The girl from Nazareth - Greg Laurie - http://www.wnd.com/2014/12/the-girl-from-nazareth/
Pastor Greg Laurie advises striking balance regarding the Virgin Mary
An aspect of the Christmas story a lot of people have trouble with is that Jesus, the son of God, was supernaturally conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary. According to a survey done by The Barna Group, 85 percent of the Christians surveyed believe that Jesus Christ was born to a virgin. The study also found that 75 percent of the non-Christians polled also believed that Jesus was born of a virgin.
If you don't believe this foundational biblical truth, then you cannot be a Christian. To question the virgin birth is to question the Bible, which clearly teaches it. To question the virgin birth is to question the deity of Christ. If Jesus was not supernaturally conceived in the womb of Mary, then he was not God. And if He was not God, then his death on the cross really meant nothing at all.
For those who would suggest that the virgin birth is impossible, they are essentially denying what the Scriptures teach, because the Bible teaches that God can and will do miracles when and where he chooses. So we must believe that God in human form came in the way the Bible tells us he did. Belief in the virgin birth is essential for a Christian.
Yet it seems as though people either honor (and in some cases even deify) Mary, or they ignore her altogether. We need to find the right balance in how we look at this special and godly woman. In the New Testament, Mary is never presented as the principal figure. Jesus is. All New Testament references to her are directly connected to him. Yet the fact that she is constantly associated with him does give her a place of prominence and importance.
Some Bible commentators believe that Mary was as young as 12, perhaps not much older than 14. Mary lived in Nazareth, a nothing town in the middle of nowhere. Had she lived her life as many other teens of her time, she would have married a poor man and given birth to numerous poor children. She never would have traveled more than a few miles from her home, and she would have died like thousands of others before her.
Nazareth was one of those places that someone would pass through rather than go to. It was simply a place that was on the way to another place. Nazareth was sort of the Barstow of the Middle East, a place to fuel up, get a bite to eat and keep moving.
It also was a wicked place, a place where pagan temples were raised and Roman soldiers would go about their ungodly living.
It was to this wicked, wretched little place, to this unknown girl living in a relatively unknown city, that God sent the angel Gabriel to deliver the message that she would bring about the most known event in human history, an event that literally divided human time.
Without question there is no other person who has ever lived on this earth who had such a unique relationship with Jesus as his mother, Mary. Of course, she literally had him inside her womb, and she later embraced him in her heart as Savior.
And although Mary was a godly woman, she was still a member of the human race, which means that she was a sinner. In fact, it was Mary herself who said in the Magnificat, her song of praise to God, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior" (Luke 1:46-57 NKJV). Mary needed a Savior, just like everyone else does.
Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus" (Luke 1:30-31).
Poor Mary. Her head must have been swimming at that point: How am I going to explain this to Joseph? "Joseph, I'm pregnant. You know how the Scriptures talk about the Messiah coming to the virgin? I am that virgin. Everything is cool."
Indeed, when Joseph found out he was devastated. He was espoused to Mary, which was almost like being married. It was a very serious part of the marriage process, and if you broke your vows during that time, it was like getting a divorce. Under Mosaic Law, Joseph could have had Mary put to death by stoning. But Joseph loved Mary and decided that he would put her away privately and spare her the embarrassment.
But God had different plans. And according to Matthew's gospel, Gabriel appeared to Joseph one night while he was sleeping and told him the whole story. Gabriel said, "Do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:20-21). God had clearly spoken to Mary, and he confirmed it through Joseph.
Martin Luther said, "[God] might have gone to Jerusalem and picked out Caiaphas' daughter, who was fair, rich, clad in gold-embroidered raiment, and attended by a retinue of maids waiting. But God preferred a lowly maid from a mean town."
Maybe you live in a "mean town" right now. Maybe you are the sole outspoken Christian in a family that is hostile toward the gospel. Or maybe you see that same hostility and resistance in your workplace. Or maybe you feel obscure and uncared for. In fact, maybe you're wondering whether it's even possible to live a godly life anymore when it seems as though everyone is compromising - even so-called committed Christians.
The same God who gave Mary the power to live a godly life will give you the power to do so as well. Mary lived a godly life in an ungodly place - and so can you.
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