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DAY 1: Radical Obedience 

“You have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered, “may your word to me be fulfilled.”

Could you imagine being Mary? You are going about your day and suddenly an angel shows up. In a moment, the angel flips your life upside down and your response is, “Let’s go.” 

Let's talk about what Mary’s life looked like during that time. If we do not understand what was happening, we can't fully understand the power of Mary’s obedience. 

Mary is a virgin. Mary is also betrothed to Joseph, which means they are in a legal marriage contract. At that time in Israel, there were phases to the marriage process. The first was the betrothal. The betrothal is a much greater commitment than our modern-day engagement. The betrothal was the day a couple's family joined in a legally binding agreement of marriage. Once betrothed, you can only break this contract through a divorce. The betrothal was custom to take place one year before the marriage. During that year, the groom would prepare a home for the bride and the bride would make her wedding garments. Now, they were set apart for each other, but they did not have sex during this time. They both still lived in their parent’s homes until their wedding day.

Israel had punishment for anyone who broke this contract through sexual relationships. I am only going to share two of them, but you can read more in Deuteronomy 22.

Deuteronomy 22:20-22 says, "But if the thing is true, that evidence of virginity was not found in the young woman, then they shall bring out the young woman to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done an outrageous thing in Israel by whoring in her father's house. So, you shall purge the evil from your midst."

Deuteronomy 22:23-24, says, "If there is a betrothed virgin, and a man meets her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry for help though she was in the city, and the man because he violated his neighbor's wife. So, you shall purge the evil from your midst."

During the time Mary was betrothed to Joseph, the angel Gabriel frightened her with a visit. Luke 1:26-38 says, 

“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 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, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 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 the holy, the Son of God. 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. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.”

Wow, there is a lot to unpack in this scripture. Today, let’s focus on one thing: Mary knowing the law of the land. You cannot be pregnant without having sex. Mary's pregnancy breaks the contract with Joseph. According to Deuteronomy, she could be put to death. Despite knowing this she responded, “I am the Lord’s servant, may your word to me be fulfilled.” 

What radical obedience and faith!

She didn't give herself time to fear what could happen. Even with her best attempts, she couldn’t explain what happened to her. Who would believe that she had never had sex when she ended up pregnant?

Despite what society said, she trusted what Gabriel had told her. 

If God says go, would your immediate response be to say yes? Would you move in complete obedience no matter what the cost?