Faith (Luke 1:26–38)

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, Gabriel brought a second birth announcement, this time to a young virgin in Nazareth named Mary. The people in Judah disdained the Jews in Galilee and claimed they were not “kosher” because of their contacts with the Gentiles there. They especially despised the people from Nazareth. But God in His grace chose a girl from Nazareth in Galilee to be the mother of the promised Messiah!

I. When it comes to Mary.

A. People tend to go to one of two extremes.

They either magnify her so much that Jesus takes second place, or they ignore her and fail to give her the esteem she deserves.

Elizabeth, filled with the Spirit, called her “the mother of my Lord” (Luke 1:43); and that is reason enough to honor her.

B. What do we know about Mary?

She was a Jewess of the tribe of Judah, a descendant of David, and a virgin (Isa. 7:14). She was engaged to a carpenter in Nazareth named Joseph, and apparently both of them were poor.

Among the Jews at that time, engagement was almost as binding as marriage and could be broken only by divorce. In fact, the man and the woman were called “husband” and “wife” even before the marriage took place. Since Jewish girls married young, it is likely that Mary was a teenager when the angel appeared to her.

II. Mary’s surprise (vv. 26–33).

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

A. Mary was perplexed and afraid.

“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!” Why would an angel come to greet her? In what way was she “highly favored” by God? How was God with her? She certainly never expected to see an angel and receive special favors from heaven.

Mary’s response reveals her humility and honesty before God. There was nothing unique about her that such things should happen. If she had been different from other Jewish girls, as some theologians claim she was, then she might have said, “Well, it’s about time! I’ve been expecting you!” No, all of this was a surprise to her.

B. Gabriel then gave her the good news.

Mary would become the mother of the promised Messiah whom she would name Jesus. Gabriel affirmed both the deity and the humanity of Jesus. As Mary’s son, He would be human; as Son of the Highest, He would be the Son of God. “For unto us a Child is born [His humanity], unto us a Son is given [His deity]”. The emphasis is on the greatness of the Son, not the greatness of the mother.

Jesus came to earth to be the Saviour of the world, but He also came to fulfill the promises God made to the Jewish fathers (Rom. 15:14). Today, Jesus is enthroned in heaven (Acts 2:29–36), but it is not on David’s throne. One day Jesus will return and establish His righteous kingdom on earth, and then these promises will be fulfilled.

III. Mary’s surrender (vv. 34–38).

34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing will be impossible.” 38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

A. Mary knew what would happen, but she did not know how it would happen.

Gabriel explained that this would be a miracle, the work of the Holy Spirit of God. Joseph, her betrothed, would not be the father of the child, even though Jesus would be legally identified as the son of Joseph. It’s possible that some people thought Mary had been unfaithful to Joseph and that Jesus was “born of fornication”. This was a part of the pain that Mary had to bear all her life.

Gabriel was careful to point out that the Baby would be a “holy thing” and would not share the sinful human nature of man. Jesus knew no sin, He did no sin, and He had no sin. His body was prepared for Him by the Spirit of God who “overshadowed” Mary. That word is applied to the presence of God in the holy of holies in the Jewish tabernacle and temple. Mary’s womb became a holy of holies for the Son of God!

B. The angel ended his message by giving Mary a word of encouragement.

Elizabeth was with child, proving that “with God nothing shall be impossible.” God gave a similar word to Abraham when He announced the birth of Isaac. That our God can do anything is the witness of many, including Job, Jeremiah, and even our Lord Jesus.

Mary’s believing response was to surrender herself to God as His willing servant. She experienced the grace of God and believed the Word of God, and therefore she could be used by the Spirit to accomplish the will of God. She belonged totally to the Lord, body, soul, and spirit. What an example for us to follow!