Humans are relational beings. And although some of us are a little more shy than others, perhaps more introverted and need a little bit more alone time, nonetheless, everyone finds meaning, purpose, and affirmation through relationships with people. We need people, period. Extended periods of isolation is not good for anybody. We need people in our lives. The need for validation is deeply ingrained within our nature. Why else does it hurt when we feel rejected, when we feel unseen, when we feel unnoticed, unsupported? Why does it hurt? It hurts because the desire to be recognized, to be accepted, and to belong is a deep and perennial need within the human heart. We all need to feel like we belong.
I watched a recent documentary on quarterback Aaron Rodgers who is currently with the New York Jets. He had a lot of success with the Green Bay Packers winning multiple Super Bowls. Aaron Rodgers opens up about the strained relationships within his family of origin. He said “It always hurt me because I just feel like you don’t see me.” Despite his incredible success on the field, Aaron Rodgers reveals a deep emotional wound that comes from his feelings of being unseen, feeling unrecognized by those who were supposed to be closest to him.
We all long to be valued for who we are, don’t we? We all long to be accepted good and bad, to be able to pull off the mask and seen for who we really are, not the image we project, but who we really are inside. And when that need goes unmet, especially by those people who love us most, it leaves a deep ache in our heart. And no matter how much success we have in life, no matter what we achieve, even if you become famous, nothing can fill the void left by feeling unvalued. We all know that.
The good news of Luke 1:26-38 is that God sees us. He values us. This passage shows that we receive the ultimate validation from God by recognizing His favor as an unearned gift of grace, revealed in Jesus Christ, that calls us to trust His promises and respond with faith and surrender, as Mary does in this passage. We begin in verse 26 where we are introduced to this young girl named Mary.
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. Luke 1:26-27 NASB
God chooses a young girl from an insignificant town, living an ordinary life, for an extraordinary purpose. Nazareth was a small insignificant town in Galilee. She’s engaged to a local carpenter, which is not a high class job. She is likely a young teenager between the ages of 13, 15 years old, from a modest background, living in obscurity. And yet God’s choice of Mary wasn’t based on anything she had done to earn it—it was entirely an act of God’s grace, an act of God’s favor. This is deliberate, because God means to show that His grace is unearned.
God’s validation is unearned & rooted in His grace not in our achievements or status.
To be accepted by God is to recognize that I did nothing to earn His acceptance. I didn’t deserve it, nor did I live a good life—in fact, I lived quite the opposite. In this context, we see who Mary is. The angel Gabriel comes to her, and in verse 28, we read:
And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”
Luke 1:28 NASB
Mary is the recipient of God’s grace. The term “favored one” literally means that she has found acceptance and approval with God. God has chosen her. She’s the recipient of God’s grace, not the repository of God’s grace. God doesn’t come to Mary because she is full of grace to give to others, because she is a good person, or because she remained a virgin until after Jesus was born. He doesn’t come to her because she is humble. Mary is the recipient of God’s grace, just like everyone who comes to God and receives His grace.
The Bible does not teach that Mary was sinless or immaculately conceived. She needed God’s grace as much as anyone else. The Roman Catholic Church’s doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, which teaches that Mary was born without original sin, is a relatively recent doctrine. It was not declared official and infallible dogma until 1845, after centuries of theological development. However, you won’t find that teaching in the Bible. Mary, like everyone else, was a sinner saved by grace. She was chosen by God simply because of His graciousness. Gabriel’s message to Mary begins with, “Greetings, favored one!” This signifies that Mary has God’s favor upon her life, not because of anything she has done, but solely due to God’s grace.
Gabriel then says, “The Lord is with you.” What an incredible affirmation of her value! It’s not based on her status, achievements, or ability to be good, but on God’s sovereign choice and grace. Imagine the validation in those words: “The Lord is with you.” What does it say about your life when God declares, “I am with you”? God’s presence in Mary’s life doesn’t just affirm her worth; it gives her life meaning and direction. The Lord is with her as she is about to receive the greatest news—she will give birth to the Savior. This divine presence shapes her purpose and the direction of her life. Because it is the Lord who is with her, nothing can shake the meaning, purpose, and direction He provides. Her role, though incredibly challenging, is part of something far greater than herself.
Mary’s favor with God is unshakable. No human, no circumstance, no life or death can separate her from this acceptance in God. This truth resonates with the universal human quest for validation. Ultimately, this longing is a yearning for God’s presence, whether one realizes it or not. Even those who hate God long for Him, because He is the one who made us. Mary wasn’t chosen for her status, wealth, or beauty. Picture a young girl, no older than a high school freshman, living in a small, forgotten town, doing her chores and tending animals like any other young girl. This is the one God chooses—not a Disney princess in a palace, but a humble servant in a village.
But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. Luke 1:29 NASB
Mary is deeply disturbed, described as “very perplexed,” by the angel’s statement, but she doesn’t jump to conclusions. She isn’t dismissing this as impossible, nor is she immediately assuming she understands everything. In fact, Mary’s response shows her to be remarkably rational. Imagine the perplexity of having an angel appear and say, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” Mary doesn’t blindly believe what she is seeing; she is carefully considering it.
While Mary lived in a culture that readily accepted the supernatural, unlike much of ours today, she still demonstrates critical thinking. Many assume that ancient people like Mary were overly superstitious, quick to believe anything, while we, with our scientific mindset, might approach an angelic encounter with more skepticism—wondering if it’s a hallucination, a dream, or the result of something we ate. Yet, skepticism that refuses to question naturalistic assumptions is no more open-minded than religious faith that refuses to consider doubt. Mary’s questioning and pondering show that faith does not mean shutting off the mind; rather, it engages both the intellect and the heart with life’s biggest questions.
The Bible is full of people who ask hard questions. Abraham, Moses, and Job all wrestled with doubts and uncertainties. Do you have questions about God, purpose, the Bible, or whether Jesus is truly the only way? That’s normal, and God invites those questions. Mary herself will ask, “How can this be?” This process of questioning and pondering is a vital part of growing in faith. Faith is not the absence of questions; it’s the willingness to trust God as we wrestle with them.
Mary’s response is thoughtful and measured—not impulsive or credulous. The text tells us she “kept pondering” what kind of greeting this was. This careful reflection is significant. It’s worth noting that the Gospel of Luke, attributed to Luke, a companion of the apostle Paul, was likely informed by firsthand accounts. Early church fathers wrote that Luke may have had conversations with Mary herself. As Luke recorded this account, he may have drawn directly from her reflections on how she pondered this moment for years to come, even after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension.
Faith often grows in stages, especially when the truth being presented is initially challenging. While some in the Bible come to faith instantaneously, that’s not always the case, nor should it be treated as a standard for everyone. Accepting the gospel is often a journey, shaped by questioning, pondering, and ultimately trusting in God.
The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.
Luke 1:30 NASB
Gabriel addresses one of the deepest needs of the human heart: the need for God’s favor—the need for acceptance with God, to know that our lives are validated by Him, that our existence matters to Him. Whether you realize it or not, this is the greatest need in your life, driving everything else you do. The desire to validate our lives is why we strive to excel in careers, make our families meaningful and impactful, protect our marriages, or leave them in pursuit of happiness. Beneath these pursuits lies a deep need to prove that our lives matter and are worth something.
Finding favor with God means being accepted and affirmed by Him, knowing that He values and approves of us. Yet, we hesitate to pursue this because we know we don’t measure up to God’s standards. It’s an uncomfortable truth. We feel the weight of our inadequacies—our failures in prayer, in devotion, and in focus. I’m often reminded of this when I reflect on my own prayers. They’re far from perfect, often distracted, and sometimes feel unworthy. But I continue to pray because I know God doesn’t accept me based on my ability to concentrate on Him. He accepts me because of what Jesus has done for me. That truth is untouchable.
We were created in the image of God, designed to find our worth and identity in His love and approval. However, sin has broken that relationship. It’s like a relational conflict with someone close to you. The rift creates tension, even if you try to sweep it under the rug. You might say, “We’re okay,” but deep down, you know unresolved feelings remain. Until the conflict is truly dealt with, the relationship will never be the same. This is the state of humanity with God—a rift that only He can mend.
My friends, that’s us in our relationship with God. Instead of looking to Him for validation, we often look to created things to give us a sense of worth—our jobs, our work, our relationships, our accomplishments, our lifestyle. But no matter how much we achieve, doesn’t it always prove true that it’s never enough? Aaron Rodgers famously said in a documentary that after winning the 2011 Super Bowl, he wrestled with the question, “Now what?” Countless celebrities echo this sentiment: “This isn’t it.” My hope is that we can learn from their experiences. But notice what Gabriel says to Mary: “Mary, you have found favor with God.”
When Gabriel says this, he isn’t saying, “Mary, you’ve lived a good life, so now I’m going to reward you.” The word “favor” here means grace—God’s unmerited kindness. It has nothing to do with Mary’s performance, her ability to be a good person, her family background, or being in the right place at the right time. It has everything to do with God being kind simply because He is kind. Because of this, Mary doesn’t have to wear a mask or pretend to be something she’s not. She doesn’t need a golden halo over her head. She can be who she is before God—just as you and I can—because God knows us fully anyway. The words we don’t say but think, He knows. The actions we resist but still desire, He knows. And yet, He accepts us.
This kind of acceptance gives us a deep sense of validation that nothing in this life can match. It fulfills us in a way that makes life truly meaningful and purposeful. If we place all our hopes and dreams in another person, it’s risky. What happens when that person rejects us, doesn’t meet our expectations, or even dies? If we place all our value in a job or career, there will always be someone better, or promotions that never come.
God’s validation, however, is the ultimate validation. It isn’t based on what we do, but on who He is. Have you ever asked God why He loves you? I stopped asking that question years ago because no matter how many times I asked, the answer was always the same: He loves me because He loves me.
My friends, what prevents us from receiving God’s favor, His acceptance, and His validation in our lives, as Mary is receiving here? Many of us know intuitively that this is what we need, but we still feel stuck. We recognize it, but we can’t seem to take the next step. Why?
One reason is that we want to earn it. We try to prove that we’re good enough, smart enough, or successful enough to deserve God’s love and approval. Even though we know this isn’t right, we often treat God this way. This desire to prove ourselves stems from pride. Pride resists the idea of being needy. It says, “I’ve got a reputation to uphold.” But pride makes us afraid to be vulnerable because vulnerability forces us to confront our weaknesses and depend on God’s strength. That’s a scary reality to face. Pride also forces us to acknowledge that our worth is not based on what we’ve done but on who God says we are. And what does God say? He says we are sinners. Our spiritual resume offers Him nothing—if anything, it’s a list of reasons why He should reject us. That’s a tough pill to swallow, isn’t it? It’s hard on the pride.
Another reason is that we believe other things can provide the validation only God can give. We think we’ll be the exception—that our career, our relationships, our achievements, or our status will finally make us feel good about ourselves. But if we’re honest, letting go of the things we’ve built our identity on is terrifying. We fear that without them, we won’t know who we are anymore. “Who am I if I don’t have this job? If I’m not in this marriage? If I’m single for the rest of my life? If I’m stuck where I am and not advancing?” Letting God transform our lives means giving up our old ways of thinking and living. And yes, that’s uncomfortable. It’s a process that requires trust, and it’s not easy.
Many of us struggle to believe that God’s grace is truly free. We hear that grace is a gift, but we question its value—“If it’s free, is it really worth anything?” We doubt that God can love us despite our failures and flaws. Yet Mary received God’s favor not because of who she was, but because of what God had done for her. The same is true for us. God’s grace is a gift we cannot earn, and it’s the only thing that can truly transform and validate our lives.
The arrival of Jesus is God’s ultimate validation of His love for us.
“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. Luke 1:31 NASB
The name Jesus means “The Lord saves.” Why is He named “The Lord saves”? Because we need to be saved—from God’s wrath, from ourselves, and from the destructive path we’re on. The name Jesus is not just a title; it’s a mission. It declares what He has come to do. He came to save us from our sins and to accomplish for us what we could never do for ourselves.
Every honest Christian will tell you that the struggle against sin never fully ends. We experience victories and growth, but as soon as we think we’ve overcome one struggle, another challenge arises. It might not involve outright breaking the Ten Commandments or God’s law, but the deeper issue often lies in our desires. We might obey outwardly, yet harbor desires in our hearts that go against God’s will.
This reveals why we can never save ourselves—because God looks at the heart. Jesus didn’t come to empower us to save ourselves; He came to save us from ourselves and the judgment we deserve. We are, in many ways, our own worst enemies. That’s why Gabriel says, “His name will be Jesus.”
“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; Luke 1:32 NASB
The title “Son of the Most High” is equivalent to the Hebrew El Elyon, meaning “God Most High,” a title for God Himself. This highlights the divine nature and authority of Jesus, the one who has come to save us. Gabriel declares that Jesus is not merely a prophet or teacher—He is God in the flesh, the Son of the Most High, who left the glory of heaven to bring us back to God. He is on a mission, not as just another figure in history, but as the King who fulfills God’s promises.
Jesus reigns over an eternal kingdom that will never end. Look at verse 33: “And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever.” Does that sound familiar? Forever. His reign has begun, and it will never stop. While much of the world may not appear to be under His rule, that doesn’t change the reality of His sovereignty. He is reigning and ruling right now, and He is coming back to establish His kingdom in fullness. What is vital to understand is that Jesus is not merely a great teacher or a moral guide—He is God in the flesh.
If Jesus is God in the flesh, do you see how personal the gospel is? It’s personal because God didn’t send a distant representative to save you. He didn’t send His best angel, Gabriel, to save Mary—Gabriel couldn’t save her. Gabriel was sent to announce salvation to her, but God sent His Son. Jesus Himself is God, coming in the flesh. This is deeply personal.
A common objection to Christianity is the idea that there can’t really be just one way to God. People argue that all religions contribute something valuable and fundamentally teach the same thing, differing only in their details. This perspective often comes across as either ignorant or extremely arrogant. College professors teaching comparative religion courses frequently suggest this notion. While religions may share similar ethical teachings about how we should live, their core beliefs about God, salvation, and the purpose of life differ drastically. Jesus doesn’t fit into any of these systems.
For instance, in Islam, Allah remains entirely transcendent. He would never become human or dwell on earth. Salvation is transactional—it depends on your good deeds outweighing your bad deeds. If you have faithfully kept the Five Pillars of Islam, then after death, you must cross a bridge to paradise, a bridge said to be as thin as a rope.
In Hinduism, salvation is impersonal. The focus is on escaping the material world rather than God entering it. Liberation from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (reincarnation) is achieved through self-realization, meditation, good karma, and devotion to one of their millions of deities.
Buddhism doesn’t involve a personal God at all. Some branches are outright atheistic. Salvation in Buddhism is entirely self-directed. It’s about overcoming ignorance and attachment to this world without any divine intervention.
Judaism teaches that God is involved in history, as seen in events like the Exodus, where He delivered His people from Egypt. However, Judaism does not include the concept of God becoming human. In fact, modern Judaism often finds the Christian claim that God became a man to be appalling. Salvation in Judaism is tied to a covenant relationship with God and requires obedience to the Torah and faithfulness to His commands—something dependent upon human effort.
In contrast, Christianity stands apart because it proclaims that God came to us, in the flesh, to accomplish what we could never achieve on our own. Salvation is not about our striving or our deeds but about what God has done for us through Jesus Christ. In the gospel and Christianity, unlike any other religion in the world, God comes to you and does what you cannot do for yourself. This changes everything.
Acceptance is no longer based on your performance, status, or ability to walk rightly with God. It is entirely based on what Christ has already done for you. No matter how big of a sinner you’ve been or how much you’ve failed, your acceptance rests on Christ and Christ alone.
Christ doesn’t demand that we ascend to Him through our efforts. Instead, He descends to us, taking on human nature and rescuing us from sin and death. God did not remain distant; He entered into our humanity. As Hebrews tells us, Jesus was “tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” He is not a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. He knows what it is like to be tempted.
Our sin was so great that only the perfect, sinless Son of God could pay the price. No amount of good works could ever pull you out of the pit. This task could not be delegated to an angel or any other being. Gabriel didn’t come to die for Mary or anyone else, nor did Michael the archangel. None of the prophets, teachers, or apostles could bear the weight of our sin. Only God Himself could pay the price. He came because He loves you. The arrival of Jesus is the ultimate validation—it proves, like nothing else in the world, that God loves us.
Receiving God’s validation requires trusting His promises, even when they seem impossible.
Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” Luke 1:34 NASB
Her reaction is entirely understandable. Essentially, she says, “Gabriel, I’m a teenage girl, and I know enough about biology to understand that I haven’t done what’s necessary to have a baby.” Yet her question is not one of dismissive skepticism, as if saying, “I refuse to believe this.” Instead, it is a response that demonstrates it’s possible to trust God while still asking questions.
Mary’s question shows that faith and inquiry are not mutually exclusive. God invites us to bring our doubts and uncertainties to Him, trusting that He will either provide the answers we need or help us become comfortable with the mystery of things we cannot fully understand. Mary’s question, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” reflects a genuine desire to understand without rejecting the promise. It is an example of faith seeking understanding.
The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. Luke 1:35 NASB
Notice that Jesus is holy. He is born without sin because His conception is the work of the Holy Spirit, not of human effort. Jesus is not an ordinary man. While He is fully man, He is also fully God. The angel explains that Jesus’ conception will be a divine act accomplished by the Holy Spirit, emphasizing the unique nature of His birth and identity. Jesus is not like us in this regard—He is wholly other.
The angel describes Jesus as holy, emphasizing His sinless and divine nature. He is set apart for God’s purposes and uniquely qualified to be our Savior. He came for you, for me, for all of us. What God has done through Him is remarkable.
To bolster Mary’s faith, the angel Gabriel reminds her of her cousin Elizabeth. Earlier in the chapter, we learn that Elizabeth, though advanced in years and barren her entire life, has miraculously conceived. Gabriel had told her husband, Zacharias, that their son would be called John the Baptist and would prepare the way for the coming Messiah. Now, Gabriel tells Mary in verse 36,
“And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. Luke 1:36 NASB
God uses Elizabeth’s story to strengthen Mary’s faith and give her confidence in His promise. God often works this way for us as well, providing someone else’s story to encourage and assure us. If you’re considering Christianity and wondering if it’s true, don’t discount the evidence found in the lives of others. Apart from intellectual questions, think about the millions of people whose lives have been transformed by Christ.
For Mary, Elizabeth’s story serves as confirmation of God’s miraculous power. Mary has never been with a man, and the idea of a miraculous conception might seem unbelievable. Yet Gabriel encourages her to visit Elizabeth, and Mary does exactly that. In the following verses, which we won’t explore today, Mary is filled with the Holy Spirit and responds with a beautiful song of praise, the Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55).
“For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37 NASB
My friends, God is the only being who is not bound by the natural laws of physics. He is not subject to them, and what seems impossible to us becomes possible when God intervenes and makes it so. Consider this: your very existence is an example of God doing the impossible. The odds of the entire universe existing are so staggeringly slim that they seem, if I may say it this way, impossibly possible. To avoid acknowledging this, we create elaborate and fantastic stories and theories to explain it in some other way. Yet, the reality remains—God’s power transcends all natural limitations, making the impossible a reality.
And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38 NASB
Receiving God’s validation is not passive—it requires a response of surrender.
A new Netflix film about the life of Mary has been released recently. While I haven’t seen it, I’ve read several reviews, and it sounds like something most of us might want to avoid—but I’ll leave that decision to you. In the film, Mary is portrayed as an independent and assertive hero of the story, overshadowing Jesus. Let me be clear: I am not trying to diminish Mary’s role. She was undoubtedly a godly woman, chosen for an incredible privilege. However, Mary is not the hero of the story—Jesus is. As Mike Winger aptly noted, the portrayal of Mary in the film is akin to the “Disney girl boss” trope. This modern tendency overlays contemporary values onto historical or biblical stories, creating a narrative that often distorts the original message.
The biblical Mary, however, is quite different. She does not overshadow God’s redemptive work; she magnifies it. As we’ll see in Luke 1:46–55, Mary exalts the Lord in her song of praise, the Magnificat. Her story is not about self-reliance but about surrender. It is about humbly trusting God’s power, even when she didn’t understand everything. When Mary was told of God’s plan, she didn’t fully grasp it and had questions. She could have resisted, but instead, she surrendered herself completely to God’s will. Her response was, “Behold, I am the Lord’s servant; let it be to me according to your word.” Mary didn’t claim to understand everything, but she submitted to what she did understand, trusting God’s power and plan over her own.
What about you? Are you still striving for validation through your career, your relationships, or your achievements? Are you holding tightly to a sense of control, afraid to let go and surrender to God, saying, “May it be done according to Your will in my life”? Mary’s story reminds us that true validation doesn’t come from what we do; it comes from what God has done for us. But receiving that validation requires surrendering ourselves to Him, just as Mary did.
Some of us are afraid to surrender because we’ve tried before and failed. We think, “What’s the point in trying again?” If that’s you, I want to suggest that this mindset assumes God accepts you based on your performance. But if God’s acceptance was never based on your performance before, it still isn’t today—no matter how long you’ve known Him.
God offers you the ultimate validation, one that no one can take away, because it isn’t based on your performance but on His grace. He sees you. He values you. In spite of your failures and inabilities, He loves you. Will you, like Mary, say, “Let it be to me according to Your word”? Will you surrender your life to Him and trust His plan, even if you don’t fully understand it?
The Apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, referred to himself as the “chief of sinners.” Not just a sinner, but the chief of sinners—the worst of them all. Before Jesus saved him, Paul participated in the persecution and murder of Christians. And while I’ve never done that, I sometimes think when I get to heaven, I might argue with him about that title. I’ll say, “Paul, it took more mercy to save me than it did to save you.” But here’s the point: God accepted Paul, and He will accept you too. That’s what Christmas is about. God loves you, and if you will come to Him, surrender, and believe what He says about you, you will find meaning and purpose in life that nothing can take away.
This doesn’t mean you won’t face hard times—you will. But that inner assurance of who you are in Christ will never change. This world can’t touch it anymore. Perhaps you’re listening today and you don’t know if you’ve been accepted by God, if you’ve found the favor that Mary experienced. You can know this by calling out to Christ, who died for your sins on the cross, who paid the price for you completely, and who rose from the dead. He is alive right now and ready to receive you. The Bible says that if you believe in Him and repent—handing your life over to Him—He will receive you and by no means cast you out.
Closing Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, I am the chief of sinners. The closer I draw to You, the more I realize how unworthy I am. Yet You love me in spite of myself. When I give in to silly thoughts and fail to trust You, You never leave me nor forsake me. That’s why You came, Jesus.I pray for the soul right now that is soft, that has heard Your Word and is listening to Your voice. I pray You would give them a new heart. Remove their guilt and shame, and let them find freedom to be themselves before You. Let them find the acceptance they so deeply need. Jesus, thank You for coming to us. In Your name, I pray. Amen.
