Hidden secrets
Deutsch
English Maria grew up in the silence of the small countryside of Nazareth, far from noise and hustle and bustle. She was engaged to the carpenter Josef.
Suddenly the angel Gabriel stood before her with a message from God. He spoke:
And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”
Luke 1:28 (ESV)
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, Luke
1:31-32 (ESV)
1. The angel Gabriel speaks to Mary
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. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
Luke 1:35-36 (ESV)
Maria's willingness:
And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38 (ESV)
Like Mary, we also want to place ourselves entirely at the Lord's disposal.
But many thoughts go or circle in Maria's head. I am so moved by what I heard and experienced. It's almost unbelievable. And my relative six months pregnant? How can this happen at your advanced age? I'll visit Elisabeth immediately.
2. God's promise
Elizabeth was married to the priest Zechariah. Both lived according to God's will and strictly followed his commandments and regulations in everything. They were childless for a long time. Until God promised her husband the birth of a son. They lived in the mountains of Judea.
3. Mary with Elizabeth
Mary went to the city where Elizabeth and Zechariah lived. The extraordinary happened.
And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”Luke 1:41,-45 (ESV)
For Maria, this was a confirmation of her own motherhood.
Maria stays with Elisabeth for about three months and in the community with the older relative the young one finds the security in which she can internally grasp and absorb what has overwhelmingly broken into her life!
Elisabeth to Mary: Happy are you because you believed.
4. Grace and filling with the Holy Spirit
Jesus was born of Mary.
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.
Titus 2:11 (ESV)
Jesus said to his disciples:
For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts of the Apostles1:5 (ESV)
The disciples prayed in the temple in Jerusalem.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts of the Apostles 2:4 (ESV)
Let us accept the grace of God and be filled with the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth and also supports us in all situations.
Author. Edith Waechter
Pictures: https://pixabay.com/de/
