Anticipation Transformed
Intro:
In Jewish culture then a man and woman were betrothed or pledged to each other for a period of time before the actual consummation of their marriage. This betrothal was much stronger than an engagement period today, for the two were considered husband and wife except that they did not live together till after the wedding.
Nazareth was a “non-place.” It was not even mentioned in the Old Testament or in Josephus’ writings or in the rabbinical writings (either Talmudic or midrashic). It wasn’t until 1962 that a pre-Christian mention of Nazareth was found at Caesarea Maritima. The later prominence of the town is a result of the Christian gospel. Nazareth, a shoddy, corrupt halfway stop between the port cities of Tyre and Sidon, was overrun by Gentiles and Roman soldiers. When guileless, straight-talking Nathaniel mentioned Nazareth, he said, “ ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ ” (John 1:46), implying that it was miserably corrupt. By consensus, Nazareth was not much.
Nazareth in this period was an insignificant village of an estimated sixteen hundred to two thousand inhabitants. On Gabriel, see comment on 1:19.
This passage suggests four other important lessons: (1) the certainty that God will perform his promise, since nothing is impossible with him, (2) Mary’s example as one chosen to serve God, an example that extends even beyond the willingness to be used to trust God to take us beyond our limitations, (3) the significance of the Virgin Birth of our Savior, and (4) the importance of sexual faithfulness throughout our lives.
God has called all believers to minister to the body (Eph. 4:7–16), and he does not call us to a task he will not prepare us to perform.
Mary’s response to Gabriel’s greeting reveals another of her blessed heart’s qualities: “Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be” (v. 29). The literal sense is that she kept pondering the meaning of the greeting. Whatever Gabriel’s glorious form was like, Mary was able to get past it to his greeting, upon which she meditated as she sought understanding.
Zechariah had been “gripped with fear” (v. 12) at the very appearance of the angel, but it was the angel’s words—viz., his greeting (v. 28)—that “greatly troubled” Mary (v. 29). He responded first by assuring her that she had indeed “found favor” with God (v. 30; cf. Gen 6:8, where Noah is spoken of as having found favor with God). God’s grace, like his love, banishes fear of judgment (1 John 4:17–18).
1:27 a virgin. The importance of the virgin birth cannot be overstated. A right view of the incarnation hinges on the truth that Jesus was virgin-born. Both Luke and Matthew expressly state that Mary was a virgin when Jesus was conceived (see note on Matt. 1:23). The Holy Spirit wrought the conception through supernatural means (see notes on v. 35; Matt. 1:18). The nature of Christ’s conception testifies of both His deity and His sinlessness. betrothed. See notes on Matt. 1:18, 19.
1:28 highly favored. Lit. “full of grace”—a term used of all believers in Eph. 1:6, where it is translated “accepted.” This portrays Mary as a recipient, not a dispenser, of divine grace.
1:30 Do not be afraid. The same thing Gabriel had said to Zacharias (v. 13). See note on v. 12.
Mary did not seem surprised that the Messiah was to come. Rather, she was surprised that she would be His mother since she was a virgin (lit., “since I do not know a man”). But the angel did not rebuke Mary, as he had rebuked Zechariah (v. 20). This indicates that Mary did not doubt the angel’s words but merely wanted to know how such an event would be accomplished. The answer was that the Holy Spirit would creatively bring about the physical conception of Jesus (v. 35). This miraculous conception and Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ was necessary because of His deity and preexistence (cf. Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Gal. 4:4).
Elizabeth, filled with the Spirit, called her “the mother of my Lord” (Luke 1:43); and that is reason enough to honor her.
Mary’s surprise (vv. 26–33). When you consider Gabriel’s greeting, you can well understand why Mary was perplexed and afraid: “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!” (The phrase Blessed art thou among women is not found here in many Greek manuscripts. You find it in Luke 1:42.) Why would an angel come to greet her? In what way was she “highly favored” (“greatly graced”) by God? How was God with her?
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 (2 Cor. 5:21), He did no sin (1 Peter 2:22), and He had no sin (1 John 3:5). His body was prepared for Him by the Spirit of God (Heb. 10:5) who “overshadowed” Mary. That word is applied to the presence of God in the holy of holies in the Jewish tabernacle and temple (Ex. 40:35). Mary’s womb became a holy of holies for the Son of God!
The account of Jesus’ nativity, beautiful and essential as it is, rests theologically on the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary. Luke presents the theology of the Incarnation in a way so holy and congruent with OT sacred history that any comparisons with pagan mythology seem utterly incongruous. Instead of the carnal union of a pagan god with a woman, producing some kind of semi-divine offspring, Luke speaks of a spiritual overshadowing by God himself that will produce the “holy one” within Mary.
The young virgin Mary contrasts with the old priest Zechariah, who was past the time for having children. The word “virgin” refers here to one who had not yet had sexual relations (cf. Notes). Mary’s question in v. 34 and the reference in v. 27 to her being “pledged to be married” make this clear. Since betrothal often took place soon after puberty, Mary may have just entered her teens. This relationship was legally binding, but intercourse was not permitted until marriage. Only divorce or death could sever betrothal; and in the latter event the girl, though unmarried, would be considered a widow.
“The Lord is with you” recalls the way the angel of the Lord addressed Gideon to assure him of God’s help in the assignment he was about to receive (Judg 6:12).
The angel ended his message by giving Mary a word of encouragement: her aged relative 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 (Gen. 18:14). That our God can do anything is the witness of many, including Job (Job 42:2), Jeremiah (Jer. 32:17), and even our Lord Jesus (Matt. 19:26). I personally like the translation of this verse found in the 1901 American Standard Version: “For no word of God shall be void of power.” God accomplishes His purposes through the power of His Word (Ps. 33:9).
Once again (cf. v. 15) Luke mentions the Holy Spirit, as he does six more times in his first two chapters (1:41, 67, 80; 2:25, 26, 27). The word for “overshadow” (episkiazō) carries the sense of the holy, powerful presence of God, as in the description of the cloud that “covered” (Heb. šākan; NIV, “settled upon”) the tabernacle when the tent was filled with the glory of God (Exod 40:35; cf. Ps 91:4).
Mary was hearing that she would mother the long-awaited Messiah, and she got the idea! Gabriel’s words were a free interpretation of 2 Samuel 7:8–16, a foundational messianic prophecy called the “Davidic Covenant.” The Qumran texts reveal that this was indeed the way the Jews understood that prophecy. No doubt Mary had heard those very lines in the synagogue readings and knew of their messianic implications.
She understood the gist of the angel’s announcement: “You are going to become pregnant; you are going to call your son’s name Salvation, he is going to be the Son of God; and he will be the Messiah.” What an earful! What an incredible heartful!
The fact that her Baby was to be called the “Son of the Most High” pointed to His equality with Yahweh. In Semitic thought a son was a “carbon copy” of his father, and the phrase “son of” was often used to refer to one who possessed his “father’s” qualities (e.g., the Heb. trans. “son of wickedness” in Ps. 89:22 [KJV] means a wicked person).
1:32–33. This language ultimately derives from 2 Samuel 7:12–16 and also identifies Mary’s future son with the “Mighty God” Messiah of Isaiah 9:6–7 (“Mighty God” is clearly a divine title; cf. Is 10:21). On the eternal kingdom, cf. also Daniel 2:44; 4:3; 6:26; 7:14.
1:34–35. Jewish tradition used the language of “overshadowing” for God’s presence with his people.
1:34 I do not know a man. I.e., conjugally. Mary understood that the angel was speaking of an immediate conception, and she and Joseph were still in the midst of the long betrothal, or engagement period (see note on Matt. 1:18), before the actual marriage and consummation. Her question was borne out of wonder, not doubt, nor disbelief, so the angel did not rebuke her as he had Zacharias (v. 20).
Jesus’ greatness is superior to John’s: Whereas John is “great in the sight of the Lord” (v. 15), Jesus is simply “great” (v. 32). As with John, Israel is at the center of the story, since Jesus will be a king on the throne of David his father.
This promise involves the sonship promise of the Old Testament spoken about a son of David, that God would be his father (2 Sam. 7:6–16). As Son of the Most High, Jesus takes on a special relationship to God as the representative of divine promise on earth. Once his kingdom is established, it will never end.
The one who always was king will set up a kingdom where the presence of his authority and the benefits of salvation are distributed to those who ally themselves to him (Luke 1:67–79). This child will be both “Son of the Most High” (v. 32) and “the Son of God” (v. 35). Luke will spend much of his Gospel explaining what these titles mean; for now they describe a regal figure chosen by God, whose human origins reside in a supernatural conception. Luke chooses to present his understanding of Jesus gradually, building the reader’s awareness one step at a time. He starts with categories the reader understands, like king, regal Son of God, and Messiah. But the birth suggests and the rest of the Gospel will make clear that more than a regal king is present.
As we probe this beautiful text of the Annunciation we cannot miss an inescapable fact: the greatest news ever proclaimed in Israel came to the humblest of its people! Mary said exactly that in her Magnificat when she sang, “ ‘My soul praises the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant’ ” (Luke 1:46–48a).
In the world’s eyes Mary herself was not of much account either. She was too young to know much of the world or to have accomplished anything. According to the Apocryphal Gospel of the Birth of Mary, she was only fourteen; and the History of Joseph the Carpenter states that she was only twelve. No less a scholar than Raymond Brown, author of the massive and definitive The Birth of the Messiah, argues for the younger age. She was at most a young teenager. As with all poor peasant girls, she was illiterate, her knowledge of the Scriptures being limited to what she had memorized at home and heard in the synagogue.
From all indicators, her life would not be extraordinary. She would marry humbly, give birth to numerous poor children, never travel farther than a few miles from home, and one day die like thousands of others before her—a nobody in a nothing town in the middle of nowhere.
Whenever we consider those to whom the good news came, we must recite a list punctuated by the words “poor” and “humble.” Martin Luther remarked, “He might have gone to Jerusalem and picked out Caiaphas’s daughter, who was fair, rich, clad in gold embroidered raiment and attended by a retinue of maids in waiting. But God preferred a lowly maid from a mean town.” And if the Incarnation happened today, it would be the same. The Lord would not be born in Jerusalem or Rome or Geneva or Canterbury, but on the ordinary streets of some nameless town.
1:38. Mary expresses her submission to the Lord’s will in regular Old Testament terms for submission or acquiescence (e.g., 1 Sam 1:18; 25:41; 2 Sam 9:6, 11; 2 Kings 4:2; cf. Bel and Dragon 9; see especially 2 Sam 7:25).
This story is the next stop on the angel Gabriel’s mission from God to prepare God’s people for the coming Savior (v. 17). The engaged virgin Mary receives a message even more shocking than that given to Zechariah: she is going to give birth to the Son of God, who will reign as King forever (v. 32), even though she is still a virgin! Unlike Zechariah (v. 18), Mary exhibits the childlike faith that always brings joy to our Father God (18:16–17). Despite some lingering confusion and uncertainty and probably no small amount of fear, she responds to God’s gracious provision with faith: “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (1:38).
All of this happens because God has set his favor upon Mary (v. 30). Such initiating and reassuring grace from God toward us finds fullest expression in Christ, who enables us to respond with this kind of faith, which itself brings great pleasure and glory to God (Eph. 2:1–10).
1:38 Let it be to me according to your word. Mary was in an extremely embarrassing and difficult position. Betrothed to Joseph, she faced the stigma of unwed motherhood. Joseph would obviously have known that the child was not his. She knew she would be accused of adultery—an offense punishable by stoning (Deut. 22:13–21; cf. John 8:3–5). Yet she willingly and graciously submitted to the will of God.
Mary’s believing response was to surrender herself to God as His willing servant. She experienced the grace of God (Luke 1:30) and believed the Word of God, and therefore she could be used by the Spirit to accomplish the will of God. A “handmaid” was the lowest kind of female servant, which shows how much Mary trusted God. She belonged totally to the Lord, body (Luke 1:38), soul (Luke 1:46), and spirit (Luke 1:47). What an example for us to follow! (Rom. 12:1–2)
Mary’s exemplary attitude of servanthood recalls that of Hannah, when she was praying for a son (1 Sam 1:11, where the LXX also has doulē, “servant”). Nothing is said about the relation of Mary’s submission to her consciousness of the shame a premarital pregnancy could bring her. Her servanthood is not a cringing slavery but a submission to God that in OT times characterized genuine believers and that should characterize believers today (cf. v. 48). Understandably Mary doubtless felt an empathy with Hannah’s sense of being at the Lord’s disposal in part of life a woman before modern times had little or no control over. Mary’s trusting submission at this point in her life may be compared with her attitude toward her Son later on (cf. John 2:5).
Remember, Mary was somewhere between the ages of twelve and fourteen. She was unread and inexperienced. She was not cosmopolitan. She did not own a TV. She did not have a computer. Knowing this, how do you suppose she felt? I think Mary felt like fainting! Probably she thought, “This can’t be real! I have to sit down.” We can be sure that Gabriel’s buoyant greeting—“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you”—was most necessary.
Mary instinctively knew her story would be questioned. Indeed, Joseph himself first doubted it (Matthew 1:19). She knew that the death penalty was prescribed for adultery (though it was no longer carried out). New Testament history records that Jesus’ enemies on more than one occasion implied that he was illegitimate. In light of these daunting realities, consider Mary’s eternally worthy response: “ ‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’ Then the angel left her” (v. 38).
She would wait in prayer with the faithful disciples after Jesus’ ascension for the giving of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14). As a model for those who experience the birth of Christ in their lives, she has one word for them: submission. We cannot experience Christ and his ongoing power without totally surrendering ourselves to him.
Have you ever said, and can you now say, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said”? These are words that bring God’s blessing. This is the way Jesus taught us to pray: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”—“Father, let your will be done right here, just as it is in heaven itself.”
The announcement in Nazareth shows that Mary came from humble, agrarian roots. Galilee was not a respected region. It was hardly the expected locale for one sent from God (John 7:41). Gabriel, the same angel who spoke to Zechariah, brings the divine message. Luke identifies Mary as a virgin, engaged to Joseph; that is, she was pledged to him sometime in the previous year. A Jewish betrothal involved two steps: the formal engagement including a contract and exchange of a bridal price, and then about a year later, a wedding (Deut. 22:23; m. Ketub. 4:4–5). Mary’s age is not given, but in this culture she could be as young as twelve. It is Joseph who is tied to the house of David in this text.2
Mary’s response reveals her character. “Let it be to me as you have said” (v. 38). This was no simple matter. She is being asked to bear a child as a virgin without being married. In standing up for God and his power, she will probably become the object of much doubt and ridicule. But Mary knows she is God’s servant, so she will allow God to work through her as he wills. He can place her in whatever difficult circumstances he desires, for she knows that God is with her.
Mary reflects the person whom God unexpectedly chooses to use. She brings no outstanding credentials to the task and lives on the edge of the nation. She brings nothing on her résumé other than her availability and willingness to serve. But those characteristics are the most basic ones anyone can offer God. So he puts her to use in his plan, taking her through a process for which she has had no training or preparation. He simply promises to be with her in the journey, and she responds by being willing to go on the ride.
Spiritual greatness is not a matter of social class, monetary clout, or degreed background; it is a function of the heart. God’s approach stands in contrast to the type of credentials our world looks for and honors. Externals count for little with him; other issues matter much more. God can do great things through those who entrust the journey with him to his care. That means when God leads, the saint must simply reply, “May it be according to your will.”
Service is generally given low ratings in our world; we prefer to have other people serve us. This perspective tends to make us focus on ourselves and, in fact, often subverts one of the activities that can bring the most satisfaction. If God has created us to be his servants and “vice regents” on the earth, as Genesis 1 suggests by saying we are created in God’s image to subdue the earth, then when we simply serve ourselves, we lose an important part of who we are to be.