Boy, (I mean girl) are there ever some amazing women named Mary in the bible! The mother of John and James is named Mary (Matthew 27:56). Then there’s Martha’s sister, Mary, who sits at the feet of Jesus while He teaches her the will of God (Luke 10:38-42). And of course, we cannot forget Mary Magdalene – my personal favorite bible character. Mary Magdalene is the last one at the cross and the first one to the tomb (Matthew 27:61; 28:1). She is amazing.

But let’s not forget the young virgin Mary who is given the blessed honor of bringing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into the world. She is precious, humble, faithful, obedient – the list of Christ-like character traits goes on and on. Mary is likely a teenage girl – the usual marrying age in first century Palestine. How in the world could this young girl process and handle the appearance of Gabriel the angel, become pregnant without ever being with a man, and ultimately give birth to the Son of God in a cattle trough in a barn?! Mary is what we would call today “a real trooper”! After the resurrection of her son, Jesus, she goes from mother to disciple.

That’s way out there, isn’t it? How about Away in a Manger? That’s way out there too. Read Luke 2:1-21 and then listen to a beautiful rendition of Away in a Manger.

Luke 2:1-21

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all the people were on their way to register for the census, each to his own city. Now Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was betrothed to him, and was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. And so the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army of angels praising God and saying,

When the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem, then, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen Him, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it were amazed about the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

And when eight days were completed so that it was time for His circumcision, He was also named Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

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