Why Did God Choose Mary?
An early Christian document tells us that Joachim and Anna (Mary’s parents), originally from Jerusalem, were wealthy and used their resources for the work of God.
Some say Joachim was a “scroll scholar,” or what we today might call “a man of the Word,” and that his life was centered in the Scriptures.
As a side note, another early tradition and subsequent archeological research have shown that Mary’s grandparents on her mother’s side lived in a house in Jerusalem that was located just behind the north wall of the Temple, only a short distance from the entrance to the Pool of Bethesda.
This could mean that when Jesus was in the vicinity of the Pool of Bethesda and healed the lame man there (see John 5:2-15), He may have actually come to the area to visit His great-grandparents, who were believed to have lived just steps away from the Pool of Bethesda.
But Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anna, were older and had no children, so they beseeched God to give them a child. As Hannah prayed for a child and committed to give her child to the Lord (see 1 Samuel 1:9-11), Joachim and Anna similarly made a sacred vow that if God would give them a child, they would dedicate that child to God’s service.
Early Christian writers note that when Mary was born, her parents did indeed officially dedicate her to God, and from her childhood they instilled in her the truth that she had been brought into the world for a special purpose and that she was to be a handmaid to obey the will of God for her life, whatever that plan might entail. To help her grow spiritually, another early source records that Mary’s parents enrolled her in a special school for girls near the Temple grounds that was designed for training young girls in the Scriptures.
This should remind us of the importance of dedicating our children to the Lord. Many churches today have baby dedications, but in reality, a baby dedication is a parent dedication, during which the parents or guardians make a personal pledge before God that they will rear their child or children according to God’s Word, to walk in His ways.
When one looks at the family of Joachim and Anna to see their example, it is clear that Mary’s parents made and kept a commitment to the Lord to rear Mary in a home where God’s Word was a priority. That parental decision helped to spiritually shape Mary.
Because her parents were committed to God and His Word, they taught the Scriptures to her and instilled in her that she was to obey whatever God requested of her. Hence, when God later revealed His will to her through the angel Gabriel — that she had been chosen to be the mother of the Messiah — Mary accepted it without a deep struggle because she had been intentionally prepared by her parents to serve God faithfully, explicitly obeying whatever He would ask her to do.
If we are looking for reasons why God chose Mary, we can see that Mary’s parents had intentionally reared her to be spiritually sensitive, to love the Word of God, and to be willing to obey whatever God’s will and plan was for her life. As a result, when Gabriel spoke a seemingly impossible word to her at a young age, Mary was ready to surrender, and she responded, “…Be it unto me according to thy word…” (see Luke 1:38).
Likewise, you can take intentional steps to help develop a sensitive heart in your child or children. You can nurture in them a love for the Word of God, and you can instill in them that the highest objective of their lives is to find and fulfill the will of God for them. Raising a child who is willing to do God’s will is not accidental. We see in the case of Mary that it was very intentional, and you can do the same for your child or children.
What Else Do We Know About Mary’s Father, Joachim?
Early records hint that Mary’s father was a scroll scholar who eventually moved his family to the city of Sepphoris. Because Sepphoris was the headquarters for the Jewish Sanhedrin, the largest collection of sacred scrolls in Israel would have been kept there.
In fact, the city of Sepphoris played such an important role in the Jewish life and culture that after the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, it became a spiritual center for the people of Israel. And we have hints from early records that Mary’s father was a part of a team that attended to the sacred scrolls that were housed in Sepphoris. As such, Joachim’s life would have been built around the Scriptures and revolved around activities in the synagogue where the sacred scrolls were kept.
In Christian terms, we could say that Mary’s father was a dedcated, church-going man of the Word — and as such, he and his wife Anna were committed to doing the will of God, having built their lives around the sacred commandments of the Word of God. Of course, their young daughter Mary would have been influenced by her parents’ commitment to the Word of God and to a lifestyle that revolved around the synagogue.
As already noted, early writers recorded that when Mary’s family still lived in Jerusalem before moving to Sepphoris, Joachim and Anna enrolled Mary in a special school for girls where she was trained in the Scriptures. But in addition to expecting the synagogue and school to carry out their part in teaching their daughter, we find that Joachim and Anna espoused a personal devotion and adherence to Scripture, and it became a lifestyle for the entire family.
They lived by the Word, participated in synagogue activities, and Joachim and Anna responsibly transferred these values to their young daughter. Day by day, Mary watched her godly parents as they lived the Scriptures before her, and by example, they taught Mary the importance of obedience to God’s commands.
This makes me think of parents who send their children to church, but do not attend themselves — or who depend on Sunday School to educate their young ones in the Word of God. But when we look at the example of Mary’s parents, we see that their involvement in teaching Mary was influential in spiritually preparing her heart to do the will of God. Because her parents were committed to the Lord, to the Scriptures, and to participating in the activities of the synagogue, they imparted these values to Mary, which helped prepare her to say yes to the Lord when the big assignment came and the angel Gabriel appeared to her.
In regard to your own children, do you teach them the importance of God’s Word in their lives — and, by example, its importance in your own life? Do you set an example for them by regularly taking them to church? Do you teach them by your own example how important it is to participate in God’s house? Are you building in them a mindset that attending and serving in the local church is optional or essential to the Christian life? If it’s the former, what message are you communicating to them when your own attendance and involvement are sparse and sporadic. Wouldn’t it mean you are indirectly telling them that being a part of the Church is optional and really not so important? These are questions we all as parents should ask ourselves!
I know you want to see your children be successful in life, and that is one reason why you require them to go to school. Getting an education is needed to be successful in life, and you would never think of it as being optional. Since that is true of secular education, think how much more true it is for a spiritual education that shapes your children spiritually and has the power to affect them all their lives, including for all eternity.
Never forget that respecting and appreciating the church — and experiencing the rich blessings it brings — does not come automatically to children. If you don’t impart this and reinforce it as they are growing up, it is likely they will not have these values when they are older. Indeed, such values must be intentionally imparted and reinforced by your example, as it was with Mary’s parents.
Mary’s early life demonstrates to us how powerful a parent’s words, example, and training are in the life of his or her children. If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to take time to dedicate your children to the care and service of the Lord and then begin to instill in their hearts and minds that God has a special purpose for their lives. Like Joachim and Mary did with Mary, do all you can to intentionally impart and reinforce by your example that nothing in life is more central than the Word of God and living in obedience to His commands.
It appears that Joachim and Anna became impressed with an up-and-coming young man named Joseph whom they likely regularly saw in synagogue and who was gaining a good reputation in his career. From what they observed in him, they could see he was spiritually serious, he was advancing in his career and, thus, he was a prime candidate to become a husband for Mary.
Jewish tradition required that every marital union be arranged by the man’s parents, but, of course, with the agreement of the young woman’s parents as well. That probably means that Joseph’s parents had been observing the godly, chaste life of Mary and greatly favored her as a wife for their son.
What Does the Word “Virgin” Mean and Why Was Mary So “Highly Favored”?
Scripture tells us that the angel Gabriel appeared to make a divine announcement to “a virgin who was espoused to a man whose name was Joseph” (see Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:27). Mary being “a virgin” was a fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14, where it was foretold, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
There are skeptics who suggest that the word “virgin” simply means that Mary was a young girl or a young maiden. However, the word translated “virgin” in the original Greek categorically means that Mary was a real virgin who had never experienced a sexual relationship — not ever — with a man. It is impossible for a female to be pregnant without a man’s involvement, and this explains why Mary humbly said, “For with God nothing shall be impossible…. Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word…” (see Luke 1:37,38).
The narrative in Luke 1:28 and 29 says that the angel Gabriel told Mary, “…Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” Verse 29 tells us about Mary’s stunned response to Gabriel’s appearance and to the way he greeted her. The verse says, “And when she [Mary] saw him [Gabriel], she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.”
Notice in these verses, the angel twice said Mary was “favored.” This means she was chosen, singled out, and graced by God for a purpose. Mary was taken so off guard by Gabriel’s appearance and the way he greeted her that she had “cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.”
The words “cast in her mind” mean this announcement pushed her to the limits of her understanding, and she was “through and through” perplexed in her mind, struggling to grasp the full meaning of what Gabriel was announcing to her.
Then Gabriel went on to explain, “…Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “…How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (See Luke 1:31-34.)
The word “behold” at the beginning of Luke 1:31 gives a sense of amazement or bewilderment. It is the interjection of Gabriel’s own sentiment into the announcement that He was about to make to Mary. In essence, Gabriel’s words meant, “Wow, what I am about to tell you is so amazing it nearly leaves me speechless….”
Then Gabriel stated, “…Thou shalt conceive in thy womb…” (Luke 1:31). Notice this was a conception that occurred in the womb without the participation of a man. Gabriel further explained, “…And [you will] bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest…” (vv. 31,32).
This would be a divine conception inside the womb of Mary, without the participation of a man, as God Himself would supernaturally cause Mary to be impregnated by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:34 tells us, “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?”
Mary didn’t say, “This cannot be done.” Instead, she asked, “How shall this be done?” She didn’t argue with or doubt what the heavenly visitor declared. With an open heart, she simply asked how it would happen.
Again, it had been instilled in Mary from an early age to accept the will of God, whatever that plan might entail. In her response to Gabriel, we see that Mary’s tender heart was ready to do whatever God wanted, but she wondered “how” it was possible because she had never had a sexual relationship with a man.
In Luke 1:35 and 38, the Bible says, “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. …And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”
Finally, Gabriel made it clear that she would become impregnated supernaturally as the power of the Holy Spirit came upon her. When Mary understood, she simply surrendered and said, “…Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word…” (v. 38).
Notice Mary referred to herself as the “handmaid” of the Lord. The word “handmaid” describes a female servant. Again, she had been trained to be the “handmaid” of the Lord from an early age, and now that the assignment was clear, Mary basically said, “I am your servant and I’m available for whatever assignment the Lord wants to give me.” The Word of God entered her heart, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, she supernaturally became impregnated with Jesus.
Matthew 1:18 says, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.”
I explain why God chose Joseph in my book, Christmas—The Rest of the Story. You’ll see that contrary to what tradition says about Joseph, he was not a “poor carpenter” as most religious culture claims.
