Did Mary become pregnant with Christ before she believed God’s promise to her given by Gabriel or after she believed? This is a really important question because it gives us insights into the ways of God, or “in Christ ways.” When Gabriel first approached Mary, he called her “favored one” and said, “The Lord is with you.” God’s favor was pronounced over her life, and the angel even repeated himself when he told her not to be afraid, for she “had found favor with God.” When Mary asked “how” in light of her virginity, Gabriel told her that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and that the power of the Most High would overshadow her because nothing is impossible with God. When Mary went to Elizabeth’s house Elizabeth said this to her; “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.” (Luke 1:45)
Even though the favor of God had been pronounced over Mary’s life, that favor wasn’t manifested in Mary’s life until after she believed. She was blessed because she believed there would be a fulfillment of what the Lord had promised to her. We have said before that the gospel is “our inclusion into the life Jesus lives and the favor He lives under.” We don’t have to posture ourselves to be favored by God because Jesus has already postured us into the highest place of favor because of our union with him. We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Even though God’s limitless favor has been pronounced over us because we are in Christ, that favor will only be manifested in our lives as we walk in childlike faith. You can’t get more favor than you already have, but you can’t have experientially the favor that is already yours apart from doing your part, and our part in this grand adventure called Christianity, and that part from beginning to end is simply believing in what He believes about us.