A fifth reason Jesus chooses us and He chose Mary is because He chooses the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
With the upcoming Christmas season, we are often reminded of the Virgin Mary. Thinking of her, we might wonder why Jesus chose a young, poor, Jewish woman. After all, Mary was an important person in the Bible because she was chosen to carry Christ.
Here are five reasons why Jesus chose Mary and chooses us:
1. Jesus Chose Mary Because of Her Obedience
The first reason Jesus chose Mary is because of her obedience. Mary was a young virgin woman when she was carrying Jesus because it was a divine pregnancy and birth. Since Jesus was born of a virgin, He was not born with a sinful nature. The Lord chose Mary because of her obedience to Him and her willing heart.
Most of us would be afraid if an angel told us we would be carrying the Lord, yet Mary trusted the angel Gabriel and chose to be brave even though she would face ridicule from her family and friends for being pregnant before marriage. When Gabriel tells Mary she is chosen by God, she rejoices and sings praises to God. Luke 1:46-56 tells us Mary’s song,
“My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
Through Mary’s obedience and the love she had for God, Jesus chose her. While we cannot be dogmatic over the main reason God chose Mary, we can know He had a great purpose behind His selection of Mary. Since Mary loved God and followed Him, this could be one of the reasons she was chosen.
2. Jesus Chose Mary Because of Her Lineage
A second reason why Jesus chose Mary was because of her lineage. Mary’s lineage directly traced back through David, Judah, and Jacob (Luke 3:23-38). The Savior had to be born in the right lineage, to which Mary perfectly fit the requirements. There were multiple prophecies in the Old Testament concerning the Savior, which specifically recorded that the Lord would be born of David’s lineage. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit” (Isaiah 11:1).
The “Branch” Isaiah refers to is the Lord. In addition to Isaiah prophesying about Jesus being the “Branch,” Isaiah also prophesied about Jesus’ birth, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). Through these passages of Scripture, we can see that one reason Jesus chose Mary was because of her lineage. Her lineage was perfect for the birth of the Savior as it fulfilled prophecies of the Lord.
3. Jesus Chooses Us Because He Loves Us
In addition to choosing Mary, Jesus chooses each of us because He loves us. Even though we are not the chosen one to carry the Lord, Jesus has unique and important purposes for each of our lives. Jesus chooses all of us as He tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17). From the Lord’s own words, we know He died for the sins of the whole world—not simply for the sins of a select few.
The Lord tells us, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you” (John 15:16). Jesus chose us because He loves us and wants us. The Lord knew us as we were forming in our mother’s womb, and He will love us forever (Psalm 139:13-16). Throughout our lives, God never loves us less. His love for us never wavers and never changes.
The Apostle Peter tells us this vital truth, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). As Peter tells us, we are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession.” This means that God chooses us because He loves us and places a great value on our worth. He created us, gives us life, and through Him, we can have eternal life. The Lord chooses all of us because He wants us to have a relationship with Him.
4. Jesus Chooses Us to Be His Lights to the World
A fourth reason why Jesus chooses us is to be His light to the world. Jesus tells us, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). The Lord tells us in this passage that we are to be His light to the dark world.
Jesus chooses us because He wants us to shine brightly for Him. The lost world cannot know about Jesus’ saving grace unless they are told. Jesus predestines all of us to be saved, yet everyone has the free choice to accept Him. Since the Lord has chosen us, He wants us to help those who don’t know Him. By shining brightly for Christ, we can be a light for Jesus in the dark world.
5. Jesus Chooses Us The Weak Things of the World
A fifth reason Jesus chooses us and He chose Mary is because He chooses the weak things of the world to shame the strong. Paul tells us this vital truth in his first letter to the Corinthians, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). Throughout Scripture we see this truth—God chose David, a man who was seen as weak and unworthy, to defeat Goliath and become king. We also see this truth displayed in Mary.
Mary was a young woman, yet God chose her to carry the Lord. In the same way, God chose Paul, who was previously a murderer and an opponent of Christianity, to take His name across the world. As we can see, God chooses the weak things of the world to shame the strong, just as He chose us. Paul continues and tells us, “God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him” (1 Corinthians 1:28-29).
As a believer, God didn’t make a mistake by choosing you. He chose you because He loves you, wants to have a relationship with you; He has a unique purpose for your life and wants you to shine brightly for Him. As Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:28-29, not many of us come from prominent backgrounds, but God chose us to be His own people. Never forget this truth. Just as God chose Mary, He chose you.
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