I spoke last Sunday at our church on Mary’s story. I was given the verses Luke 1:39-55 which is when Mary goes to visit here relative, Elizabeth, just after the angel, Gabriel, visited her.<\/p>\n
This is the talk I gave:<\/p>\n
From today’s reading, this is the key verse that stood out to me.<\/p>\n
Luke 1:45 \u201cBlessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfil his promises to her!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Mary\u2019s Story<\/h2>\n
Today\u2019s reading is about Mary hurrying off to visit Elizabeth (who was pregnant with who we know as John the Baptist) and her song of praise.<\/p>\n
Why did she do that? Let\u2019s go back to v26 when the angel came to her.<\/p>\n
26 <\/sup><\/strong>In the sixth month of Elizabeth\u2019s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 <\/sup><\/strong>to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin\u2019s name was Mary. 28 <\/sup><\/strong>The angel went to her and said, \u201cGreetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.\u201d<\/p>\n
29 <\/sup><\/strong>Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 <\/sup><\/strong>But the angel said to her, \u201cDo not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. 31 <\/sup><\/strong>You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 <\/sup><\/strong>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 <\/sup><\/strong>and he will reign over Jacob\u2019s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.\u201d<\/p>\n
34 <\/sup><\/strong>\u201cHow will this be,\u201d Mary asked the angel, \u201csince I am a virgin?\u201d<\/p>\n
35 <\/sup><\/strong>The angel answered, \u201cThe 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 Son of God. 36 <\/sup><\/strong>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 <\/sup><\/strong>For no word from God will ever fail.\u201d<\/p>\n
38 <\/sup><\/strong>\u201cI am the Lord\u2019s servant,\u201d Mary answered. \u201cMay your word to me be fulfilled.\u201d Then the angel left her.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Let\u2019s look at a couple of things.<\/p>\n
\n
- Initial fear reaction \u2013 typical of most people that encountered angels.<\/li>\n
- Asks a perfectly reasonable question \u201cHow will this be,\u201d Mary asked the angel, \u201csince I am a virgin?\u201d
\nLook a the difference between the way she and Zechariah asks.<\/li>\n- The angel tells her and she just accepts it.<\/li>\n
- That\u2019s what I\u2019m going to talk about today. The amazing faith of Mary.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Faith is often admired, discussed, and even celebrated\u2014but obedience is where faith proves itself real.<\/p>\n
Many people claim belief in God, but Scripture consistently shows us that true faith moves, acts, and submits to God\u2019s will. Faith that remains theoretical never transforms a life. But faith that obeys\u2014faith that responds to God\u2019s word with trust and action\u2014becomes a channel through which God acts.<\/p>\n
In Luke, Mary has received a promise that defies logic, biology, and social safety. Yet instead of retreating in fear, she steps forward in obedience. Her response teaches us what it means to live a life of obedient faith.<\/p>\n
Through Mary, we see that obedience is not the result of understanding everything\u2014it is the result of trusting God.<\/p>\n
V39 \u201cAt that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah\u2019s home and greeted Elizabeth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mary had just received the most shocking news of her life: she would conceive by the Holy Spirit and bear the Son of God. She was young, unmarried, and vulnerable. The consequences could include shame, rejection, or even death.<\/p>\n
Yet notice what Scripture says: \u201cMary got ready and hurried.\u201d<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t delay. She didn\u2019t negotiate with God. She didn\u2019t wait until circumstances felt safer.<\/p>\n
She went straight to Elizabeth, probably the only person that would absolutely understand what was going on. Mary would most likely already have known about Zechariah and Elizabeth\u2019s interaction with Gabriel.<\/p>\n
Last week in Gai’s message she recommended that we read the genealogy at the beginning of Matthew. Gai, I did my homework. I read the genealogy. Turns out it is quite helpful for my talk.<\/p>\n
\n
- Comes in 3 sections:\n
\n
- Abraham to David<\/li>\n
- David to exile<\/li>\n
- Exile to Christ<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- These three are significant brackets\n
\n
- The establishment of the nation of Israel<\/li>\n
- The splitting of Israel and decline and eventual exile<\/li>\n
- The \u201cquiet\u201d period until Christ\u2019s birth. God doesn\u2019t seem to be talking to the nation of Israel apart from a few isolated individuals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
I won\u2019t read it out but we will look at a few of the names in there.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s look at the Abraham to David period.<\/p>\n
There are some real stories of faith in there<\/p>\n
The genealogy starts with Abraham for a good reason.<\/p>\n
Abraham\u2019s faithfulness stands as one of the clearest biblical examples of trusting God in obedience, even when the path ahead was uncertain. His journey of faith began when God called him to leave his homeland, promising to make him a great nation, despite Abraham having no clear destination or visible assurance (Genesis 12:1\u20134).<\/p>\n
12 The Lord had said to Abram, \u201cGo from your country, your people and your father\u2019s household to the land I will show you.
\n\u201cI will make you into a great nation,
\nand I will bless you;
\nI will make your name great,
\nand you will be a blessing.
\nI will bless those who bless you,
\nand whoever curses you I will curse;
\nand all peoples on earth
\nwill be blessed through you.\u201d
\nSo Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nAbraham obeyed immediately, demonstrating a faith that acted on God\u2019s word rather than relying on circumstances. This faith was tested through years of waiting for the promised heir, during which Abraham struggled with doubt yet continued to trust that God would fulfil His covenant (Genesis 15:2\u20136).
\nScripture records that Abraham \u201cbelieved the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness,\u201d emphasizing that faithfulness is rooted in trust in God, not on human achievement. The ultimate test of Abraham\u2019s faith came when God commanded him to sacrifice his son Isaac, the very child through whom the promises were to be fulfilled (Genesis 22:1\u201312). Abraham obeyed without hesitation, believing that God was able to provide or even raise Isaac from the dead. We see this in Hebrews 11:17\u201319.<\/p>\n17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, \u201cIt is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.\u201d 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
This act revealed a faith marked by total surrender and confidence in God\u2019s character. Despite moments of fear and failure, Abraham\u2019s consistent return to trust defined his faithfulness.<\/p>\n
Abrahams\u2019s son, Isaac<\/h3>\n
Isaac\u2019s faithfulness is often expressed through quiet obedience and steady trust rather than dramatic action. As the promised son through whom God\u2019s covenant with Abraham would continue, Isaac learned faith in the shadow of his father\u2019s example. His willingness to submit when Abraham was commanded to offer him on Mount Moriah reflects a deep trust in both his father and God (Genesis 22:6\u20139) (when he was bound and placed on the alter). Later in life, Isaac demonstrated faithfulness by remaining in the land God showed him, despite famine, and trusting the Lord\u2019s promise to bless and multiply his descendants. God told him not to go down to Egypt and he obeyed. Instead of responding to conflict with violence when others contested his wells, Isaac chose peace, moving on until God provided a place of rest (Genesis 26:17\u201322). These actions reveal a faith marked by patience, humility, and perseverance. Isaac\u2019s life teaches that faithfulness is often lived out quietly, through consistent obedience and reliance on God\u2019s promises rather than through bold or public acts.<\/p>\n
Isaac\u2019s son, Jacob<\/h3>\n
Jacob\u2019s faithfulness developed gradually through struggle, failure, and transformation. Early in his life, Jacob relied on deception and self-effort, yet God remained faithful to His covenant promises. Jacob\u2019s journey of faith deepened when God reaffirmed His promise to him in a dream at Bethel, assuring him of divine presence and blessing (Genesis 28:12\u201315). Over many years of hardship while serving Laban, Jacob learned perseverance and dependence on God rather than on his own schemes (Genesis 31:38\u201342). A defining moment of Jacob\u2019s faithfulness occurred when he wrestled with God, refusing to let go until he received a blessing, symbolizing his desire for God\u2019s favour above all else (Genesis 32:24\u201328). Renamed Israel, Jacob emerged transformed, walking in humility and trust. His life demonstrates that faithfulness is not instant but is shaped through endurance, repentance, and a growing reliance on God\u2019s promises.<\/p>\n
Rahab \u2013 the mother of Boaz<\/h3>\n
Rahab\u2019s step of faith stands as a powerful example of courage and trust in God despite overwhelming risk. Living in Jericho, Rahab chose to align herself with the God of Israel after hearing of His mighty acts, including the deliverance from Egypt and the defeat of powerful kings (Joshua 2:9\u201311). When Israelite spies came to her house, Rahab hid them and protected them from the king\u2019s men, placing her life in danger because she believed the Lord was sovereign over heaven and earth (Joshua 2:1\u20136). Her faith was not merely spoken but demonstrated through decisive action, as she obeyed the instructions given to her and tied the scarlet cord in her window as a sign of trust in God\u2019s promise of salvation (Joshua 2:18\u201321). If it had been seen by the wrong people it could have cost her and her family\u2019s lives. Rahab\u2019s faith was rewarded when she and her family were spared during the fall of Jericho (Joshua 6:22\u201325). The New Testament affirms her example, declaring that she was justified by works that flowed from faith.<\/p>\n
Ruth \u2013 the mother of Obed, grandmother of David<\/h3>\n
Ruth stays with Naomi. Not an Israelite (Moabite). She eventually marries Boaz, who was faithful to the Law.<\/p>\n
David part 1 \u2013 the shepherd boy.<\/h3>\n
David\u2019s faithfulness before becoming king is marked by trust in God, obedience, and humility during years of preparation and testing. As a young shepherd, David learned to rely on the Lord while protecting his flock, crediting God for delivering him from the lion and the bear, experiences that shaped his confidence in God\u2019s power (1 Samuel 17:34\u201337). This faith was displayed publicly when David faced Goliath, declaring that the battle belonged to the Lord and trusting God rather than weapons or armour (1 Samuel 17:46\u201347).<\/p>\n
46 <\/sup><\/strong>This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I\u2019ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 <\/sup><\/strong>All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord\u2019s, and he will give all of you into our hands.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
That is some serious faith. After being anointed by Samuel, David did not seize the throne by force but faithfully served King Saul because he knew that Saul was God\u2019s anointed. Even as Saul grew jealous and sought his life, David continued to honour him. During his years as a fugitive, David repeatedly refused to harm Saul when given the opportunity, choosing instead to honour God\u2019s anointed and trust God\u2019s timing (1 Samuel 24:4\u20137; 26:9\u201311). David\u2019s psalms from this period reveal a heart anchored in prayer, and reliance on God (Psalm 57:1\u20133). His faithfulness in adversity prepared him to rule with humility, dependence on God, and a deep awareness that leadership is entrusted by God, not achieved through ambition or revenge.<\/p>\n
We see how through the faithfulness of these people how the nation of Israel was founded and how it prospered.<\/p>\n
So let\u2019s look at the next block, From David to the exile.<\/p>\n
I’m not going to go into to too much detail because this is not meant to be a history lesson. There isn\u2019t a lot of faith to talk about here. After he became king, David became unfaithful as shown by his affair with Bathsheba and orchestrating Uriah\u2019s death in an attempt to keep it hidden.<\/p>\n
Solomon started well but eventually succumbed to his own success and even building alters to his wives\u2019 gods.<\/p>\n
The next run of kings were also lacking in faith with the exception of a couple such as Hezekiah.
\nHe turned the nation back to God and Israel prospered but this didn\u2019t last.<\/p>\nEventually the lack of faith of these kings led to exile in Babylon.<\/p>\n
Apart from a few faithful people like Daniel, Israel spent the next few hundred years in a bit of a spiritual wilderness.<\/p>\n
Which brings us back to Mary and her obedient faith.<\/p>\n
Mary didn\u2019t have proof yet\u2014only a promise. But when she obeyed, God confirmed His word.<\/p>\n
V41 \u201cWhen Elizabeth heard Mary\u2019s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, affirms three powerful truths:<\/p>\n
\n
- God\u2019s work in Mary is real<\/li>\n
- Mary is blessed because she believed<\/li>\n
- God is faithful to fulfil His promises<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
V45 \u201cBlessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfil His promises to her!\u201d<\/p>\n
This moment reminds us of Hebrews 11:6:<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
God delights in confirming obedient faith\u2014not always immediately, but always faithfully as we saw with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.<\/p>\n
We see this pattern throughout Scripture:<\/p>\n
\n
- Elijah obeyed, and fire fell (1 Kings 18)<\/li>\n
- Peter obeyed, and nets overflowed (Luke 5:5\u20136)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Obedience places us in the position to witness God\u2019s faithfulness.<\/p>\n
Mary responds not with fear, but with worship. What we call The Magnificat is a declaration of praise rooted in Scripture and trust.<\/p>\n
V46-47 \u201cMy soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her worship is not the result of answered prayers\u2014it is the response to trusting God\u2019s character.<\/p>\n
She worships before the promise is fulfilled.<\/p>\n
This is obedient faith and her worship flows from humility:<\/p>\n
V48 \u201cFor He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant.\u201d<\/p>\n
God consistently works through the humble:<\/p>\n
\n
- Moses, 40 years as a shepherd (Exodus 3)<\/li>\n
- David, a youngest son (1 Samuel 16)<\/li>\n
- Mary, a teenage girl from Nazareth \u2013 nothing to distinguish her before this as anything more than an ordinary girl<\/li>\n
- And many others \u2013 seems to be a bit of a theme<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\u201cGod opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.\u201d (James 4:6)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Obedient faith understands this truth:<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not about who we are\u2014it\u2019s about who God is.<\/p>\n
Mary\u2019s song shifts from personal praise to prophetic declaration.<\/p>\n
She proclaims what God does throughout history:<\/p>\n
\n
- He shows mercy<\/li>\n
- He scatters the proud<\/li>\n
- He brings down rulers<\/li>\n
- He lifts the humble<\/li>\n
- He fills the hungry<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Mary\u2019s faith is grounded in God\u2019s unchanging character.<\/p>\n
Obedient faith believes that God\u2019s ways are higher than ours:<\/p>\n
\u201cFor My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways.\u201d (Isaiah 55:8\u20139)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Mary closes by anchoring her faith in God\u2019s covenant promises:<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has helped His servant Israel, remembering to be merciful\u2026 just as He promised our ancestors, to Abraham and his descendants forever.\u201d V54-55<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Mary understood that God keeps His word.<\/p>\n
\u201cKnow therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love.\u201d (Deuteronomy 7:9)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Obedient faith remembers:<\/p>\n
\n
- God has been faithful<\/li>\n
- God is faithful<\/li>\n
- God will always be faithful<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Paul echoes this in the New Testament:<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.\u201d (Philippians 1:6)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Faith obeys not because outcomes are guaranteed\u2014but because God\u2019s promises are sure.<\/p>\n
Mary didn\u2019t know how everything would turn out.<\/p>\n
She only knew who God was.<\/p>\n
Faith that obeys says:<\/p>\n
\u201cYes\u201d before clarity<\/p>\n
\u201cTrust\u201d before certainty<\/p>\n
\u201cWorship\u201d before fulfilment<\/p>\n
James tells us plainly:<\/p>\n
\u201cFaith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.\u201d (James 2:17)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The question today is not whether we believe in God\u2014but whether we are willing to obey Him.<\/p>\n
What is God asking you to do?<\/p>\n
Where is He calling you to trust Him?<\/p>\n
What step of obedience have you been delaying?<\/p>\n
Like Mary, may we say:<\/p>\n
\u201cI am the Lord\u2019s servant.\u201d (Luke 1:38)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
True faith doesn\u2019t ask \u201cWhat will this cost me?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
It asks \u201cWhat is God asking of me?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n
I\u2019ll finish with a quote from someone at my last church<\/p>\n
Our faithfulness combined with God\u2019s faithfulness leads to greatness for the kingdom.<\/p>\n
Let’s pray.<\/p>\n
Heavenly Father,<\/p>\n
we come before You acknowledging that true faith does not ask, \u201cWhat will this cost me?\u201d but instead asks, \u201cWhat are You asking of me?\u201d Teach our hearts to listen for Your voice above our fears and doubts. Too often we weigh obedience against comfort, yet You call us to trust You completely.<\/p>\n
We remember Mary, a young woman who did not fully understand the path ahead, yet humbly said, \u201cI am the Lord\u2019s servant; may it be to me as You have said.\u201d Give us the faith she showed\u2014a faith willing to surrender plans, reputation, and security into Your hands. Help us to respond with the same courage and trust when You call us to step forward.<\/p>\n
Lord, shape our hearts to desire Your will above our own. Strengthen us to obey even when the cost is unclear, confident that You are faithful and that Your purposes are always good.<\/p>\n
Amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I spoke last Sunday at our church on Mary’s story. I was given the verses Luke 1:39-55 which is when Mary goes to visit here relative, Elizabeth, just after the angel, Gabriel, visited her. This is the talk I gave: From today’s reading, this is the key verse that stood out to me. Luke 1:45 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":152,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[44,12,45,35,43],"class_list":["post-150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-elizabeth","tag-faith","tag-gabriel","tag-mary","tag-trust"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/justanotherman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/justanotherman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/justanotherman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justanotherman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justanotherman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=150"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/justanotherman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":157,"href":"https:\/\/justanotherman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150\/revisions\/157"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justanotherman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/justanotherman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justanotherman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justanotherman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}