Lk.1:28 – And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you;

What does it mean that Mary was highly favored? Why was Mary picked out by God to be the highly favored one? These are important questions that are not just talking about Mary but also talking about you and me. Let’s look at the second question first, why was Mary picked out for this incredible blessing and am I also picked out by God? This concept of divine choice or election has been fought about for two millennia, we actually see God’s concept of election all through the Bible. We see Abraham chosen by God, Jacob selected over his older brother Esau, David selected over his older brothers, the list goes all through the Bible. Paul considered himself chosen by God to be an apostle and he taught more than anyone about election. Now going back to Mary it is apparent that she was a random young teenager living in an obscure town and she was chosen by God to carry Jesus in her womb. You would have to say she was highly favored. That is how it is for all of us, I was a substance abuser living in rebellion until He called me to follow Him. What I received was God’s favor or you could say His amazing grace. Here is how the Reformed Expository Commentary describes this verse.

“God certainly showed grace to Mary. This is the meaning of the angel’s salutation: “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”. With these words, Gabriel pronounced God’s benediction on Mary. God was with her to bless her, not because of her own merit, but because of his grace. The word the angel used for “favor” (kecharitōmenē) comes from the Greek word for “grace” (charis). It means to be treated with undeserved kindness. Martin Luther paraphrased Gabriel’s greeting like this: “O Mary, you are blessed. You have a gracious God. No woman has ever lived on earth to whom God has shown such grace…..It is important to know what to believe about Mary because so many people go wrong at this point. The Bible never says that Mary was without sin, that she remained a virgin, or that she is able to give grace to sinners….What the Bible does say—beyond the fact that she was the mother of Jesus—is that she was saved by grace. The way Mary helps us is not by giving us grace, but by showing that God can give us the same kind of grace that he gave to her.”

Mary was caught totally by surprise. Because of God’s calling upon her life she could never go back to her previous life, that’s how it is with all of us. We are incredibly blessed to be favored by God but this gracious favor carries responsibility, we will now walk in His plans for our lives to see this favor on full display.