Greeting O Favoured one

The presence of the Lord = the favour of God

In the story of the nativity of Christ in Luke.1from verses 26 and onwards the angel Gabriel
called Mary, favoured one. Gabriel was basically saying to her that the favour of God was on
her life. Today, we are going to discuss the favour of God in the life of Mary in this critical
time in the history of the world and in her life.

My aim is to study the above mention passage and draw from it the lesson about the favour of
God in the life of Mary. Then I will try to apply the teaching found in our passage of study in
the life of the believer.

Key thoughts: What is the biblical concept of favour as it is taught in this text?
charitoo (χαριτόω, 5487), akin to A, to endow with charis, primarily signified “to make
graceful or gracious,” and came to denote, in Hellenistic Greek, “to cause to find favor,”
Luke 1:28, “highly favored” (marg., “endued with grace”); in Eph. 1:6, it is translated
“made … accepted,” KJV, “freely bestowed,” RV (lit., “graced”); it does not here mean to
endue with grace. Grace implies more than favor; grace is a free gift, favor may be deserved
or gained.1
[5923] χαριτόω charitoō 2x Eph 1:6; pass. to be visited with free favor, be an object of
gracious visitation, Lk 1:28 [5487]2

Luke 1:28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”

Now who is this girl, Mary the highly favoured one?

She was from Nazareth in the Province of Galilee. Nazareth was an obscure, unknown town
of Galilee, not mentioned in the OT or the
Talmud, or included by Josephus in a list of 204 towns of Galilee (see on Matt. 2:23)3

The Bible in Matt.4: 15 say Galilee is the place of the Gentiles, a place of darkness

In John.1: 46 asked the question if anything good can come out of Nazareth.

Finally John.7: 52 say search and you will see no prophet will arise out of Galilee.

So far the bible informs us that according to public opinion and authoritative literature of the
day Nazareth of Galilee was a little, unknown, obscure, no good and God forsaken town.

1 Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and
New Testament Words (Vol. 2, p. 229). Nashville, TN: T. Nelson.

2 Mounce, W. D. (2006). Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words
(p. 1310). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

, or included by Josephus in a list of 204 towns of Galilee (see on Matt. 2:23)

3
Mary’s home town was not even on the map.

Mary was not even on the social map as well

But in the city of their royal line, Joseph and Mary are unrecognized and unhonored. Weary
and homeless, they traverse the entire length of the narrow street, from the gate of the city to
the eastern extremity of the town, vainly seeking a resting place for the night. There is no
room for them at the crowded inn. In a rude building where the beasts are sheltered, they at
last find refuge, and here the Redeemer of the world is born. {DA 44.2}

God’s favour

God’s favour went past Jerusalem, Jericho and Bethany but to an unknown town, Nazareth
of Galilee.

God bestowed his favour not on the rich and famous of her day but on the lowly and poor.
Mary was from the most unknown town, and most humble background.

In the eyes of the worlds they were nobodies, people of no value but in the eyes of heaven in
the words of the Gabriel, she must Rejoice! Because divine favour found her.

Heaven saw in her what she did not see in herself.

What kind of estimation are your placing on yourself?

Mary found favor with God

Luke 1:28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”

Literally, “endowed with grace.” This expression designates Mary as the recipient of divine
favor, or grace, 4

The same Greek word is translated favor in Luke.1: 28 are translated in the NRSV freely
bestowed ((literally, “he endowed us with grace”))

The favor of the Lord upon Mary was a (in my own words) special grace of God bestowed
on her. [Being chosen by God to bear the Son of God]

Verse 30 say she found favor (Gr.grace)

Noah found favor with God and was given a special work from God.

4 Nichol, F. D. (Ed.). (1980). The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary (Vol. 5, p. 680). Review and
Herald Publishing Association.
Likewise Joseph found favor in the eyes of Potiphar and was placed overseer of his house.

The favor of God in way set those who receive it apart for a great work. (Work of
raising the Son of God, her creator and Redeemer)

Favor and the presence of God

What is interesting in this passage Gabriel called her highly favored and then said the Lord is
with you. Let’s look at the following verse:

Gen 39:2 The LORD was with Joseph. He was successful and lived in the household of his
Egyptian master.
Gen 39:3 His master observed that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made
everything he was doing successful.
Gen 39:4 So Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal attendant. Potiphar
appointed Joseph overseer of his household and put him in charge of everything he owned.

In this verse it is the Lords presence that caused Joseph to found favor with Potiphar. It
was also the presence of the Lord that enabled Joseph to perform his task/ assigned
work and become successful.

Jdg 6:12 | The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you,
you mighty warrior.”

It is the Presence of the Lord that made Gideon a mighty warrior and a successful one
to.

Matt.28: 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And
remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”5

It is the Presence of the Lord that enable to the church to fulfill the Great Commission

The cost of favor

Read Luke.1: 30-38

Mary will conceive bear a Son and His name will be Jesus. Mary was still not with a men
and she asked how can this be and he said the Holy Spirit will overshadow her with the
power of the almighty.
The following happened to her after she found favour with the Lord

I. Mary going to be pregnant and she is not married yet. In those days that was not
good. She could have been killed.

5 The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Mt 28:20). Nashville: Thomas Nelson
Publishers.
 II. John 8:41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of
fornication; we have one Father, even God.

III. Year after the birth of Jesus people were still talking/gossiping about the birth of
Jesus that he was maybe an illegitimate child.

IV. Herod tried to kill her baby and had to flee to Egypt. (Matt. 2: 1-12)

Are we willing to pay the price for God’s favour?

Before we answer this question look at the following verses

Ps 5:12 Certainly you reward the godly, LORD. Like a shield you protect them in your good
favour.

The favour of God will protect us because protection is one of the functions of favour

While we are being attacked by the enemy because of God’s favour over us are still blessed
and highly favoured

Matt 5:11 Blessed/favored are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall
say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Matt 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so
persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

What in the Christmas story us, what can we take home

Greeting O Favoured one - What kind of estimation are your placing on yourself? – You
are highly favored

God’s place his favor on us to set you apart for a great work within His kingdom

God’s Spirit (His presence) will enable us to perform the task placed upon us by the
favor of the Lord.

The path of favor is not easy one but the Lords favor will protect us and shield us. As in
the case of Gideon the favor of the Lord with is his presence strengthen us to face the
trials that will come to us how travel the road of favor.

Now this is my appeal for today

Like Mary accept this word from the Lord today:

Accept by faith that you are One that is favored by the Lord
That the Lord in his favor has a great task set out for you

Accept by faith that the Lord will empower you for this task

The Lord will guide, protect and shield you from all the plans, wiles and attacks of the
enemy.

Say the following

Luke 1:38 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.