Do you know what doulos means? It is a greek word. It means bondservant or slave. A bondservant trusts the promises of the Lord. God is the only promise keeper. When He makes a promise, He keeps it; it follows through. Mary, Jesus’s mother, is an eye-witness to God keeping His promises. However, God’s promises are shown at the very beginning. Let’s take a look at Genesis 3:15. What is God’s promise?
God promised that He would put enmity between the serpent and the woman and the seed of the serpent ( all those who are children of the devil) and the Seed of the woman (“He” is Jesus Christ). God promised Eve that He would crush the serpent’s head while the serpent would bruise the heel of the man. Then God promised Abraham a “seed” who would rule and bless the nations of the earth. David’s reign God promised David a “seed,” and He promised to establish the kingdom of that seed of David forever. These are promises that the Messiah would come.
Read Luke 1: 26-27, “ In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.” What details do we find about Mary?
She lived in Nazareth. She was a virgin. She was betrothed to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Mary’s genealogy also traces back to King David. It is through his son Nathan. In Luke 1:31-33, “Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name 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. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
What were the angel’s announcement and promise?
Go ahead and read the whole chapter of Luke. This is Mary’s response to what the angel explained to her.
“I am the Lord’s slave,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her. Remember the word doulos? Here mary is stating that she is the Lord’s bondservant. A bondservant served his or her master because of the love the master showed and the love he or she had for the master. The bondservant gladly lived in the resources, the schedule, and the property of the master since he or she had none of their own. (Deuteronomy 15: 12-17).
Mary knew she needed a savior. She praised God as “my savior”. She knew God’s word. She was a humble bondservant. Will you consider being a bondservant to God?
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for sending your Son, for our salvation. I pray that we will also be a humble bondservant to you as Mary was to you.
In Jesus Name
Amen
