Pre-Introduction

The Old Testament Scripture reading is 1 Samuel 2:1-11. The New Testament reading is Luke 1:39-56. This is also the sermon text. As most of you know, it is my custom to read from the Old Testament and the New at the beginning of each sermon. This helps us to remember that both Testaments are the Word of God and authoritative for the Christian. And it is also my custom to select a passage, either from the Old Testament or New, that corresponds somehow to the sermon text. Sometimes I make much of the connection between the passages in the sermon, and sometimes I do not. Either way, this custom should help us to remember that the Old and New Testaments are very much interrelated. Many have noticed this. I like the way that Augustine puts it: “The new is in the old concealed; the old is in the new revealed.” 

This morning I want you to see the obvious relationship between the Song that the Virgin Mary sang after she was greeted by her relative Elizabeth, and the prayer that a woman named Hannah said as she brought her weaned son, Samuel, to the temple to leave him with the priest Eli so that he might be devoted to the service of the Lord. We should remember that Hannah was barren. She was deeply depressed about this. And one day she wept at the temple and made a vow to the Lord, saying, “And she vowed a vow and said, ‘O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head’” (1 Samuel 1:11, ESV). The LORD answered her prayer. The barren one conceived and bore a son. After he was weaned, she brought him to the temple to leave him to the service of God. Hear now 1 Samuel 2:1-11.

Old Testament Reading: 1 Samuel 2:1-11

“And Hannah prayed and said, ‘My heart exults in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and on them he has set the world. He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.’ Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli the priest.” (1 Samuel 2:1–11, ESV)

What a marvelous prayer this was. I hope it is clear to you that it was very much about the faith and hope that Hannah had in the promised Messiah. Let us go now to our New Testament reading and our sermon text. Luke 1:39-56.  

New Testament Reading: Luke 1:39-56

“In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.’ And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.’ And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.” (Luke 1:39–56, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

As we begin to consider our passage for today I would like to make make a few preliminary observations. 

One, do not forget the final piece of information that the angel Gabriel revealed to Mary as recorded in the previous passage. He said, “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” (Luke 1:36, ESV). It is not surprising, therefore, to read “In those days Mary arose and went with haste…” to visit her relative Elizabeth. Surely, Mary wished to see for herself that the word of the Angel was true. Surely, she wished to be comforted and encouraged by Elizabeth. And perhaps she wished to have some privacy in the early months of her pregnancy as she continued to process all that was happening to her along with the life-changing implications. 

Two, notice the emphasis on the activity of the Holy Spirit in those days. The angel Gabriel told Zachariah that his son, John, would be “filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb” (Luke 1:15, ESV). After Mary asked how will these things be, The angel answered, “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” (Luke 1:35, ESV). And here in our passage, it is said that “when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Luke 1:41–42, ESV), etc. Luke’s Gospel is all about Jesus the Messiah. Messiah means “anointed one, that is to say, one who is anointed with the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the Anointed One, as we will soon see. It is no wonder, then, that the Holy Spirit was so very active in the process of bringing the Messiah into the World. It was the Father who sent the Son to be incarnate, and this he did by the working of the Holy Spirit. 

Three, notice the prominent role that women play early in Luke’s Gospel. Both Mary and Elizabeth demonstrate great faith and courage. They also display great knowledge concerning the Scriptures and especially the promises of the Old Testament pertaining to the arrival of the Messiah, the scull-crushing seed of the woman. More women will be added to this list as we progress through Luke – Anna the prophetess (Luke 2:36), Mary and Martha (Luke 10), and others who “had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for [Jesus and his disciples] out of their means” (Luke 8:2–3, ESV). Here we have an example of how Christ turns everything on its head compared to the way of the world. True, Jesus’ core disciples were all male. And true, he does command that men lead within the home and church. But women are highlighted in Luke’s Gospel as being particularly faithful, and we should not miss this theme. 

Having made these three introductory observations, let us now carefully consider the sayings uttered by these two faithful women, Elizabeth and Mary, as they met with one another. 

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The Words Of Elizabeth 

First, let us consider the words of Elizabeth as found in verses 41 through 45.

In verse 41 we read, “And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.”

It is not unusual for babies to move around in the womb. But this movement of John was exceptional. It happened at the moment that Mary spoke, and it was very strong – both the timing and the strength of the movement of the child caused Elizabeth to take notice. It was a sign to her that Mary was indeed the mother of her Lord. I think we are to remember the prophecy of Malachi 4:2, which speaks of the coming Messiah, saying, “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall” (Malachi 4:2, ESV). Well, John the Baptist leaped with joy even in the womb of his mother. He was conceived for this purpose – to prepare the way for the Messiah.   

When the text says that Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, it is not referring to the ordinary operations of the Spirit such as the conviction of sin, effectually calling, regeneration, and sealing, but to the extraordinary operation of the Spirit. The Spirit of God filled Elizabeth and empowered her to prophesy. 

Consider now verse 42-45: “[A]nd she exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.’”

Notice two things about the words of Elizabeth: 

Firstly, notice the threefold repetition of the word “blessed”. To be blessed is to have the favor of God bestowed upon you. Elizabeth, being moved = by the Holy Spirit, declared Mary to be blessed. “Blessed are you among women”, she said. “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” This confirms what was said in the previous sermon regarding the innocence of Mary’s question, how will this be? She did not doubt, she wondered. She believed. And she is an example to us in this. And Elizabeth also declared Jesus to be blessed: “blessed is the fruit of your womb!”, she exclaimed.  

As you probably know, the Roman Catholics have elevated Mary to a position she was never meant to occupy. They venerate her. They pray to her as if she was a mediator between God and man alongside Jesus. They claim that she was without sin. Some will even refer to her as a co-redemptrix. All of these errors are to be avoided as unscriptural. How then are we to regard Mary? Answer: As one who was blessed of God. The favor of God was bestowed upon her, not for any merit of her own, but by God’s grace alone. Mary was the recipient of grace – in no way is she the giver of grace. Though I do not doubt that Mary was a faithful and devout young woman, she needed a Savior just like you and me. She was uniquely blessed, however, to be one who would bring Jesus Christ the Savior, the only mediator between God and man, into the world. Elizabeth was right to call Mary and her child, blessed, blessed, blessed. 

Secondly, notice that Elizabeth referred to Mary as “the mother of my Lord”. The Greek word for “Lord” could be used in a generic sense to refer to any master or superior. But used in this context it is clearly a reference to the promised Messiah. Psalm 110 is a very important Psalm. King David spoke concerning the Messiah when he said, “The LORD says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool’” (Psalm 110:1, ESV). Who is the first LORD mentioned? It is YHWH. And who is the second Lord mentioned? It is the Messiah, the LORD’s Anointed. Again, hear Psalm 110: “The LORD [YHWH] says to my Lord [Messiah]: ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool’” (Psalm 110:1, ESV). When Elizabeth referred to Mary as “the mother of my Lord”, she meant, the mother of the Messiah, the promised son of David. Furthermore, it should be noticed that the title “Lord” has already been used ten times in Luke’s Gospel. In each instance, it refers to the God of Israel. So then, when Elizabeth referred to Mary as “the mother of my Lord”, she meant the mother of God. Indeed, we know that the Messiah was the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Triune God incarnate. Mary was blessed to be the mother of the Messiah. Indeed, she was the very mother of God come in the flesh.  

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The Words Of Mary

Let us go now to the words of Mary as found in verses 46 through 55. I’ll read them again in their entirety, and then we will consider them in some detail. 

Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever” (Luke 1:46–55, ESV). 

Truly, Mary’s song of praise needs to be considered alongside Hannah’s song of praise, which we read just a moment ago. When you set 1 Samuel 2:1-11 alongside Luke 1:46-55 the similarities are hard to miss. The significance of the similarities is this: Hannah and her miraculously conceived son, Samuel, were a type, or foreshadowing, of Mary and her son, Jesus. And the song that Hannah sang, though it had a more immediate fulfillment in King David, was ultimately about the Messiah, David’s son, and David’s Lord. It is marvelous to consider that when Hannah exclaimed “My heart exults in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation”, she was really exalting and rejoicing in Jesus Christ, the LORD’s Anointed one, and the salvation he would earn. When Hannah rejoiced in the humiliation of the proud and the exaltation of the humble, she anticipated the judgment and salvation of Christ. When she said, “The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up”, she (perhaps unknowingly) anticipated the death, burial, descent, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, and our new and eternal life in him. And when she uttered these words: “The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed”, she did not only speak of King David, but of King Jesus, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. 

Though it is true there are many obvious similarities between the songs of Hannah and Mary, it is also true that Mary’s song is filled with quotations and allusion to many other Old Testament passages and themes. We do not have the time to trace them all down. When all is considered, it becomes clear that Mary had God’s Word stored up in her heart. The same can be said of Elizabeth. These women were very familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures. They knew the promises of God concerning the coming Messiah, and the Holy Scriptures so filled their minds and hearts that when they sang, they sang with the words and phrases of Holy Scripture. Brothers and sisters, does God’s Word so fill your mind and heart that when you pray you cannot help but pray with the words and phrases of Scripture? I pressed you with this question at the end of the last sermon, and I will likely press you with it again. We really need to grow in our familiarity with Bible, especially the Old Testament. 

Let us now move (rather quickly) through Mary’s expression of praise line by line. 

Verse 46: “And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.” Notice that Mary is humble before the Lord. She regards herself as the Lord’s servant. Her response to the good news regarding the arrival of the Messiah was to rejoice in God and to magnify him, this is to say, to praise. She is an example to all of us in this. We too ought to walk humbly before God, regard ourselves as his servants, rejoice in him, and magnify him in the soul.  Notice also that Mary refers to God as “God my Savior”. This recalls the opening of Hanna’s song: “My heart exults in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation” (1 Samuel 2:1). It also recalls the language of Habakkuk 3:18: “yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:18, ESV). When Mary refers to God as “God my Savior” she communicates both her trust in the promises of God concerning the salvation he would work through the coming Messiah and her belief that that salvation was at hand, for the Messiah was in her womb. 

Look now at the second half of verse 48. There Mary says, “For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” Mary agreed with Elizabeth’s assessment that she was blessed by the Lord. And she was certainly correct to say, “from now on all generations will call me blessed”. As has been said, some elevate Mary to a position she was never intended to hold. Nevertheless, who from among God’s people would not agree that she was indeed blessed by God to be the woman who would give birth to the Messiah? Mary was blessed indeed. Generation after generation has acknowledged this fact. But notice how Mary gives glory to God and does not seek glory for herself. She would be called blessed from generation to generation. Why? She tells us why. “For he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” God alone is holy. Mary was not holy, by nature. Though undoubtedly faithful and devout, she was a sinner in need of a Savoir. Her son was her Savior. She trusted in him before he was miraculously conceived, by believing in the promises of God concerning him. And she trusted in him from the miraculous conception onward, believing him to be the fulfillment of all the promises of God previously made. Yes, very great things were done in and through Mary, but it was the Lord who did these things for her by his might and by his mercy and grace. 

In fact, this is what Mary confesses, not only for herself but for others too in the words of verse 50, “And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.” God is merciful, gracious, and kind. He does not give us what our sins deserve, namely eternal judgments. He gives us good things instead, namely eternal life. And his mercy and grace is extended to us through Jesus the Messiah. He is the only mediator between God and man. He is the one who reconciles us to the Father and blesses us with life eternal given the salvation he has earned through his life, death, burial and resurrection. God is merciful, gracious, and kind. But note this: ​​“his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.” Mary feared the Lord. She honored him as God and trusted in his promises. God’s mercy was for her, therefore. Indeed, it is for all who fear the Lord and trust in the Lord’s Messiah. 

In verses 51-54, Mary speaks of the salvation that God had, and was about, to accomplish. The terminology she uses is really important and fascinating. We should remember that Mary, at this point in her life, did not know how this Messiah son of hers would accomplish our salvation. The Old Testament Scriptures revealed that he would accomplish our salvation. And there are certainly hints about how he would do it. We can see these things clearly as we look back upon the Old Testament in light of the accomplishment of our salvation as recorded in the New Testament. But the details were still a mystery to Mary at this point in her life. It is not surprising, then, that she spoke of the accomplishment of our salvation in Old Testament terms, especially with language that is reminiscent of the Exodus of Israel from Egypt. The point is this: Mary did not know how exactly the Messiah would work salvation for her and for all who feared the Lord with her. But she knew it would be like the Exodus. She understood that the first Exodus anticipated a second and greater Exodus. She understood that the Messiah would overthrow the powers of darkness and set his people free, leading them on towards the eternal promised land, in fulfillment of the promises made to the fathers.

Look at verse 51. There Mary says, “He has shown strength with his arm.” Those familiar with the Old Testament will know that this is how the Scriptures speak of the Exodus of Isarel from Egypt. YHWH delivered Israel by the strength of his arm. Take, for example, Moses’ words to Israel in Deuteronomy 7:18: “You shall not be afraid of them but you shall remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which the LORD your God brought you out. So will the LORD your God do to all the peoples of whom you are afraid” (Deuteronomy 7:18–19, ESV). Israel was not to fear. They were to remember the salvation of the Lord and the strength of his arm. They were to trust that the Lord would deliver them from all their enemies in the future. When Mary says, “He has shown strength with his arm”, she remembers the Exodus, and she expresses the belief that the Messiah who was in her womb was the second and greater Moses, the one who had come to accomplish a second and greater Exodus. The first, which was worked through Moses, was earthly, temporary, and a type of the one to come. The second, which was worked by Christ, was heavenly, eternal, and the antitype (fulfillment) of the first. Mary understood that Messiah had come to accomplish this greater work of salvation. She did not know how exactly he would do it – the details were a mystery to her at this point in her life – and so she spoke using the terminology that was available to her. It was the terminology of the Old Testament Scriptures – terminology reminiscent of the first Exodus. 

Look now at the second half of verse 51. There Mary says, “He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts…”. Think of the way that God confounded Pharoah and the wise men of Egypt. Think of the way he humbled Nebuchadnezzar to show his sovereignty over him. Christ came to do the same. Though the powerful in his day would have him crucified, he would rise on the third day and ascend to the highest heavens, with all authority in heaven and on earth being given to him. Through the foolishness of the cross, he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

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In verse 52 Mary says, “He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate…”. Yes, think of Pharoah and Nebuchadnezzar and the way in which the Lord brought them down from their earthy thrones to humble them. But as you think of these earthly kings, do not forget about the spiritual powers of darkness that were behind them. 

If you read the story of the Bible carefully you will see that throughout the course of human history, there is a spiritual and heavenly reality that runs concurrently with the physical and earthy realities that we experience. This dynamic is introduced to us even in Genesis 2 and 3. There we see that the God of heaven entered into a covenant with the man and woman on earth, whom he had created. And there we see that the same man and women were tempted by a heavenly and spiritual being – a fallen angel – Satan. According to the Bible, after the fall of man into sin, the whole course of human history is marked by conflict between those who belong to the Evil one by nature and those who belong to God by faith. The Evil one is continuously striking at God’s people seeking to devour them. But God = promised to preserve his people. And he promised to crush the head of this serpent who strikes at them. This he would do through a Savior, or Redeemer. As you know, it was the heel of Jesus the Messiah that dropped on the head of the serpent. And this was accomplished, ironically, at the foot of the cross. 

I mention this spiritual battle to you now in brief because Mary’s words, “he has brought down the mighty from their thrones…” (Luke 1:52, ESV), have an ultimate reference, not to Pharoah, Nebuchadnezzar, Caesar, Nero, or to any other earthy being with political power who persecutes God’s people, but to Satan himself. To state it differently, when Christ accomplished our salvation he did not merely cast Pharoah or Ceaser down from their thrones. No, he cast Satan from his. 

Brothers and sisters, please understand this. When Adam bowed the knee to Satan in the garden and defected from the kingdom of God that was offered to him, Satan was given a kind of authority on earth and over the nations. Adam was called to rule on earth as God’s vice-regent, but when he obeyed the voice of the serpent, he brought himself, and all whom he represented, under subjection to the Evil One to whom he has bowed the knee. This is why Jesus referred to Satan as the “ruler of this world” (John 12:31). Paul refers to him as “the god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4). This does not mean that Satan is equal to or above God. But it does means that after the fall of man into sin, and until the resurrection of Christ from the grave, Satan was given a kind of authority over the nations. He kept them in darkness. He led them away into idolatry. These nations were alienated from God and from his salvation, the one exception being Israel (see Ephesians 2 and Colossians 1). Israel was the first nation on earth whom God reconciled to himself (in an earthy sense). To them, he gave his covenant promises. And through them, he would bring salvation to all nations, for from them the Messiah would be born. And what would the Messiah do to make it possible for the salvation of God and the kingdom of God to spread to all nations? One thing is this: he would bring down the mighty from their thrones. Above all, he would cast Satan down from his. That usurper, Satan, was, in a sense, sitting on the throne that was offered to Adam in the garden. Christ Jesus came to cast him off of it. And having cast Satan off through his obedient life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection, he ascended to his throne in heaven and sat down, with all authority in heaven and on earth being given to him. Indeed, all who are united to him by humble faith are exulted with him.  

I introduce this theme to you now because it has a very prominent place in Luke’s Gospel. Luke presents Jesus to us as the one who came to save us from all our enemies. And as we progress through this Gospel we will see that this enemy is none other than Satan himself. Christ was tempted by Satan in the wilderness but overcame him (Luke 4). He told his disciples that he “saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). He and his disciples cast out demons to demonstrate that the kingdom of God was present with power and that Satan’s kingdom was being overthrown. And of course, this culminates with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all flesh and the spreading of the kingdom of God to all nations through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Given what has just been said it should be clear that when Marys says in verses 52-54, “He has… exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things… He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy…” (Luke 1:52–54, ESV), this is not about being exulted on earth, (perhaps in a socio-economic sense), nor is it about being filled with good things such as meat and bread, nor is it about being helped through earthly difficulties, ultimately. No, Christ came to win victory in the spiritual realm, and he has come to exult his people to glory, to fill them with eternal joy and satisfaction, and to bring them through the trial of death and judgment itself. These verses, if ripped from their context in Luke (and the rest of the Bible), could be twisted to mean that Jesus came to give you a better life now! But taken in context, they certainly mean that Christ has come to free his people from eternal death and to give them abundant and eternal life now and forever through faith in him.  Also, the words, “and the rich he has sent away empty”…. 

Verses 54 and 55 make this clear, for there Mary puts everything in context saying, “He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” The point is this: if we wish to know what Christ has come to save us from and what he has come to save us to, then we must remember the promises that he made to Abraham and to his offspring forever. And what were those promises about, ultimately? Answer: eternal life in the blessed presence of God in the new heavens and earth. This is what Jesus Christ has earned through his life, death, burial, and resurrection, not only for himself, but for all who turn from their sins and trust in him. “[Christ] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:13–14, ESV)

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Conclusion

I have one question to ask by way of conclusion. Do you, like Mary, have God as your Savior?  He is your Creator. This is true whether or not you acknowledge him as such. And if he is your Creator only, then he is also your Judge. All who are not in Christ will stand before him one day to be judged. Not will stand. All will come under his eternal wrath, for all are guilty of sin. The only hope is to turn from sin and to trust in Jesus Christ. He is the Savior that God has provided. Indeed, “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12, ESV). Turn from your sins and to Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Say, “Jesus is Lord” in the waters of baptism, “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9, ESV).

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Scripture For Further Reflection

Brothers and sisters, Psalm 89 was likely in Mary’s mind when she said, “he has shown strength with his arm”. This Psalm is wonderfully complex. In it, we find Exodus themes mixed in with talk of King David and the salvation that his anointed offspring would accomplish. I did not have the time to cover this text in the sermon, so I commend it to you now for consideration.

“A MASKIL OF ETHAN THE EZRAHITE. I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. For I said, ‘Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.’ You have said, ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’ Selah Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD, a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you? You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them. The north and the south, you have created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name. You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of your face, who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted. For you are the glory of their strength; by your favor our horn is exalted. For our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel. Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said: ‘I have granted help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, so that my hand shall be established with him; my arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him. I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted. I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers. He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’ And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him. I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens. If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules, if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments, then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness. I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips. Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies.” Selah But now you have cast off and rejected; you are full of wrath against your anointed. You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust. You have breached all his walls; you have laid his strongholds in ruins. All who pass by plunder him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors. You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice. You have also turned back the edge of his sword, and you have not made him stand in battle. You have made his splendor to cease and cast his throne to the ground. You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with shame. Selah How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? Remember how short my time is! For what vanity you have created all the children of man! What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David? Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked, and how I bear in my heart the insults of all the many nations, with which your enemies mock, O LORD, with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed. Blessed be the LORD forever! Amen and Amen.” (Psalm 89, ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Genesis 3:1–20

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?’ And the woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’’ But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ And he said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.’ He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’ The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.’ Then the LORD God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’ The LORD God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.’ To the woman he said, ‘I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.’ And to Adam he said, ‘Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.’ The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.” (Genesis 3:1–20, ESV)

New Testament Reading: Luke 1:26-38

“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!’ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 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, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’ 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. 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. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ 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.” (Luke 1:26–38, ESV)

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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.

Introduction

It is interesting that when the first promise concerning the coming Redeemer was made by God in the curse that was pronounced upon the serpent in the presence of Adam and Eve shortly after their fall into sin, it was specifically said that the Savior – the one who would crush the serpents head – would be brought into the world, not by the man’s seed, but through the women.

And also notice the name that was given to her. “The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.” (Genesis 3:20, ESV). In Hebrew, “Eve” sounds like the words meaning “life-giver” and “living.” Notice that she is given this name after she was deceived by the serpent, after she was used to bring temptation to Adam, and after Adam’s fall into sin, which brought humanity into a state of sin and death. The name “Eve” almost seems inappropriate given the way she was used by the Evil One to bring sin and death into the world. But in fact, the name is fitting for two reasons: One, by God’s grace, life would go on on planet earth. The human race would descend from Eve. In this physical sense, she is the mother of all living. Two, by God’s grace, she is the mother of all who are given spiritual and eternal life through faith in the Redeemer (or Messiah) who would, in the fullness of time, be brought into the world through her. The name “Eve” was fitting, therefore. But note this: it could only be given to her because of the grace of God, and because of the promise of the Redeemer that was delivered by God in the curse pronounced upon the serpent – “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.’”

Now, it is true that many descended from Eve. Indeed, all of humanity descended from her. But the Scriptures are clear that some were of her seed, spiritually speaking, because they shared her faith and they served her God. Many of her physical descendants, on the other hand, were of the Evil One. They did not believe the promise concerning the Redeemer. They did not serve God, but Satan. These are the seed of the serpent, spiritually speaking. So then, two spiritual lines descended from Eve, and the hostility that existed between these two lines is evident in the Genesis story. 

There is a sense, therefore, in which the seed of the women and the seed of the serpent are to be understood as a collective seed. Eve was the mother of a living, that is to say, of all humanity, collectively. And Eve was the mother of all who belonged to God in the world through faith in the promised Redeemer, collectively. All others belonged to the Deceiver, collectively, for they aligned themselves with him.  

But notice, the seed of the women is also singular.  Listen again to the first promise of the gospel in Genesis 3:15. God cursed the serpent saying, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring [collective] and her offspring [collective]; he [singular] shall bruise your head, and you [singular] shall bruise his heel.’” The point is this: though Eve would have many descendants, only one of them – a male son – would be the promised Redeemer who would crush the serpent’s head. And this does also mean that though many women would descend from Eve in human history, only one would have the great privilege of giving birth to this promised Redeemer. 

When, how, and by whom would this Redeemer be brought into the world? These things were not clearly revealed at first, but they would grow in clarity with the passing of time and with further revelation. 

Is it possible that Eve thought she had given birth to the promised Redeemer when she gave birth to her first son, Cain? I think so. But those hopes were dashed when Cain proved himself to be an evil man, that is to say, of the seed of the serpent. Being driven by envy, he killed his righteous brother, Able. So the LORD replaced Able with righteous Seth. From Seth, the righteous line continued. And in the process of time, it was clarified, by way of covenant promises, that the Messiah would descend from Abraham. And after that, it was clarified further, by way of more covenant promises, that the Messiah would descend from King David. All along the way, there are hints that the birth of the Messiah would be miraculous. As I’ve said, the first promise of the gospel revealed that the Redeemer would come from the woman, but the man’s involvement was not mentioned – perhaps this was a hint at the virgin birth. In the era of the patriarchs, the line of Abraham was threatened by old age and barrenness, but God miraculously preserved the line by bringing life out of death. These were not virgin births, but they were miraculous. I think they are to be regarded as a foreshadowing of the virgin birth. And then we come to that famous prophesy of Isaiah 7:14: ​​“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14, ESV), which means “God with us”. 

Even with this very brief and selective sampling of Scripture references from the Old Testament, you can see how things grew more clear with the passing of time concerning the birth of the Messiah. Over time it became clear that the promised Messiah would be brought into the world through a woman, a daughter of Abraham, a daughter of David – a virgin. The Messiah would be truly human, therefore. But his birth would be miraculous. Indeed, he would not only be the son of King David, he would also be David’s Lord! He would be Immanuel, which means “God with us”. He would be the eternal Son of God incarnate. These truths were revealed dimly and in a mysterious way in Old Testament times. These truths became very clear when the Messiah was finally born into the world in fulfillment of these promises and prophesies previously made.      

Brothers and sisters, all of that Old Testament history must be in our minds as we consider this story concerning the announcement that was made to the virgin Mary by the angel Gabriel. When this angel appeared to this young woman the words that he spoke to her made it very clear that she would be the one, singular, daughter of Eve who would be blessed to bring the One, the singular, son of Adam and Son of God into the world to defeat Satan, overthrow his kingdom, and Redeem God’s people from bondage to Satan, sin, and death and to reconcile them to the Father.  

Let us now go to our passage for today to consider it in detail. 

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The Setting

Verses 26-27 set the stage for what follows.

The phrase, “In the sixth month”, has reference to the announcement that came to Zachariah the priest from the angel Gabriel concerning the miraculous birth of his son, John, who would prepare the way for the Messiah. 

Six months after that announcement, “the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth…” The angel Gabriel was busy in those days, wasn’t he? He had delivered messages to the prophet Daniel hundreds of years earlier which revealed the timing of the arrival of the Messiah. And now that the time had fully come, he is the one to deliver the news, first to Zechariah, and now to Mary.

The text says that he “was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth…” Nazareth was a small, poor, and insignificant village located about 66 miles to the north of Jerusalem. This was the hometown of Joseph and Mary. And although Jesus would be born in Bethlehem, Nazareth is where he would be raised. 

Notice that two locations are mentioned in Luke chapter 1. First, the Holy Place of the temple in Jerusalem, and second, the humble, off-the-beaten-path, town of Nazareth. The two locations could not be more different. The one was considered by the people to be most holy and most glorious; the other was lowly, disregarded, and even despised. In fact, there was a saying in Jesus’ day that went something like this: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). And yet this would be the town in which Jesus the Messiah was raised.   

Not only was Jesus raised in a humble and lowly place, he was also raised by humble and lowly parents. Notice that this announcement came “to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph”, a carpenter. Given the town in which they lived, their age, and Joseph’s profession, it is reasonable to assume that they were poor. 

Note this theme, for it will reoccur in Luke’s Gospel. When the eternal Son of God assumed a human nature to be the Messiah, he came in a humble and lowly form to Redeem those humble and lowly in spirit and to lift them up to glory. 

Later in Luke chapter one, we will encounter the song that Mary sang in response to all of this heavenly news. Listen for this as I read:  “And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.’” (Luke 1:46–55, ESV)

So then, the opening chapter of Luke’s Gospel begins to present Jesus the Messiah to us as a humble and lowly Savior. He was not born and raised in centers of power and prestige – Rome or Jerusalem. And neither was born to parents of wealth and renown. No, he came humbly into this world. And if we are to have him as Lord and Savior, we must identify with him in his lowliness and humility, for through him God “has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.” 

Though it is true that Jesus would be raised in a humble town by humble parents, his parents did have the proper genealogy to give birth to and raise the Messiah, for they were of “the house of David.”  The Old Testament Scriptures make it clear that the Messiah would descend from King David. And the New Testament Scriptures are clear that Jesus of Nazareth did in fact descend from David, with Mary as his birth mother, and Joseph as his legal and earthly father. 

And so who was this young virgin who was betrothed (we might say engaged, although betrothal was legally binding), to Joseph? Verse 27 tells us, “the virgin’s name was Mary.” I think it is right for us to try to imagine what it must have been like to be Mary. Also, I think it is right for us to imagine what it would have been like to be Joseph. Both were probably young, but Mary was likely younger (perhaps as young as 14 or 15 – people grew up faster in those days, it seems). All of this news would have been very shocking to them. But they demonstrate great faith, as we will soon see. 

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Gabriel’s Announcement 

Now that the stage has been set, let us consider the announcement of the angel Gabriel.

Beginning in verse 28 we read, “And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!’” What a marvelous greeting this is. To be “favored” by the Lord is to have the Lord’s grace and kindness set upon you. Though I do not doubt that Mary was a devout, faithful, and righteous young woman (relatively speaking), it is a mistake to assume that she merited or earned the favor of the Lord by her righteousness. This idea would contradict the clear teaching of Scripture, which says, “None is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10, ESV). Mary was “favored” by the Lord, and this was because the Lord, by his grace, had determined to set his favor upon her. And the greatest of all blessings was this – the Lord was with her. This was true in a spiritual sense at the time when Gabriel uttered these words to her. And it would be true even in a physical sense not many days after this, for the Lord himself would be in her and with her as the eternal Son of God incarnate. 

In verse 29 we read, “But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.” The Greek word translated as “greatly troubled” is very strong. It means to be disturbed or distressed mentally and emotionally. The young virgin was shaken by this encounter and this greeting. 

Verse 30: “And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.” To find favor with God is to have God’s grace bestowed on you. Note this: Mary is not the giver of grace, but the recipient of God’s grace. As blessed as she was, she is not to be prayed to or venerated as if she is something more than a common woman. Mary was a young woman in need of God’s grace. Yes, she is to be regarded as blessed, for she was chosen to serve as the very mother of God. But this was by God’s grace alone, for she had found favor, or grace, with God.     

After this greeting, Gabriel continues with his announcement in verse 31: “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 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, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’” This announcement is jampacked with meaning. Each and every phrase was intended to remind Mary (and now us) of the Old Testament Scriptures that revealed the promised Christ. 

The phrase, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son”, was to remind Mary of the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14, ESV). When the angel said,  behold, “you will conceive in your womb…”, he meant, you, Mary, are the virgin of which Isaiah 7:14 speaks. 

The phrase, “and you shall call his name Jesus” is also filled with meaning. The meaning becomes clear when we recognize that the name Jesus is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name, Joshua. Jesus is Joshua or Jeshua. The name Joshua means “the Lord delivers” or “the Lord saves” – a fitting name for the Messiah. And the name Joshua ought to remind us of two Joshuas from the Old Testament. One, we must remember Joshua, the assistant to Moses, who would lead the people of Israel into the promised land. Joshua led Isarel into the promised land of Cannan. Jesus the Messiah came to redeem his people, not from Egypt, but from bondage to Satan, sin, and death, and to lead them, not into Cannan, but into the eternal land of promise, the new heavens and earth. Jesus is Joshua, only greater. The second Joshua we should remember served as high priest over Judah in the days of Zacharia after the Babylonian captivity and during the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple. You may read about Joshua the high priest in Zechariah 3 and 6. The words spoken over Joshua the high priest found in Zechariah 6 are especially interesting, for in that text Zechariah does something strange. He places a crown on the head of the priest and says, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out from his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD. It is he who shall build the temple of the LORD and shall bear royal honor, and shall sit and rule on his throne. And there shall be a priest on his throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between them both” (Zechariah 6:12–13, ESV). So you can see, the name Joshua carries a lot of theological baggage. It means, “the Lord delivers” or “saves”. It reminds us of Joshua the successor to Moses who conquered Israel’s enemies and lead the people safely into the promised land. And it reminds us also of the Joshua of Zechariah 3 and 6, the high priest who is called “the Branch”, the rebuilder of God’s temple, and the priest-king who expands the temple of the LORD and even involves foreigners (Gentiles) in this work (see Zechariah 6:15 and Isaiah 60:10). These Joshau’s were types of the Christ to come. Jesus of Nazareth is the true and greater Joshua.

Consider now the phrase, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.” We should remember that Gabriel told Zechariah that his son, John, would be great. He would “great before the Lord”, he said. In fact, he is to be regarded as the greatest of the Old Covenant prophets, for he was the last, and the one who prepared the way for the arrival of the promised Messiah. But Jesus’ greatness is on another level, for he is the Son of the Most High, that is to say, he is the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Triune God, come in the flesh. And so this explains what was meant by the prophecy of Isaiah, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14, ESV). Immanuel means God with us. This son born to the virgin is the Son of the Most High. He is the eternally begotten Son of the Father who took to himself a true human nature, body and soul.  

The phrase, “And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end”, is to remind us of the promises that God made to King David when he entered into a covenant with him as recorded in 2 Samuel 7. The Lord promised to give David a son who would build God’s temple whose throne and kingdom would last forever and ever. These promises were fulfilled in part by Solomon and the Kings of Israel who descended from him. These promises are fulfilled in full in Jesus Christ. He sits on the throne of his father David. He reigns over the house of Jacob forever. And of his kingdom there will be no end.

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Gabriel’s Answer To Mary’s Question 

Let us now consider Mary’s question and the answer provided by Gabriel in verses 34 through 37.  

First, Mary’s question: “And Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin?’” Some have wondered why Zechariah was rebuked by the angel and struck with muteness when he asked the question, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years” (Luke 1:18, ESV), in response to the announcement that was made to him, whereas no such rebuke or punishment was delivered to Mary. What was the difference between their questions? First, notice that the questions differed in substance. Zechariah asked, “how shall I know this?” In other words, I do not know this or believe this. How will you convince me? Mary’s question was different. She asked, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” She was not asking for proof that it would be, but was perplexed concerning how it would be, and was requesting clarification. Two, it should be clear that there was a difference in the heart of Zechariah and Mary when they asked these questions. Zechariah disbelieved the word of the angel and asked for evidence or proof. He was struck with muteness as a punishment and as a sign that the word of the angel was true. But Mary did not doubt. She wondered. And there is a great difference between doubting the clearly revealed word of the Lord and wondering about things that are mysterious. Brothers and sisters, we must be careful to not transgress this boundary. The Lord has spoken. He has revealed himself to us and his will for us in Christ and in the Scriptures. We must never question or doubt the word of the Lord. But there are things that are mysterious to us. We may bring those questions to the Lord in prayer, but when we do we are to come with the humble and faithful disposition of Mary. Her question was not one of disbelief. It was an honest, humble, and faithful inquiry. And so the angel did not rebuke her but answered her so as to further strengthen her precious faith. 

Look at verse 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.” Here we have an answer to the question, how did the eternal son of God become incarnate? Mary asked, how will this be? And the angel provided an answer. Yes, she was a virgin. And she would remain a virgin up until the birth of the Messiah. The child would be conceived, not in an ordinary way – not of Adam’s (or Joseph’s) physical seed – but of the woman’s seed only, and by the power of God Almighty. Christ is fully man, therefore. He obtained his true human nature – a true body and reasonable soul – from Mary. And Christ is fully God. He has God alone as his Father. He is the eternally begotten Son of God, the second person of the Triune God, come in the flesh.  

Notice that Gabrial explains the result of this miraculous virgin birth – “therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.” You and I were born into this world in sin. We had not sinned personally. But we were born in sin and with a corrupted nature because we were born in Adam as our federal head and representative. He broke the Covenant of Works that was made with him in the garden, and he did so on behalf of all humanity. To be born in Adam through the process of ordinary generation is to be born in sin, that is to say, in a fallen and corrupted state. Through the miraculous virgin birth of Christ, that chain was broken. Jesus Christ was truly human given his birth to Mary. Through her, he was the true son of David, Abraham, and Adam. But he was shielded from the transmission of original sin through the miraculous virgin conception by the power of the Most High God. Jesus Christ is human as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15), for he is the person of the eternal Son of God come in the flesh, miraculously conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary. He is the holy Son of God.

In verses 36 and 37 the angel adds, “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. For nothing will be impossible with God.” This announcement must have brought great comfort to the young woman Mary, for it revealed that she was not alone. God was with her, and he was working in and through others too. In fact, in the very next passage of Luke’s Gospel, we will find Mary visiting her relative Elizabeth to be comforted and encouraged by her and to rejoice with her concerning the marvelous things that God was doing through them.

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Mary’s Response

The last thing that we need to consider is Mary’s humble and submissive response to these things. Her response is found in verse 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.” I have three brief observations to make concerning Mary’s response. 

One, we should not overlook the dramatic impact these things would have on this young girl’s life. This miraculous conception would impact her relationship with Joseph, the man to whom she was betrothed. People in her community would question her integrity. Her whole life would be wrapped up in this drama. There would be great joy, of course. But there would be great sorrow too. In fact, later in Luke, we will encounter the words that a man named Simeon spoke to Mary. Among other things, he said, ​​“and a sword will pierce through your own soul also” (Luke 2:35, ESV), referring to the sorrow that Mary would experience as the mother of Jesus, our crucified and risen Lord. My point is this: though Mary was greatly blessed to be the mother of the Messiah, there is a sense in which it cost her her life.

Two, Mary’s response is an example to all of us. Being called by God to undergo these wonderful but very difficult things, she humbly submitted herself to the will of God. Hear again her words: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Sometimes the Lord calls his people to endure great difficulty. We ought to submit to his will for us. Indeed, the Christain life begins with submission. We “confess with [our] mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in [our] heart[s] that God raised him from the dead…” (Romans 10:9, ESV). And the Christian life is to be marked by submission to Christ as Lord to the very end. The young virgin Mary is an example to all of us. 

Three, Mary’s faithful submission to the Lord must be contrasted with the rebellion of Eve. Through the rebellion of the woman, Eve, temptation and sin entered the world. Through the faithful submission of the woman, Mary, the Redeemer was brought into the world, and he who would overcome Satan, sin, and death for all of those given to him by the Father in eternity.    

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Contemplations

Let us now conclude with a few brief contemplations. 

One, I think it is important that we not lose sight of Luke’s stated purpose for writing. He wrote to Theophilus, and to us, so that we might have certainty about the things we have been told concerning Jesus. You can see that Luke, like an attorney standing before and judge and jury, is beginning to present us with witnesses and evidence so as to convince us that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah. The witnesses are people: Zachariah and Mary. But notice the way in which Luke also sets the Old Testament Scriptures before us to function as witnesses. Jesus the Christ was born into this world in fulfillment of the Old Testament Scriptures. He was born right on time. He was born in the line of David. He was born to a virgin. His name was Jesus, or Joshua. 

Two, as we consider this narrative we should feel motivated grow in our familiarity with the Scriptures, both the New Testament and the Old. Notice that Gabriel (and Luke) did not feel the need to make these references to the Old Testament explicit. It was assumed that this young girl, Mary, was so familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures that she would make the connections quickly in her mind as these words and phrases drawn from the Old Testament were used. I wonder, would we make these connections? Are we so familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures that the true meaning and significance of Gabriel’s announcement would be clear to us? Or would his announcement go over our heads? Yes, Mary was perplexed concerning how she would conceive and bear a son as a virgin. But she was not perplexed about the meaning and significance of the announcement of the angel. She understood his message. She understood that she would be the virgin of whom Isaiah spoke. She understood that she would be the mother of the promised Messiah. Mary knew the Scriptures well, and so should we. Our faith will be strengthened as we grow in our understanding of the Scriptures.

Three, I urge you to contemplate further this theme that is already beginning to emerge in Luke’s Gospel, and that is the way in which God works through the humble and lowly of this world to confound the wise and the proud. Jesus was born to poor and humble parents living in a poor and humble town. They were nobodies according to the wisdom of the world. But God determined to work in and through them. Christ himself lived a humble and lowly life. Indeed, his followers are called to imitate him in this. And yet we are constantly tempted to think as the world thinks – to value worldly power, wealth, and fame. We must remember, brothers and sisters, that he wisdom of God turns all of that on its head. So let me ask you, Christian, are you enamored with the things of this world? Do worldly power, wealth, and fame impress you and tempt you? I exhort you to put off worldly-mindedness and to have the mind of Christ instead, for he was humble and lowly. “He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate…” (Luke 1:51–52, ESV). Let us be sure to have humble hearts like that of our Savior. 

Four, let us marvel more and more over the wisdom of God in the accomplishment of our salvation through Jesus Christ. God’s plan of salvation is truly marvelous to consider. To think that he would redeem us from bondage to Satan, sin and death by sending the eternal Son to assume a human nature through the virgin birth, to live, suffer, die, descend, and ascend to glory for us, is truly incredible. As we consider the salvation that God has worked for us through Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Luke, we ought to be moved to praise. We should agree with Paul, who, after contemplating these things, said, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?’ ‘Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:33–36, ESV)