Christmas Hope: How We Can Find Confidence In Mary’s Trials

There is a part of the Christmas story that is almost never mentioned or discussed. This is likely because the details are not explicitly described in scripture. Consequently, our culture, despite the most well-meaning intentions, only makes it vaguer by romanticizing the Christmas story, condensing it to its simplest form and tying it up with a bow. The part that inevitably gets left out is the astounding faith of Mary in the days leading up to, during, and following the birth of Jesus.

Mary was certainly a girl of great faith. Afterall, she had been chosen to bear the blessing of carrying in her womb the unborn Christ. Think of the honor, humility, privilege, and unworthiness she must have felt to be the one appointed by God for such a task as this. Surely dozens of questions went through her mind. And yet, it would be hard to think, after the divine experience she had, that she would question her own security. Will not God ensure that His own Son is delivered safely and comfortably? And will He not therefore also ensure those things for the mother carrying Him?

The fear of uncertainty is something everyone has come to know firsthand at least once in their lives. For many, it is a daily experience. In fact, this fear is so prevalent among us that we have constructed countless means by which to diminish it or distract us from it. Think of retirement plans, insurance policies, Social Security, well-defined career paths, and strict goal-setting. Even flu shots, vaccinations, and endless varieties of vitamin supplements. We crave predictability and control. Always looking ahead to the next thing and planning for our safety along the way.

Of course, planning, goal-setting, and vitamins are not bad by their own nature. Most would say these are wise practices. But one must ask himself why he does these things. And for most, it is the fear of uncertainty, which is certainly not a good thing. So, when the unpredictable arises or when our thoughts wander too far into the uncontrollable future, like one lost in the woods, we become overrun with anxiety.

During the time of her pregnancy, Mary and her betrothed, Joseph, were faced with nearly a week-long journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem — a journey in which they would have to walk roughly ninety miles to a strange town. Think of Mary on that journey. Pregnant with the Son of God, setting out on a long, uncomfortable journey to a town that she did not know, and staying there for an indefinite period of time. Did she not worry?

Most of us are far too forgiving of our own anxious shortcomings — crafting excuse after excuse for the worry to which we cling. After all, as Christians, we know we’re not supposed to worry about anything, but instead pray about everything. Still, as our egotistic tendencies win; we convince ourselves that our case is different — that something has gone wrong with the master plan and therefore our worry is warranted. We forget His sovereignty, His grace, and His provision. We make ourselves gods of our own lives, and just as it appears that we have lost control, we fret until that control is regained. For if we do not, the unknown will happen. And all must be done to avoid that.

But what of Mary? The chosen one to carry God Himself in human form. A most daunting task. And now she must travel a great distance to stay in a town where she likely has no family. And then be relegated to give birth in a stable. She, of all people, could expect the best, and yet she received the most unexpected, even humiliating, set of circumstances in which to give birth to the newborn King. Not to mention that Herod shortly thereafter issued a command to kill every newborn male in the region. If she was anything like us, she would have blamed herself, thinking she had done something wrong and God is showing His displeasure by allowing such lowly, inconvenient, and dangerous events. Indeed, Mary must have feared for the safety of her baby and herself. But how can this fear be reconciled with the knowledge that this baby is the Son of God? Surely, God would care for His own, right?

We have the luxury of looking at this story in hindsight, so we can see the purpose of Mary’s trials. We see that God meant to exemplify humility by sending His Son not just in human form (which is already an immensely humble act) but also to be borne by a poor girl from a poor town who delivers Him in the most humble of circumstances. The Son of God was not born comfortably in a palace with midwives and doctors, but in a stable in an unfamiliar place, with no one to welcome the newborn King except two simple Nazarenes. We know now that Jesus would become the fulfillment of the promise from ages past, that he would come to have a ministry and become the Sacrificial Lamb that would forever change the course of history and our very destinies. But Mary couldn’t have been sure all that would happen. There is no doubt that a degree of unbelief flooded her mind in the midst of these most unpleasant circumstances. Afterall, was Mary so unlike us? And yet, God’s plan was being fulfilled all the while.

So, if Mary, the one whose purpose was most evident, could question her own future as well as the security of the Holy One who had been entrusted to her, surely then our own circumstances are not all too different. We, too, are carrying out His purposes on Earth and our worry is in fact wholly unjustified to a God whose sovereignty is never extinguished. For if Mary, of all people, faced uncertainty, why would God excuse any of us from this trial? The excuses we come up with will never compare to any excuse Mary may have had. So then, let us relinquish our fears of uncertainty and entrust our futures to the sovereignty of God, diligently carrying out His plans, obeying His commands, and praying about everything — knowing that all things work together for the good of those called according to His purposes. Perhaps then, will we find the peace that transcends all understanding, the peace Christ brought on Christmas.