Waiting: Day 11

DAY 11

Wednesday December 10, 2025

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord . . .”

Luke 1:38a

Gabriel gives the explanation. He knows she’s a virgin, and she will remain one, at least for the time being. All this will take place through the power of God, through the Holy Spirit. And just to offer her some reassurance, he tells her that her cousin Elizabeth is also having a son, even though Mary and the rest of the family had given up hope of that ever happening. In other words, Mary, you’re not the only on the receiving end of a miracle. God’s pretty busy.

Mary’s response is classic. She begins with a statement of her identity, or her allegiance, of her submission. Look deeply at what she says.

Behold. That’s an imperative, one stated for emphasis, to command attention. It’s not a term we often use, but we do the same thing. “Look!” we say. Or, “Listen!” Or, “See here!” Mary wants Gabriel to hear her, she wants to make sure that he understands that she truly means what she is about to say to him.

I am the servant of the Lord. A simple statement of fact. “Gabriel, this is who and what I am. God’s servant.” We sometimes hear people say things like, “As a teacher, I have to . . .” or “I’m a member of the military, so . . .”

Whatever Mary does will be determined by who she is. And so it is for all of us. There have been decisions I’ve made that flowed directly from the fact that I am Regina’s husband or the father of Miles and Cole. Because of those truths, there are places I won’t go and things I won’t do. Being a pastor has the same determinative effect. So does simply being a follower of Jesus.

There’s a lot of wisdom wrapped up in that young lady from Nazareth. She knows who she is. Therefore, she knows what she’s going to do.