The Mystery of Mary

I have gained a deeper appreciation for Mary the mother of Jesus. I watched "The Nativity Story" a few months back. I am in awe at how young this woman was when she gave birth to the Messiah.

The section of scripture when Mary was visited by the angel has been reverberating in my spirit. I have often read about this encounter, but it hit me like a ton of bricks this week.

Luke 1:29-37
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 be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name 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 the house of Jacob 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 upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."

We all assume the incarnation was simply a wave of God's magic wand. We never really stop to ponder how such a glorious act transpired. But, according to scripture this encounter is veiled. Mary was covered by a shadow, and the virgin birth is protected by secrecy. The treasure of the incarnation is so valuable that God will not reveal how it came about. Of course, this begs the question...does Mary know?

I long to know what happened to Mary when God finally became flesh. Did she feel a stirring in her womb? Did she have to receive the word with faith because there was no apparent physical change? We read that the Spirit came upon her...whatever that means. Then we read that God shielded Mary and His tiny Son Jesus in a shadow of love.

The word for overshadow is the Greek word, episkiazō. It is a verb that means to throw a shadow upon, to envelop in a shadow, to overshadow. God is hiding this mystery. The incarnation has always fascinated me! I am renewed in my interest.