on and says,Luke 1:32-34
32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
Mary gets more details about the child she is going to conceive. He’s going to be the Son of God. He’s going to rule on the throne of David and over Israel forever. His Kingdom is eternal. The angel says, “Mary, you’re going to be the mother to the Messiah.” Do you remember what Sarah did in Genesis 18 when God told Abraham she was going to have a son, and she overheard it? She laughed. Yeah, right. I’m too old, and so is my husband. And God said, “Why did you laugh, Sarah? Is anything too hard for God?” Sarah doubted God and lacked faith. Just before this, Zacharias was told his wife Elizabeth was going to have a son, and he doubted God. So, the angel made him mute until the child was born.
We don’t see an attitude of doubt here in Mary. If you don’t take all of this in context, you might think she’s questioning God, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” Mary is questioning the method, not the message. She had already accepted the message and the responsibility. Now, she’s asking for clarity on the details. How is a holy God going to make this happen through a simple servant girl like me?
Mary has already surrendered at this point. In spite of her unworthiness, she leans into the calling in obedience. It’s like her saying to the angel, “Ok, tell me more.” Mary has the attitude of Samuel here, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening. Just tell me what I need to do.” That’s obedience. She is ready to accept the responsibility even despite the problems or consequences. Remember, faith begins where our control ends. Obedience means full surrender to God’s calling and plan on your life and stepping out in faith. Exactly what we see happening with Mary here in this passage. Lastly, with surrender...
Trust That With God All Things Are Possible
This is my favorite part of this story. After Mary asks for more details of how this was going to happen, we read this,Luke 1:35-38
35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. 37 For the word of God will never fail.” 38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
The angel says, “Mary, this is going to be a work of the Holy Spirit. Something supernatural that has never happened before in the history of mankind is fixing to take place.“ He says, “The Most High will overshadow you.” This word overshadow means “preternatural” or beyond the scope of nature. The Holy Spirit himself is going to orchestrate a divine conception. And as a result, the baby born to you will be holy. And as if Mary needed more proof of what God can do and was going to do, the angel tells her that her barren relative Elizabeth is six months pregnant and she’s going to have a baby too.
And the last thing that the angel said to Mary is the most important to remember when living the life of faith - "For the word of God will never fail." Mary’s response? “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” Whatever the Lord requires of me, I’m up for the task. I know I don’t understand it all at the moment, but I’m just going to trust God for the outcome. Why? Because the word of God will never fail.
Oh, how Mary was going to need to lean into those truths time and time again in her life. She was going to have to trust God with her relationship with Joseph. Betrothal in the New Testament was a covenant agreement much stronger than an engagement, and it could only be broken legally by a divorce. Which is exactly what Joseph tried to do privately when he found out she was pregnant and the child was not his. But God intervenes and tells Joseph in a dream, and confirms that Mary is indeed telling the truth.
She would need to trust that the word of God would never fail when they were fleeing the wrath of Herod to Egypt. And again, when Herod died and they moved back to Nazareth. And she would need to trust that the word of God will never fail when her son was put to death on a cross, promising to rise again three days later. Mary trusted from day one when she surrendered to this calling on her life that the word of God would never fail.
I gave my life to Christ when I was around eight years old. That was my initial obedience. My surrender came later. I was later on in my twenties when I finally made a full surrender to Christ. We had a special speaker at church that particular week who finally made it clear to me what it meant to surrender my life fully to Christ. I’m not talking about salvation. I’m talking about a full commitment to serve Christ no matter the cost. With all my being, I trusted God would see me through whatever he called me to because the word of God will never fail.
Have you come to that same place in your life? Have you come to a moment of full surrender where you know God has called your name and has a purpose and a plan for your life? If you have confessed your sins and called on the name of Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit living within you now. Which means, you have been given a very special gifting and talent to be used for God's glory. Do you know why God created you? And more importantly, have you surrendered your life to do whatever he asks?
Surrendering is hard. It starts where our control ends, and that is a scary place. Too many times, our head gets in the way of what God is telling our heart to do. I’m unworthy. I’m not sure I have what it takes. I don’t know what other people might think. I’m scared. I’m worried. I don’t have the means and the resources. But it’s not about you. It’s about God and what he can do through and in you. Whatever God is calling you to in the new year, I pray you will surrender to His call. Step out in faith and trust him to do incredible things with your mustard seed of faith. Mary did.
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