The Call of Radical Obedience

Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: See, the virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel. —Isaiah 7:14

The day the angel visited Mary, the promise of Isaiah was dusted off. Mary was that virgin mentioned in Isaiah 7:14, who without human intervention would conceive a son who would bring humanity back to God. A young woman was chosen to be the instrument of a sovereign plan designed from eternity. Her obedience was radical, unreserved, and worthy of imitation.

How can this happen to an ordinary woman? How could the holy Son of God dwell in the lap of a sinful woman in need of salvation? The answer can be expressed in the angel Gabriel’s last statement: “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). God has spun His plan of redemption in such a way that all the glory is given to Him. And when we contemplate His greatness and our lowliness, we can only fall at His feet saying, like Mary, “See, I am the Lord’s servant . . . May it happen to me as you have said” (v. 38).