The Christmas story reveals that being highly favored by God isn't exclusive to Mary. When Gabriel called Mary highly favored, he used the same Greek word Paul uses in Ephesians to describe all believers as accepted in Christ. Mary was an ordinary teenage girl who needed a Savior just like everyone else. Every person who receives Jesus becomes highly favored by the Father. This divine favor isn't earned through good works but received through faith in Christ. Jesus even declared that those who hear and obey God's Word are more blessed than Mary herself. As we live in these last days, we must allow God's Word to transform our hearts rather than conforming to worldly patterns.
