Original Meaning

THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO Mary parallels the announcement to Zechariah, but the differences are also significant. Whereas the first announcement takes place in the temple in the center of Israelite culture, this one takes place in an obscure Galilean village much to the north of the capital. The humble nature of the announcement parallels the humble nature of Jesus’ birth and ministry. Whereas the announcement about John involves a man, the one about Jesus involves a woman. This is significant because it reflects the gender diversity of such birth announcements or inquiries about births in the Old Testament (e.g., Abraham, Rebekah, the wife of Manoah). In addition, the perspective differs from Matthew, who tells Joseph’s story (Matt. 1:18–25). Everything about the birth echoes the later words of Paul, that Jesus’ life reflected the humility of “emptying himself” as he took on humanity (Phil. 2:5–11).

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).1 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 is “highly favored” (v. 28), receiving God’s grace on the basis of his sovereign action. One can always rejoice when God chooses to show his presence through his grace. Thus the Lord is with her (v. 28). Her initial fear is calmed when the angel explains the reason for his presence. She has “found favor” (v. 30)—a second indication that she is the object of God’s grace.

Mary is then told of the greatness of the child to come in a manner that recalls the birth announcements of the Old Testament (Gen. 16:11; Judg. 13:5; Isa. 7:14). 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. The drama of how this portrait is built is sometimes lost on us who know the whole story, but to Luke’s initial readers, the steps in the story were necessary to explain and reassure that Jesus was all God revealed him to be.

The special child is a beneficiary of a unique birth, since Mary is a virgin (v. 27). Mary understandably wonders how a child can be promised to her, since she is sexually inexperienced. God’s special creative work through the Holy Spirit will cooperate in the realization of this child’s arrival, so that the child will be known as holy and Son of God. Though Luke does not allude to Isaiah 7:14 as Matthew 1:23 does, the picture of this Old Testament passage is evoked by the setting.3

All of these details reaffirm why, at the start of this passage, Mary is called “highly favored” (v. 28) and one who has “found favor” (v. 30). She is honored by God not because of her own merit or because she has done anything, but simply because she is the chosen vessel for this demonstration of God’s grace. God even gives a sign that these events are taking place. The angel reveals that her old relative will bear a child too, and he reminds her that “nothing is impossible with God.” As with Zechariah, this remark indicates that God can and will perform his word. His promise can be trusted.

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.

Again Luke has not only explained how the plan of God is advanced by telling the details of the birth announcement, he also has revealed the character of those surrounding the birth of these two great men of God. All the figures involved are examples of spirituality as they respond to what God is doing among them. In the midst of the cosmic story, there are human stories. The narrative wants the reader to sense both levels of the story.

Bridging Contexts

THE BRIDGES IN this text parallel the previous section. We have the unique details of God’s plan, involving a unique birth and a unique child. These details are timeless, setting in motion the redeeming acts of God. Luke reveals the depth of Jesus’ uniqueness one step at a time. His unusual birth at the start prepares us for more that is unusual about Jesus.

The child is introduced in terms all the readers can understand, as a king for Israel. The origin and humble setting for the birth of such a stellar regal figure should already alert us to the fact that God often works in strange ways. There will be surprises with Jesus. God’s plan, though outlined in Scripture, cannot be prepackaged for delivery. To see God work, one must listen for him to reveal how he does it. Most of us, had we designed the plan, would have made great pomp and circumstance out of the arrival of the king. But the fact that his birth was like any other common birth says a lot about the great lengths God goes to in order to identify with the most humble people of the world. God may be the God of the universe, but he is no elitist.

The character of Mary is also worthy of study. Even though the events that take place with her are unique, her attitudes are held up within the narrative as exemplary and worthy of praise. These textual clues help us focus on central elements in the story. Thus, for example, the words of 1:45 in the next section present Mary as an example in terms of her response to all these events. The fact that the hymn she offers is generic in describing the kind of person, like her, whom God blesses reinforces reading the text this way.

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. The angel, faithful in his task, wants Mary to know just how favored she is. With God’s grace behind her, Mary knows that she can do what God asks. The text’s description of her as a virgin reveals that she had grown up with a sense of personal responsibility and integrity.

Contemporary Significance

THE HUMBLE SETTING of Jesus’ birth not only reveals the nature of God’s plan, it also reveals the character of God’s heart. God loves those who are humble in spirit. Even his Son, as the King of Israel, the Promised One of all time, is born of a humble, country maiden. This example of God’s unpretentiousness is an attitude that we as his children should possess. We might expect great things from God and anticipate that he will work through the great in society. But God shows his greatness by working with anyone on the street who is willing to be used by him. 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.”

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.

The entire infancy narrative stresses God’s completing his promises, for every short-term promise he made comes to pass exactly as spoken. We can trust God to perform his promises. He will do it at his own time and in his own way, but it will come to pass. If God has such integrity, we as his children should imitate that character and be true to our word. In a culture where lies are often seen merely as “half truths,” this revelation of character is important.

On the other hand, Mary reflects the proper response of anyone who has been called by God with no credentials other than availability and a responsive heart. She is the Lord’s servant, and so are we, if we know him. God’s servants have the right attitude and perspective to accomplish great things for him if they say: “Use me as you will. I will not refrain from serving because I do not feel qualified or usable.” Behind the availability to service is an attitude that trusts God for direction and enablement. 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.

With God’s call comes a need to be responsive to his leading. Submitting to God’s will means realizing how that road is best traveled. 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.

Furthermore, with God there is no need to have an inferiority complex about how he may use us and what we bring to the task. More than being willing to go where God will take us is realizing that he can help us overcome whatever limitations we bring to the effort. In faithfulness there is spiritual strength. Luke wants us not only to see Mary as the humble mother of Jesus, but also as an example of faith. Just as Elizabeth pictured the one who rejoices in being used of God, so also Mary paints a portrait of going wherever God leads, knowing that he will supply whatever is lacking.

The fact of the Virgin Birth also underscores that God is our Creator, and his creative power is capable of making life out of nothing merely through his overshadowing presence. If anything expresses the sovereignty of God, it is his ability to create life. I do not know if there has been any more powerful moment in my life than when my children were born. To cuddle a newborn and recognize that nine months of biological miracle produced this tender, new life that must be nurtured and cared for stresses just how precious life is and how powerful God’s creative skill is.

The importance of the Virgin Birth is illustrated by an article I noticed recently in one of our metropolitan newspapers.4 Our culture has a strong temptation to deny the uniqueness of Jesus. The article in question noted the claim of some scholars in the Jesus Seminar that the Virgin Birth did not really take place and that Bethlehem might not be Jesus’ birthplace. Such claims are not new. The birth is only noted in Matthew and Luke, but that is because John starts with Jesus as the preexistent Word and Mark has no infancy material at all. These are mere literary choices by the human authors of the Bible. The Virgin Birth is significant because it shows special divine involvement with Jesus from the start. It also reasserts the fundamental power of God to reshape life. As John’s Gospel puts it, the Word became flesh. Such supernatural activity marks Jesus out as unique from the start.5 A person’s response to the truth of such an event also suggests their worldview about God and his ability to act in the world. The difference in worldview involves a picture of God as a spectator in the creation in contrast to a view of deity that sees him as a creative participant with us in life.

Though Jesus’ life is unique and has a unique origin, every life is precious, a testimony to God’s amazing creative power. Even the anticipation of the arrival of such a life is special and should not be trivialized. Conception, because it is precious, should be treated with respect. I suspect this is why God values sexual faithfulness and virginity. Those who keep themselves pure until the proper time set a table of faithfulness not only for the partner they share life with, but also for the precious child they will have stewardship over after the birth. New life is so precious we owe the child such forethought. Unfortunately, often we are shortsighted, so that the child is put at risk, whether before birth through the threat of abortion or after birth through the trauma of divorce created through unfaithfulness.