Luke 1:26–38
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed1 to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”2 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And 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 bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to 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.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”3
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born4 will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant5 of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
1 That is, legally pledged to be married 2 Some manuscripts add Blessed are you among women! 3 Greek since I do not know a man 4 Some manuscripts add of you 5 Greek bondservant; also verse 48
Section Overview
In the previous section Gabriel has promised that an older couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth, will give birth to a son who will prepare the way for the Lord. In this paragraph Gabriel announces to Mary that she also will have a son, but in this instance the baby will be born not to an older couple but to a virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit. The singular character of Jesus’ birth demonstrates that he is greater than John the Baptist. The Baptist prepares the way for the Lord, but Jesus is the Son of God, the fulfillment of the covenant promise to David, and thus he is the Messiah of Israel, the King of the entire world. Mary is informed about the conception of Elizabeth, and she humbly accepts what God has ordained for her, believing that God can do the impossible.
Section Outline
II. Preparation for Jesus’ Ministry (1:5–4:13)
A. Two Births Predicted (1:5–56) . . .
2. Birth of the Christ (1:26–56)
a. Announcement of Birth by Gabriel (1:26–38)
Response
We see from these verses that the Lord often fulfills his promises in ways we do not expect, ways that astonish us. The promises of a Davidic dynasty that would not end were given long ago (cf. Isa. 9:2–7), and God ultimately fulfills his promise—and thus we should be patient and continue to hope in God. Our God is a faithful God, who always fulfills his covenant promises. One of the striking affirmations here is that nothing is impossible with God. He can raise the dead and cause a baby to be conceived in a womb apart from sexual relations. God does not promise to do whatever we wish and hope for. Ultimately, we are like Mary: servants of the Lord called upon to have the same humble spirit as hers. We too say to the Lord: may our lives be according to your word and your plan, not ours.
That is, legally pledged to be married
Some manuscripts add Blessed are you among women!
Greek since I do not know a man
Some manuscripts add of you
Greek bondservant; also verse 48
1:26–28 Just as Gabriel was sent to Zechariah in the temple, he is sent in the “sixth month,” that is, the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, to Mary. The first appearance was to a priest in the temple—a man who was respected and in a place that was venerated. In this instance, however, he appears to a young Jewish girl with no stature in Israel. And she lives in place that is not esteemed, the small village of Nazareth, which is not in Judea but in the northern region of Galilee. Nathaniel’s quip about whether anything good could come from Nazareth represents what most people would think about the village (John 1:46). Jesus’ roots in Nazareth are regularly noted in the NT (Matt. 2:23; 4:13; 21:11; 26:71; Mark 1:9, 24; 10:47; 14:67; 16:6; Luke 2:39, 51; 4:16, 34; 18:37; 24:19; John 1:45–46; 18:5, 7; 19:19; Acts 2:22; 3:6; 4:10; 6:14; 10:38; 22:8; 26:9).
Mary is described as a virgin (cf. Matt. 1:23) engaged to Joseph. Matthew 1:23 draws a connection to Isaiah 7:14, but Luke does not forge that link explicitly. Since his tradition seems to be independent of Matthew in the birth narrative, his account constitutes independent confirmation of the Matthean account from a distinct perspective. The source of the story is probably Mary herself, or one or more of her children (Mark 6:3). Engagement was a serious matter in Judaism. We read in Deuteronomy 22:23–24 that if a man has consensual sexual relations with a woman engaged to another man, then both the man and the woman are to be executed. Engagement took place before witnesses and with the giving of the bride price; the wedding would typically occur a year later. The woman belonged to her future husband from this point onward.
We are specifically told that the virgin’s name is Mary and that she is engaged to Joseph (Matt. 1:16–25; 2:13–14, 19, 21; Luke 2:16; 3:23; 4:22; John 1:45; 6:42). Joseph, we are told, is from the “house of David,” and the genealogy of Jesus will be traced through his father. The future king of Israel would come from David’s line (e.g., 2 Sam. 7:13, 16; Pss. 89:3–4, 28–37; 132:11–12; Isa. 9:1–7; 11:1–10; 55:3; Jer. 23:5–6; 30:9; 33:15–17; Ezek. 34:23–24; 37:24–25; Hos. 3:5; Mic. 5:2–4; Zech. 9:9), and Luke clearly sees Jesus as the fulfillment of the promise of an eternal dynasty given to David.
Gabriel appears to Mary and greeted her in the normal way (cf. Matt. 26:49; 27:29; Mark 15:18; John 19:3). The word could be translated “rejoice,” but in this context it is likely that Gabriel says “hello” to Mary (“Greetings”). Gabriel declares to Mary that she is “favored” (Gk. kecharitōmenē), which means that God’s grace has been bestowed upon her, which is not to deny Mary’s godliness. Still, Mary’s godliness is due to God’s grace in her life. The Lord is “with” Mary in a distinctive way, just as he was with Gideon and others in the past (Judg. 6:12; cf. Gen. 26:28; 2 Sam. 7:3).
1:29–31 Zechariah “was troubled” (Gk. etarachthē; Luke 1:12) when Gabriel appeared to him, and Mary responds in a similar say upon seeing Gabriel and hearing his greeting, but the verb is probably intensified and thus the translation “greatly troubled” (dietarachthē) is apropos. Mary is attempting to discern the meaning and significance of what is happening to her, and we see, as in the case of Zechariah, that the appearance of an angel elicits fear.
Gabriel assures Mary by instructing her not to be afraid (cf. Gen. 15:1; 26:24; Dan. 10:12; Luke 1:30; 2:10; 5:10; Rev. 1:17), and he explains why there is no reason for fear: she has “found favor with God.” Others who are said to have found such favor include Noah (Gen. 6:8), Moses (Ex. 33:12–13, 16, 17; 34:9), Gideon (Judg. 6:17), and David (Acts 7:45–46). All of the OT characters just named found favor with the Lord because of their godliness and obedience, and thus the same is true of Mary. Like Zechariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1:6), she is a member of the godly remnant in Israel. Mary’s obedience should not be confused with merit. We see in Hebrews that Noah (Heb. 11:7), Moses (11:24–28), Gideon (11:32), and David (11:32) are all commended for their faith. In the same way, Mary’s obedience and favor can be traced to her trust in God.
Gabriel proceeds to tell Mary the consequence of her finding favor with God. As in other birth announcements in Scriptures (Gen. 16:11; 17:19; Judg. 13:3, 5; Isa. 7:14), she is told that she will conceive and have a son. The uniqueness of the announcement signifies, as in the OT texts noted above, that her child will have a special role. There is no indication that Isaiah’s prophecy of the virgin birth (Isa. 7:14) shapes Luke’s narrative. The name assigned to the child is Jesus, which means “the Lord saves.”
1:32–33 The child Mary will bear will be unlike any other child in the history of the world. John the Baptist will be “great before the Lord” (Luke 1:15), but Jesus will be even greater: “the Son of the Most High.” John the Baptist will prepare the way for the Lord, but Jesus is the Son of God, for “Most High” means that he comes from heaven (e.g., Gen. 14:18–20; Deut. 32:8; 2 Sam. 22:14; cf. Luke 6:35; 8:28). The Davidic king is identified as God’s son in Isaiah 9:6 and is given divine appellations: “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” We have indications here that, as the Son of God, Jesus shares the identity and nature of God, though Mary probably does not understand the import of Jesus’ being called the Son of God at this juncture. Perhaps she equates Jesus’ sonship with the promise that he would reign on David’s throne (cf. 2 Sam. 7:16; Ps. 2:7). We see, on the other hand, in Mark 5:7 that demons identify Jesus as the “Son of the Most High God.” Demons recognize that Jesus’ sonship signals his special and unique relationship with God. It is likely that Luke intends the readers of the Gospel to read the appellation in the deepest sense, and thus Jesus is designated both as the son of David and as divine here (cf. comment on 1:42–43).
Since Mary’s son will sit on David’s throne, he will be the Davidic king, the Messiah, the one who will fulfill the promise that a descendant of David would rule forever (e.g., 2 Sam. 7:13, 16; Pss. 89:3–4, 28–37; 132:11–12; Isa. 9:1–7; 11:1–10; 55:3; Jer. 23:5–6; 30:9; 33:15–17; Ezek. 34:23–24; 37:24–25; Hos. 3:5; Mic. 5:2–4; Zech. 9:9). As king, he will rule over Israel forever, and his kingdom will be everlasting. In his eternal reign Jesus fulfills the promise of Micah 4:7: “The Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion from this time forth and forevermore.” Similarly, the Son of Man is promised a rule over all peoples and nations, and his dominion and reign will have no end (Dan. 7:14).
1:34 Mary asks how it is possible for her to be the mother of the Davidic king and the Son of God since she is a virgin. Apparently she understands the angel to say that her conception will take place before her marriage. We see from Mary’s question that she is not naïve, that she recognizes that children come only from a sexual union. Thus the promise that she will have a son apart from sexual intercourse does not make sense to her. Gabriel does not reprove her as Zechariah was rebuked when he asked how he and Elizabeth could have children when they were past the age of childbearing (Luke 1:18). Mary is not rebuked because the situations are remarkably different. Zechariah is a priest educated in the Scriptures, and he knew, as was noted in the comment on 1:18–20, that God had granted children to couples in their old age. A virgin conception, on the other hand, would be unheard of, and there is no indication that Mary is thinking of Isaiah 7:14. Luke does not criticize Mary for unbelief, for her question is a humble attempt to discern what the angel could possibly mean, since children are not conceived apart from a sexual relationship.
1:35 If Mary were confused about a virginal conception, Gabriel could have replied that the conception would not be immediate, that she would conceive with Joseph, the man she was engaged to, after they were married. But Gabriel’s answer assumes that Mary is correct, confirming that a virginal conception is intended. She will conceive in an ineffable and supernatural way. The Holy Spirit “will come upon” (cf. Acts 1:8) her in a mysterious way. God’s “power” (Gk. dynamis), which is another way of speaking of the work of the Spirit (e.g., Luke 1:17; 4:14; 24:49; Acts 1:8), “will overshadow” (episkiasei) her. We see elsewhere that the cloud overshadows the tabernacle (Ex. 40:34), God overshadows his people with his wings (Ps. 91:4), a cloud overshadows the disciples during the transfiguration (Matt. 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:34), and the Lord overshadows his people during battle (Ps. 140:7). The reference to “the Most High” points to the transcendent power of God to do what is impossible for human beings.
Since the child comes by God’s miraculous power, he will be “holy,” i.e., uniquely set apart for God’s purposes. Since the child is the result of a divine work, he will be the “Son of God.” As we saw in verse 32, his sonship could be limited to his status as David’s offspring, which means that Jesus is God’s Son in that he is the Messiah, the fulfillment of the promise to David. The notion of messianic fulfillment is surely included, but since Jesus’ conception differs radically from the birth of any previous Davidic king in that he is virginally conceived as a result of divine action, it seems that his sonship goes beyond saying that he is the Messiah. His unique birth shows that he shares the identity and nature of the one true God.
The Lukan account of the virgin birth (technically virginal conception) is clearly independent from the Matthean account (Matt. 1:18–25) and does not draw on Isaiah 7:14. We have, therefore, a complementary narrative that supports the virginal conception of Jesus. Those who believe in the incarnation and a God who intervenes in the world should have no problem accepting the virginal conception. A rationalistic, modernistic, antisupernatural worldview rejects what the Scriptures clearly teach. The remarkable circumstances of Jesus’ birth show that he is greater than the Baptist, and they also explain why his kingdom, as a son of David, will never end, for he is not merely the son of David but is also the eternal Son of God.
1:36–38 Gabriel proceeds to tell Mary that Elizabeth, who is apparently Mary’s relative, has also conceived, even though she and Zechariah are old. The one who was barren, for whom a baby was a dream long past, is in the sixth month of her pregnancy. The pregnancy of Elizabeth is not as astonishing as the promise given to Mary, but by bringing up Elizabeth’s pregnancy Gabriel gives confirmation to Mary that God is working in unexpected and supernatural ways.
Gabriel proceeds to explain why both Elizabeth and Mary have or will have conceived in the womb, despite old age or despite the lack of sexual intercourse. What explains their conception is the power of God, for he can do the impossible. The wording reaches back to the promise given to Sarah, who laughed derisively at the promise that she would have a son (Gen. 18:10–13). The angel rebuked her, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Gen. 18:14). Here we find the basis for a supernatural birth, which also explains why Mary can be confident that she will have son without sexual relations. The Lord can do what is humanly impossible. So too, God can bring Israel back from exile when it seems impossible (Jer. 32:17, 27), and he can work in the heart of human beings so that they are truly saved (Mark 10:27), for human beings in and of themselves have no desire to be saved. What God ordains and designs cannot be thwarted (Job 42:2). We are reminded that those who question the virginal conception have forgotten a fundamental truth, a truth that is not foreign to the virginal conception but is brought up in the very discussion of the virginal conception: God can do what is impossible for human beings!
Mary responds as the model disciple, confessing and accepting that she is the Lord’s servant. It is hers not to command but to obey, not to prescribe but to accept, not to dictate but to receive. She acknowledges the role given to her, recognizing that the best course of action is if her life plays out according to God’s word. Mary is an ordinary human being, but like Elizabeth and Zechariah she belongs to the circle in Israel which follows the Lord.