“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
Matthew 1:23
Each person God creates is given a divine plan for their life at conception. A plan with a godly purpose as to why they were born. A purpose filled with a heaven-sent mission that God has given to only them and can be performed by only this individual.
Each person is special. Each person is unique. But this person must have a heart and mind that is willing to accept God’s exclusive destiny for their life or it is lost. At times, God will give it to another and at times God will cause it to fizzle away and that blessing and witness to the world will be lost.
As the angel says in Luke 1:28, there was one woman that God highly favored. Not a woman that was flawless or better than everyone else. But one that was to be given a greater purpose in life than any other woman before her. One that would be used to change the course of history and the world itself. One that had only to be willing to give of herself.
That woman was Mary. She was not of royal blood or from a rich family. She was not the poorest of the poor, nor did she have a dismal background. She was fairly normal. There didn’t seem to be anything special about her to the naked eye, but God saw her heart and He knew that she was special. God did not need her to perform some amazing feat or influence many people.
He just needed her to be there. He just needed her to say yes. He just needed a willing heart.
And with a willing heart, Mary did something that no other woman could do, or would do, throughout history: give birth to the Messiah.
The one that had been promised to save us all. The one who was known as the Son of God.
Why Did God Want To Use Her?
For me, this is a tricky question to answer. Not because it’s hard or complicated, but because we will never know what God is thinking or the reasons He does things. All we can do is speculate based on the knowledge He has shared with us.
And although I do not try to claim that I understand why God does every little thing, I do believe that we can hold tight to certain truths that He has told us in the Bible. We can use these truths to speculate what might have happened.
But be careful to claim what we speculate as facts. If you are not positively sure and God has not claimed it as true, you could be wrong. It is better to suggest a possibility than to become a liar in the name of God. God will not bless you and may even punish you for misleading His flock.
So, see this as my speculation as to why God used Mary and not another.
She met the requirements
The life of the world’s Messiah was hinted at throughout the Old Testament. Many of these verses gave insight into the future event of Jesus’ birth. These prophesies were not just to help us know what would happen, but to prove and show that it happened according to God’s plan.
It would provide proof of a false Messiah. It would help people believe in the true Messiah.
But what were the requirements for the birth?
- He must be born of an unmarried virgin.
- She must be unmarried because if she was a married woman they would all assume the baby was her husband’s.
- She must be a virgin for two reasons. First, the baby had to be born through a miraculous birth. It could not be natural. This would give confidence to the woman that it was of God. This would also make the baby be born of God and thus sinless, which is very important. Secondly, she had to have a good reputation as a virgin of purity and piety, or else her reputation as a scarlet woman would taint the birth. Since very few people believed that Jesus was the Messiah, they believed that the birth was indeed tainted by adulterous acts. But their beliefs did not make it true. (Isaiah 7:14)(Matthew 1:23)(Luke 1:34-38)(Matthew 1:25)
- She must be of the lineage of David.
- God had promised David that his family and throne would last forever. God was not just telling David that his seed would remain on earth forever. Eventually, the world will be destroyed. But God said it will last FOREVER. The only way that this could happen is if a child of royal descent would be born that would never die. That person was Jesus. He is ruling on God’s right hand as we speak, and he will live forever. God was promising David that the Messiah would be through his family. He would be called the son of David. (Isaiah 11:1)(2 Samuel 7:12-16)
- We are given genealogies in the bible that show both Mary and Joseph were of David’s lineage. But with Joseph not being the biological father of Jesus, he did not need to be of David’s lineage. Mary had to be the descendant and she was, although her specific name is not mentioned in the verses. Women’s names were rarely mentioned in genealogies so this was standard practice of the day. To more deeply understand this point, click here.
- She had to be a faithful Jew.
- I do not have a bible verse for this point but I believe it to be true. If Mary was not a Jew then she most likely would not have known and believed in God, or the coming Messiah. Her Jewish heritage would allow Jesus to enter the inner courts of the Temple and have the ability to read the scriptures. Gentiles were not allowed to do this. Plus, if she was not faithful to her religion then she would not have had the spiritual knowledge and awareness necessary to make it through life as the mother to the Messiah.
- She had to give birth in Bethlehem.
- Joseph is very important for this requirement to happen. Joseph’s family was from Bethlehem. She had to follow her husband to Bethlehem for the census because now his family was her family. Either God knew a census would happen, or He made it happen, and it was because of her marriage to Joseph that she had to go. But she also had to go so she could give birth there as per God’s plan as prophesied by Micah. (Micah 5:2)
- Jesus had to be from Nazareth.
- Both Mary and Joseph lived in Nazareth before Jesus’ birth and they formed their life in their hometown after Jesus’ birth. (Luke 1:26-27)
- Nazareth was a very small town that had nothing of importance in it. It was not a place of diverse culture, philosophical lectures, debates, prominent religious temples, or the birthplace of celebrities. It was an unknown hick town that more than likely had hard-working people with very little education and possibly a lack of moral integrity. It was not a place with a prestigious reputation. But it is a shame that the world thought the worth of the place made the worth of the person. Or even that the place was worthless if it did not meet their standards of value. (Matthew 2:23)(John 1:46)
Mary met every single one of these requirements. But this does not mean that it was her privilege or right to give birth to Jesus. She did not deserve this favor because of the life that God had given to her. God had bestowed a special grace on her, this was his purpose and mission for her life.
To be a willing vessel is to not be the important one, but to take care of and work for the important one. For Mary, it was to protect and love the mercy of God to all of mankind wrapped up in one little baby.
Only Mary would do
I believe that Mary was created for this special purpose. I don’t believe there was anyone else that God could have used or desired to use. She was the one.
But did that mean she didn’t have a choice? No, of course, she had a choice. God gives everyone the ability to say no or yes. But God knew the future. He was not worried about sharing His plan with Mary because He knew her heart. He knew that she would rise to the occasion and be the woman He needed her to be.
Now there are times when a person that loves God is afraid of the task God has for them. They might say no at the moment but remember, God knows the heart. He can see that the person is really just afraid and in need of comfort and encouragement. He hears them not saying no, but instead “I can’t do it alone. I need help.”
So at times, it might seem as if God is not giving a choice, but that is not the truth. It is in fact God helping us in our weakness. God is carrying us through the burden until our faith is stronger in Him. He knows our heart desires to say yes, but we need help finding the words.
For example, in Exodus 3 God had a special plan for a man named Moses. God wanted to use Moses to free His people from slavery. Only Moses could have done this job. Moses’ entire life had been put down a path for this divine purpose. But Moses was scared.
In Exodus 4, Moses begged God not to use Him. He pleaded with God to send another. He claimed that He had flaws and problems he wasn’t in control of that would hurt God’s plan. He made the argument that God needed someone better than himself.
He made excuses as if God did not know what was best for this situation
and what was necessary for the future.
His fear made Him question God’s ability and foresight.
But what Moses was really saying was that he was scared. He did not leave Egypt, the place he was returning to, under the best circumstances. The Egyptians hated him, the Israelites didn’t respect him as a man of God, and he was scared of the unknown.
God comforted Moses. He gave him signs and wonders that would show the people God’s blessing was upon Moses and that He was with Him. He gave him the answers to his questions when he wasn’t sure what to say.
Out of Moses’ mouth finally came the words, “O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.” This seems like Moses was saying that he would go because he was the one that God was asking to go. But God’s anger was hot against him when he said these words. Why would God be mad at Moses?
Because in the end, God knew the heart.
Moses fled from Egypt. Maybe Moses was having thoughts of fleeing from God too. Or maybe he was saying one thing but meaning another. His mouth said yes, while his heart said no. In the end, God still used Moses and Moses was still willing to go. But God had to send another to help him. He lost a greater blessing and a higher calling and, unfortunately, this fear would cause strife and heartache in the future.
But God knew the future for Mary. God was watching the world play out, gently nudging people that were listening to Him in the right direction and waiting for the right time for Jesus to come.
Mary’s Purpose
At the time, Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph. This meant that he had proposed marriage to her family and a contract was committed between the families. This was the beginning of their betrothal period. An engagement/betrothal lasted for a year which would then end in a week-long celebration and consummation of the marriage. During that year the groom was not allowed to go near the bride, he had to look at her from afar.
It was during this time that the angel Gabriel visited Mary and started off by jubilantly saying how blessed and favored she was. Mary, of course, reacted in fear and suspicion about who this was and what their words meant.
The angel had to reassure her that she needn’t be afraid. He told her God’s calling for her life and that she was going to give birth to the Messiah and call him Jesus. He says, “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
After hearing this Mary is confused, yet curious. She does not understand how this could possibly happen when she was a virgin. She could not naturally have Jesus during this time and she could not imagine that God was calling her to commit adultery. So, what was His plan?
The angel patiently answers her questions and says that it will be through the Holy Spirit. It will be God that places the baby inside her womb so it will be called the Son of God and will be both God and man. For with God nothing would be impossible.
Mary accepts God’s purpose for her life. She doesn’t fully understand His plan yet, nor the decisions and choices she must make for her future, but she is willing. She is willing to do what He has asked of her.
And not only does she accept it but in Luke 1:46-55 she is found rejoicing and singing praises to God. She sees the favor and the blessing that this calling will give to her. She sees and believes that God is fulfilling the promise that He gave to her forefathers many years ago. And she believes that this is worthy of praise.
God’s Divine Plan For Mary
Mary was not created to be a Paul or a Peter. She was not asked to become a leader or a warrior.
She was asked to give her life, her time, her money, her reputation, and her normal family life. She would be gossiped about by her neighbors. She would have to make an extra effort to parent her other children because of their feelings toward Jesus. Let’s be honest, every person would hate to have a perfect sibling, especially one that claimed to be God. It would be much harder for the parents when they know it was true but no one else believed them, not even their other children.
She was asked to make daily sacrifices, which I believe is harder than doing one miraculous and courageous event. It is the day after day of offering yourself for the greater good of another that wears us down. But Mary stayed faithful to the end.
When she gave birth to Jesus she pondered all of the deeds and matters that took place in her heart. She held them close and let them guide her spiritually.
When the shepherds came to see the baby that nobody knew about. When the Wisemen brought their gifts for an insignificant family. When she heard about the babies murdered in Israel that were around Jesus’ age. When they were stopped in the Temple by Anna and Simeon and gave praise to the Messiah being born. She even marveled at the words of her own son and reflected on them.
One time Jesus was accidentally left at the Temple for three days. (Give the parents some slack. They thought Jesus was with a friend or relative on the walk. They did not know that Jesus purposely stayed behind. It took so long to get to him because they had to travel all the way back.) But instead of being afraid or excited to see them when they came back, Jesus said, “How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?”
At 12 years old He was already beginning God’s ministry on earth. But he had to go back with his earthly family.
She was there when he officially began God’s ministry in his 30’s and no longer acted like her son. Not because he hated them or was being a bad son, but because he had a higher calling. She saw him perform miracles that could not be explained. She heard the words that he spoke to the crowds. She saw the people believing in him as their Savior. She heard the mumblings of people that hated him and wanted to kill him.
She saw him on the cross being murdered by those who claimed to be looking for the Messiah. She was personally witnessing this event in a much different way than anyone else around her. It was HER son that they were killing. He might have been God but she did give birth to him, and that changes a woman.
She was there when he told the disciple whom he loved to bring her into his home and treat her as his own mother. Jesus took care of her even at death. God did not abandon her when the world abandoned their son.
Even after Jesus’ death, she stayed with his ministry. She is referenced again with the young, new church that followed Jesus’ teachings. She was praying to God. But after Acts 1, she is never mentioned again. Her ministry for God had come to an end. She had performed the work that God had asked her to do. We don’t know if she died shortly after or if we just don’t know what happened to her life after that.
But what we do know is this, she stayed faithful, she gave her all to God and she is being greatly blessed in Heaven for it.
(Matthew 13:55-56)(Luke 2)(John 19:25-27)(Acts 1:14)
How Can We Find God’s Divine Plan For Our Life?
- Live a life that honors God.
- We must have integrity in our faith. We must have continuous learning of the knowledge required to become wiser in the faith. Our actions, thoughts, time, and energy should be honest. It should be fair and sincere.
- We must hold these beliefs in our hearts and keep them close. We must live our life according to the commands God has given to us. Our life is not our own, we have given it to God. We should have such high respect and awe for God that we love him more than we love our sins.
- We cannot be of lip service only. Our actions must match our beliefs.
- Keep your heart and mind open to God.
- We must have an ongoing relationship with Him. Not one that has started and then becomes stagnant. We must listen for His voice. We must search for His guidance. We must talk to Him and never close the open communication. And when you feel His urging, when you hear His soft voice, follow it. Don’t be afraid to say yes. Don’t live a life of regret for refusing your calling.
- Remember your motivation.
- Once you say yes and are moving forward with God’s plan, be prepared for pushback. Life will get hard. Satan will do everything in his power to make you quit, lose your good reputation or hurt you physically. He is not afraid to use your friends and family against you. He is not afraid to ruin your health. He is not concerned about your life. He just wants to ruin God and hurt those that love Him.
- Remember why you are doing this. Let God be your strength. He will never give you more than you can handle. He will never tempt you to do wrong. He will give you what you need to press on. We are doing it for Him, so get your power through Him. (I Corinthians 10:13)(Romans 5:2-4)(Psalm 37:39)(Isaiah 40:29-31)
- Never give up.
- I am not saying never be discouraged. There is a time for every season. It makes sense to have all of the emotions God created us with. But do not get stuck in that emotion. Notice your discouragement, talk to God about it, be comforted in Him, and keep going. We are His to use. Be willing to the end, even to the end of life.
For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.
Romans 14:8
Are You Willing?
When you were born God had a purpose and a plan for you.
With each passing year does your faith grow stronger? Does your knowledge grow broader? Is God’s voice clearer and louder?
Have you heard His purpose for your life yet? Are you faithfully trusting in His plan without knowing the direction to go? Are you taking it one day at a time and remembering the motivation to keep going?
Are you being like Mary? Are you willing to be used by God? Will you be faithful to the end no matter what happens?
Do you have a higher calling?
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.
Luke 1:38
