
Matthew 1:18-23 New International Version
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[a]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[b] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[d] (which means “God with us”).
Luke 1:26-38 New International Version
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[a] 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.
Jesus Christ was God incarnate, coming to earth in human form, being born of Mary.
God chose this virgin named Mary to bring forth the baby Jesus and she was therefore blessed above all women.
However, I’ve often pondered the great responsibility that came with the blessing. Take a moment to think about the responsibility that was placed on her shoulders.
Can you imagine being in her position and knowing that your child is the Son of God? Seeing the wonder and power of His being as he grew into manhood. Then understanding later what your son’s fate would be?

We know Mary was blessed among women with this honor, but she also must have had some troubling thoughts from time to time, for with great honor also comes great responsibility and obligations. However, omniscient God knew that Mary was up to the task of handling her great honor.
Finally, think of the anguish that this mother would feel as she stood below the cross of Calvary and saw her beloved son hanging and dying on that cross. What was going through her mind as she saw her son, the Son of God, dying for the sins of the world?

The mission given to this young woman was blessed and wonderful, yet daunting and surely with some heartache.
I hope this stirs the desire to study further the life of Mary. Why did God choose this young virgin to bring Christ into the world of "flesh and blood?" As you study the mother of Jesus, try to identify the lessons we all can learn from her life of obedience.

RVH