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 betrothed 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!” 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?”

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 born 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 servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

(ESV)

STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?

  • What is the writer saying?
  • How do I apply this to my life?

💡How to do your quiet time


When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, Gabriel was sent from God (angel means messenger) to a relatively unimportant city in Galilee named Nazareth. Mary was a virgin but legally pledged to be married to Joseph (this was a little like an engagement but with the legal weight of marriage). Gabriel greeted her as highly favoured because she was the recipient of special grace and honour from God. Mary was troubled and wasn’t sure what kind of message she was going to receive. Gabriel assured her she need not be afraid because she had found favour with God. She was going to conceive and bear a son and God had chosen His name to be Jesus.

Gabriel made five predictions about her son:

  1. He will be great.
  2. He is deity, the Son of the Most High.
  3. He will sit on David’s throne as David’s descendant.
  4. He will reign over the house of Jacob—this is a reference specifically to the nation of Israel. In the Millenium, Jesus will finally reign over Israel as her king.
  5. He will be the final king who will reign forever. Jesus’ millennial reign will continue into eternity.

In her response, Mary confirms her virginity. She asked how it was possible that she would have a baby because she was still a virgin. Gabriel replied that miraculously the Holy Spirit would come upon her and both implant the baby and protect Him from her sin nature so that He would be called holy—the Son of God. Then Gabriel pointed out that her relative Elizabeth had conceived in her old age despite being called barren. How were these two pregnancies possible? Because nothing is impossible with God. Mary’s response is a beautiful example of humble submission. She acknowledged that she was a servant of the Lord and willingly submitted to God’s plan.

It’s interesting to see the level of detail we have of Mary’s interactions and experiences which strongly suggests that Luke interviewed Mary personally.

What God asked Mary to do was a glorious thing but one fraught with challenges, scandal and personal pain. God had asked her to do a hard thing but she willingly submitted. Are you living your life in the attitude of, “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word”?


Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan

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