26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:26-38 KJV)
Birth of Jesus Foretold
We are given everything we need to know about the incarnation and conception of our blessed Savior, which took place six months after John’s conception. The same angel, Gabriel, who informed Zechariah of God’s plan for his son, is now sent to Mary, continuing the same great work of redemption. While bad angels are not redeemed and good angels are not redeemers, the Redeemer employs good angels as messengers. They willingly carry out His assignments because they serve God and are sincere friends to His children.
We are introduced to Mary, the mother of our Lord. Although we do not pray to her, we must praise God for her. Her name was Mary, a form of Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. The name means “exalted,” and she was indeed exalted to be favored above all the daughters of David’s house.
She was a descendant of the royal family, from the line of David. Though poor and humble, she and her family knew her lineage and preserved it, for the promise of the Messiah made it worth maintaining. However, for those who now live in poverty, claiming noble ancestry is of little value.
She was a virgin, pure and untouched, but engaged to Joseph, also of David’s line, though of humble means. This created an appropriate balance between them (Matthew 1:20). Christ’s mother had to be a virgin since His birth was to be miraculous, not by ordinary means. This preserved His humanity without its corruption. That she was engaged also honored the institution of marriage, so it wouldn’t be dishonored by the Redeemer’s birth.
She lived in Nazareth, a town in Galilee, far from the religious center and lacking reputation for spiritual or scholarly significance. Being near Gentile regions, it was called “Galilee of the Gentiles.” Christ’s connection to this place hinted at His favor toward the Gentiles. Jonah was a Galilean by birth, and Elijah and Elisha, prophets closely tied to Gentile ministry, were also active in that area. The angel was sent to Mary in Nazareth, reminding us that no location is too obscure for God to show favor. Gabriel carried his message to Mary in Galilee just as faithfully as to Zechariah in Jerusalem.
When the angel came to Mary (Luke 1:28), we’re not told what she was doing, but he surprised her with the greeting, “Greetings, you who are highly favored.” This raised her sense of worth and expectation of divine favor. The greeting, “Rejoice,” was a typical salutation, expressing respect and goodwill.
She was honored: “You are highly favored.” God honored her uniquely in choosing her to bear the Messiah, an honor greater than that of Eve, who was the mother of all living. The Latin translation, gratia plena—“full of grace”—has led some to claim she had more of the Spirit’s graces than anyone else. But the phrase refers to God’s gracious choice of her, not her personal merit. It was by free grace alone that she was chosen.
She was assured of God’s presence: “The Lord is with you.” Though poor and perhaps worried about her future life with Joseph, God was with her. This echoes the angel’s words to Gideon (Judges 6:12) and points to the Immanuel prophecy (Isaiah 7:14)—God with us.
She was blessed: “Blessed are you among women.” She would be called blessed by all generations (Luke 1:48), just as Jael was praised among women (Judges 5:24).
Mary was deeply troubled by the angel’s appearance and words (Luke 1:29). A proud or ambitious woman might have welcomed such news, but Mary, humble and modest, was confused. She wondered what kind of greeting this was. Was it heavenly or human? Was it genuine or misleading? Her reaction is a model for young women: they should carefully consider the nature and purpose of any message addressed to them.
Noticing her concern, the angel reassured her (Luke 1:30): “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” Those who are favored by God should not be overwhelmed with fear. If God is for us, we need not fear the world’s opposition.
Though a virgin, she would conceive and give birth to a son and name Him Jesus (Luke 1:31). Eve had the honor of being the mother of all living, but her joy was mixed with sorrow (Genesis 3:16). Mary’s honor was unmarred.
Though poor and obscure, Mary would bear the Messiah. Her son would be named Jesus—a Savior, not as the Jews expected, but as the world truly needed.
He would be great and called the Son of the Most High (Luke 1:32). This is not a mere title but a declaration of His divine nature and intimate relationship with God. He is God over all (Romans 9:5). Even those adopted into God’s family are truly great and must live accordingly (1 John 3:1-2).
Though born under humble conditions, God would give Him David’s throne (Luke 1:32), reminding Mary of her own royal lineage. The reign of David’s house had long ended, but now it would be restored—not by succession, but by one King forever.
His kingdom would be spiritual—over the house of Jacob, not merely Israel in the flesh, but the spiritual Israel of promise. His reign would be eternal (Luke 1:33), unlike the temporary kingdoms of this world. His kingdom would never end (Proverbs 27:24). The gospel is the final dispensation—there will be no other.
Mary asked, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34). She didn’t doubt but sought understanding. She knew the Messiah would be born of a virgin and wondered how this would come to pass in her case.
The angel answered (Luke 1:35): She would conceive by the Holy Spirit, whose role is to sanctify. The Holy Spirit, the power of the Most High, would overshadow her. As the cloud covered the tabernacle to hide God’s glory, so the Spirit would overshadow Mary, concealing the mystery from human scrutiny. Human conception itself is a mystery (Ecclesiastes 11:5; Psalm 139:15-16), and Christ’s even more so—“God manifest in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16). It was a new thing created in the earth (Jeremiah 31:22), beyond our full comprehension.
The child to be born would be holy, unlike any other. He would be called the Son of God. His human nature, conceived by the Holy Spirit, was uniquely suited to be united with the divine nature.
To encourage her, the angel told her about her relative Elizabeth, who was also expecting a child in her old age (Luke 1:36). God often builds faith through progressive wonders. Elizabeth, though from a priestly family (Luke 1:5), may have had Davidic lineage through her mother, as the priestly and royal families often intermarried. This sixth month of her pregnancy demonstrated that what had long seemed impossible was now reality. As the angel declared, “With God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37). Abraham believed this and did not doubt God’s promise (Romans 4:20-21). No promise of God should be doubted, because no work of God is impossible for Him.
Mary responded with humble faith (Luke 1:38): “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me according to your word.” She made no objection about potential disgrace or damage to her engagement. She submitted entirely to God’s will and sought His promise with sincere desire. Her response—“Be it to me according to your word”—expresses faith guided by God’s promise and hope grounded in it. She added her own “Amen” to what God had said. Then the angel left her, having completed his mission.