In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 
Luke 1:26-27 ESV

Now it should be no secret, that we Protestants, neither pray to Mary, nor seek her favors. But, in our zeal to be Biblically correct, we sadly simply skip over the life of the mother of Jesus entirely. Just think of all hundreds of thousands of women who were living in Israel. Why did God choose to come to Mary, and what lessons did He intend for us to learn from her?

Grace – And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Luke 1:30

     I can still remember, sitting on the floor around our teacher’s feet in kindergarten, and listening to her read the Christmas story from second chapter of Luke. Our little faces lit up with wonder as we listened to the story of shepherds, angels and a baby born in a manger. But the Bible’s account of Christmas actually began, not in Bethlehem, but in Nazareth. God sent the angel Gabriel to the small village of Nazareth, to tell Mary about His plan, and God chose Mary by His unmerited favor, which is what we call grace.

Impossibility ‘- And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin? Luke 1:34  

      On hearing the angel’s message, Mary, in a respectful manner, immediately points out something she thinks that the angel may have misunderstood. What He was telling her was impossible. I wonder if she blushed! “Mr. Angel, you might not know this but, I am still a virgin!” But God is not bothered by our impossibilities. In fact, He chooses us, not because of our achievements, but because of His plans.

Miracles – And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. Luke 1:35  

      Mary was God’s choice, first by grace, then because she was a virgin and last because she was the perfect person to show the world the miracle of Immanuel, “God with us.” She was the one with whom this was impossible. But our impossibilities are the perfect canvas upon which God may paint His miracles, and there was no greater miracle than God becoming man, living among us and then giving His life on the cross. Yes, Mary was not only the perfect choice, but she is the perfect example for every believer. We are His by grace. Our impossibilities are God’s opportunities, and there is no greater miracle than the life of Jesus being lived out in our hearts, day by day, to show the world our Christ!

Sometimes you just might stop to ask 

What God wants of you 

What kind of an important task 

Has He called you to do 



The Bible makes it very clear

 That God made us unique 

Just like eyes and nose appear 

Quite different from our feet 



We each by God's own loving grace 

Through faith and humble life 

Are given a way in His design

To show the world our Christ!

To Show the World Our Christ
by Peter Caligiuri
copyright 2023
All rights reserved