Explore the Bible
Dean, School of Christian Studies, University of Mobile
A SPECIAL BABY: REJOICE
Luke 1:26–55
Jesus’ Birth Foretold to Mary (26–38)
Six months after Gabriel announced the coming birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:8–20), God sent the angel to Mary with an announcement. This young virgin from the village of Nazareth in Galilee was “betrothed” to a man named Joseph. The original language word order makes “descendant of David” connect to Joseph instead of Mary. Betrothal was a formal legal contract that could be ended only by divorce.
Gabriel’s greeting, “O favored one,” indicated Mary had received God’s favor, not that she was able to give it. Gabriel commanded her, “Stop fearing!” The original language shows Mary was already fearing. Gabriel insisted that she stop because she had “found favor with God.” The latter expression indicated God had chosen to act in blessing on her behalf. Namely Mary would conceive and give birth to a son. She should name him “Jesus,” the Greek form of the Hebrew “Joshua,” which means “Jehovah saves.” Gabriel further defined Jesus as “great,” “the Son of the Highest” (i.e., God), the One who will occupy David’s throne and rule “Jacob” (i.e., Israel) eternally. So fearful were Jews of taking the Lord’s name in vain that they refused to take it at all. One way they talked about God without saying “Jehovah” was to use expressions such as “the Highest.”
Jewish women for hundreds of years had longed and prayed to give birth to the promised Messiah. Now God had chosen Mary.
Immediately Mary objected because of a simple fact — “How can this be since I have not known a man?” “Know” is a roundabout way to express sexual relations, as in Genesis (4:1, 17). Gabriel reassured her. She would become pregnant by the power of God expressed through the work of the Holy Spirit. Normally God uses a human father to conceive a baby. But, as C.S. Lewis has written, once in history, the Great Creator stripped off the glove of nature and, with His naked finger, touched Mary’s womb and produced a child. Gabriel was explicit: Her son would be “holy,” i.e., free from sin, specifically “the Son of God.” Indeed Elizabeth’s pregnancy in old age was proof that with God, “nothing is impossible.”
Mary submitted to God’s will: “Let this happen to me according to your word.” Doing God’s will may mean risking life. Mary could be stoned for adultery when it became clear she was pregnant. Doing God’s will may mean ruining reputation. Mary bore the stigma of “unwed motherhood” her whole life. Despite the risks, Mary chose God’s will, which makes her a worthy example.
The New Testament never tries to prove the virgin birth. It is telling, however, that Luke, a doctor (Col. 4:14), reported the birth of Jesus to a virgin as if he believed the report. Say what you will about how primitive medicine was in the first century; it is unarguable that people then knew how babies were made. And Luke, a doctor, testified that Jesus did not come that way.
Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth (39–55)
Perhaps it was Gabriel’s news about Elizabeth (Luke 1:36) that prompted Mary to visit her in a “town in the hill country of Judea.” She would spend about three months with Elizabeth before returning home (Luke 1:56).
When the two met, Elizabeth’s baby moved in the womb. Movement of a baby in the sixth month is not unusual, but the Holy Spirit helped Elizabeth realize what had happened to Mary. “Blessed among women are you” acknowledged that it was Mary’s privilege to birth a unique baby. Indeed Elizabeth recognized Mary as “the mother of my Lord!” Thus the mother of the one destined to prepare the way for the Lord joined her unborn child in honoring the one chosen by God to become the mother of the Lord.
The theme of Mary’s song is that fulfillment of God’s promise of redemption will bring sharp reversals of fortunes — the lifting up of the lowly but the fall of the powerful. The first half of it is in the form of personal thankfulness for the favor God had shown her (46–49); the second half is in the form of national thanksgiving for the birth of the Messiah, Israel’s Deliverer (50–55).
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