“If it is God’s will, even if it seems insignificant and difficult to understand, I will follow it as it is.”

“If it is God’s will, even if it seems insignificant

and difficult to understand, I will follow it as it is.”

“As Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:34–38).

While meditating on this passage, we seek to receive the lessons it gives:

(1) How can a virgin conceive and give birth to a son?

(see Luke 1:27, 31, Modern Language Bible). How could the virgin Mary conceive and give birth not to an ordinary son but to “the Son of the Most High God” (v. 32, Modern Language Bible), Jesus (v. 31)?
Therefore Mary asked the angel Gabriel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (v. 34).

(a) Here, in Mary’s words “since I do not know a man,” the Greek word ginōskō (γινώσκω) corresponds to the Hebrew word yadaʿ (יָדַע), which is used to indicate sexual relations (Gen 4:1; 19:8; Judg 11:39). This confirms that Mary was indeed a virgin, having had no relations with any man, both in the past and at the moment Gabriel appeared to her (Liefeld, Hokhma).

(i) So Mary’s question, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” (v. 34, Modern Language Bible), was answered by Scripture: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet” (Matt 1:22):
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (v. 23)—which means, “God with us.”

This cites the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14:
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Modern Language Bible: “The LORD himself will give you a sign: A virgin will conceive and bear a son, and will call his name Immanuel”).

(2) Gabriel told the virgin Mary:

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).
This means that the Holy Spirit would come upon Mary, and the power of the Most High would “cover” her (v. 35, Modern Language Bible), so that she would conceive and give birth to Jesus, the Son of the Most High (vv. 31–32).

(a) Matthew recorded it this way:
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit… What is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matt 1:18, 20, Modern Language Bible).

(i) Thus, the conception of Jesus, the Son of God, in the virgin Mary was by the Holy Spirit.
This is why the Apostles’ Creed says: “Conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.”
This affirms that Jesus was conceived not by human means but through the mysterious power of the Spirit, and at the same time was born in the flesh through the virgin Mary. He is fully God and fully man. This confession testifies both to His divinity and His humanity, emphasizing that His birth was the miraculous work of the Spirit.

“Conceived by the Holy Spirit” means that Jesus’ conception was initiated not by human parents but by divine power through the Spirit. This shows His divinity and uniqueness as the only-begotten Son of God.
“Born of the Virgin Mary” means that although He was conceived by the Spirit, He was born through the body of a human mother. This shows that He is fully human, sharing our human nature.
Perfect union of God and man: These two confessions together proclaim the central Christian doctrine that Jesus is both fully God and fully human.
A mysterious event: His birth, beyond human understanding, was a miraculous act of God, proving His unique identity.

(3) Gabriel also told Mary:

“Behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:36–37, Modern Language Bible).

[cf. “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Gen 18:14, Modern Language Bible); “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’” (Matt 19:26, Modern Language Bible).]

This shows that God’s word never fails (v. 37, ESV). Elizabeth, once called barren, conceived according to the word given to her husband Zechariah: “Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John” (v. 13). And indeed, it was fulfilled (v. 20, Modern Language Bible).

(a) Elizabeth’s pregnancy in her old age (six months along, v. 36) already proved that “nothing is impossible with God” (v. 37). Thus Gabriel assured Mary that she, too, would surely conceive and give birth to Jesus as promised: “Behold, you will conceive and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus” (v. 31).

(i) Mary’s reply was: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (v. 38).
She could only answer in faith, because in those days, a virgin becoming pregnant would mean breaking her engagement with Joseph, being labeled immoral, facing public scorn, and possibly even being stoned to death (Hokhma).

Mary’s confession—“If it is God’s will, even if it seems insignificant and difficult to understand, I will follow it as it is”—expresses deep faith, obedience, and devotion. It shows total trust in the Almighty God, humility in seeking His will above her own, and a surrendered heart.

Conclusion:
Like Mary, may we also respond in faith when God speaks to us—trusting Him fully, laying aside our own will, and humbly saying:
“If it is God’s will, even if it seems insignificant and difficult to understand, I will follow it as it is.”