Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:38)

Incredible Faith

Nazareth was a quiet town in the region of Galilee. It was a town of carpenters where a young man named Joseph learned his craft like many young men of his day. Joseph was of the house and lineage of David and betrothed to a maiden named Mary. She was also of the tribe of Judah and the lineage of David. Mary was also related to Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, who was of the lineage of Aaron. Joseph and Mary were married according to Jewish custom, although they had not yet consummated their marriage. Mary was a virgin.

During the betrothal period, the angel Gabriel visited Mary to share some amazing news with her. Gabriel told Mary she would conceive in the womb and bring forth a Son. His name would be Jesus. He would be great and called the Son of the Highest. The Lord would give Jesus the throne of David, and He would reign over the house of Jacob forever. Mary, startled by the news, said to the angel that she couldn’t give birth to a son as she was a virgin. Gabriel assured her the Holy Spirit would come upon her, and the power of the Highest would overshadow her. There was nothing impossible for God to perform, and a virgin giving birth to a son was possible for the God of creation.

Mary had no warning or prophecies, pointing out that she would be the one with whom the Messiah would come. Isaiah had prophesied a virgin would bring the Messiah into the world, but no one told her she would be the one. She was the wife of a carpenter in a poor town that was nondescript in the nation of Israel. The angel Gabriel tells her that she is highly favored by God, and through her, the Son of God will enter the world. While everything seemed impossible to believe, Mary accepted the word of Gabriel by faith and implored the Lord’s word to be fulfilled through her.

Faith is necessary to please God. Strong faith is found when the testing of courage shows itself in accepting something that is incredible, impossible, unbelievable, and implausible. No matter how far science advances in the mind of man, babies are born through the act of a man and a woman. There is no other way a child is conceived in the womb. Contrary to modern science suggesting men can have babies, a child will only come into the world through the womb of a woman. Virgins cannot have babies. That is an impossibility. Mary understood this. There was no doubt in her mind about how babies are born. Yet, Gabriel, the angel of the Lord, tells her she will have a Son, and she accepts the word of God because God’s word is true – even when it is impossible.

There is little to describe the kind of faith required to accept the word of God fully without reservation. Abraham was told to sacrifice his son Isaac as a burnt offering, and he acted without hesitation. He believed God could raise his son from the dead, and in a figure that is exactly what happened. Mary had the faith of Abraham, accepting the impossible, knowing that nothing was impossible with God. His word was true, His promises sure, and whatever the Lord asked Mary to do, she was willing to obey. Her faith was that strong.

God has not asked anyone to offer their children as burnt offerings. He will not come to anyone to declare that they will enjoy a miraculous birth. What God has done is to give the world a book which reveals His will, His word, His promises, and His Son. Too many people read the Bible and walk away, saying what God is asking is impossible. They deny His word. Their hearts are unwilling to accept what they cannot understand. They will be lost for lack of faith. Mary believed with all her heart she would bear a Son, and she did. It is wrong to worship Mary as anything more than a blessed woman given the opportunity to serve the Lord God. The early church never venerated Mary; they worshipped her Son.

What part of the Bible do you consider impossible? It is the part you refuse to obey. Mary leaves an example of incredible faith, measured by the trust and loyalty that God can do anything and that nothing is impossible for God. If God can raise the dead, what can He not do in your life? He raised Jesus from the dead two thousand years ago, and Jesus still lives. Impossible? Not with the will and power of God. Believe in the impossible.