Text Study # 2 Luke 1:26-38

Introduction

This text is intended to be used during one of the Sundays of Advent, the four weeks prior to Christmas. The first four texts in this series were chosen with that pre-Christmas season in mind. God sends his angel, Gabriel, to make the grand announcement that he is sending his Son into the world be the Savior. Gabriel goes to Mary of Nazareth, a descendent of David, to tell her that she is God’s favored choice to be the mother of the Messiah. By the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary, the holy Son of God will take on a human nature and carry out his great work of the salvation of the human race.

Commentary and Study Notes

Verses 26-27 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, who was from the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.
“In the sixth month” = Six months after Elizabeth became pregnant with John, God sent his faithful Gabriel to make a second divine announcement, much grander than the first.

“the angel Gabriel was sent from God” = Gabriel went to the obscure town of Nazareth in Galilee to visit Mary, a woman who was engaged to be married to a carpenter named Joseph, who was also from King David’s family line. We notice the quiet, humble manner in which God chose to send his great Son to the world. He chose a lowly couple from a small, insignificant town to receive this gift and be responsible for caring for Jesus.

Verses 28-29 He (the angel) came to her and said: “Greetings, highly favored one! The Lord is with you. ” She was deeply troubled at these words and wondered what kind of greeting this could be. “Greetings, highly favored one!” = Gabriel greeted Mary with warm, joyful, welcoming words. He told her that the Lord God Himself was showing her great favor and giving her a tremendous blessing no other woman would have.

“She was deeply troubled at these words” = As a common person, Mary was shocked and confused by Gabriel’s exalted greeting. She wondered why she should receive such favor from God.

“Blessed are you among women” = The phrase “Blessed are you among women” is not included in some Bible translations. However, the evidence from the more reliable Greek manuscripts strongly indicates that the phrase is part of the original text.

Verses 30-33 The angel said to her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found favor with God. Listen, you will conceive in your womb and will give birth to a son. You will give him the name ‘Jesus.’ This one will be great and will be called ‘the Son of the Most High.’ The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David. He will rule over the house of Jacob forever and there will be no end to his kingdom.” “Do not be afraid” = God’s angel comforted Mary’s fears and assured her that God truly does grant her his approval and blessing.

“will give birth to a son” = Gabriel went on to announce that Mary was chosen to be the mother of a most remarkable child. She would conceive her child while remaining a virgin. She was to give him the name ‘Jesus,’ which means ‘Deliverer’ or ‘Savior.”

“the Son of the Most High” = Mary’s child would be both divine and human in one unique person. He would be the Son of God as well as the Son of Mary.

“the throne of his father, David” = As the God-Man, he would be also be a descendant of King David and the heir to the promise God had made to David in 2 Samuel 7:11-16, the promise of a future descendant who would rule over an eternal kingdom.

Verses 34-35 Mary said to the angel: “How will this be since I have had no sexual relations with a man?” The angel answered her, saying: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will envelop you. So, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
“How will this be” = Unlike Zechariah, who did not believe Gabriel’s message about the birth of his son, John, Mary did believe. In her question to Gabriel, Mary asked for an explanation to help her understand better how a virgin as she was could conceive a child.

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you” = Gabriel explained that this would happen by the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit who would exert his great creative power on Mary.

“the holy one to be born” = Gabriel assured Mary that her sinfulness would not interfere with the nature of her Son. He would be holy and so qualified to be the Savior of sinners.

Verses 36-37 See, your relative, Elizabeth, has conceived a son in her old age. This is the sixth month with her who was called sterile. Nothing will be impossible with God.” “Elizabeth has conceived a son” = Gabriel offered Mary the helpful information that her relative, Elizabeth, was pregnant with her own son in her advanced stage of life. Elizabeth’s pregnancy would be proof that God can do the humanly impossible and will keep his word. By letting Mary know of Elizabeth’s situation, God was also offering Mary a caring relative and fellow believer with whom she could share her great secret and receive much needed support.

Verse 38 Mary said: “See, I am the servant of the Lord! Let it happen to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her. “I am the servant of the Lord!” = Mary responded with a tremendous expression of faith and obedience. She declared herself to be God’s servant, who humbly and willingly accepted God’s role for her. Her sincere self-surrender to her dear Lord is remarkable in light of the great challenge and burden she would face as the mother of the world’s Redeemer.

Law and Gospel In This Text Take a little time to identify some Law and Gospel teaching elements in the text. Some Law Elements

vs. 26-27: Gabriel obeyed God’s command to make an announcement to Mary
v. 34: Mary humbly asks for more information from God
v. 38: Mary expresses her faith, declares her confidence in God and her willingness to follow God’s will

Some Gospel Elements

v. 28: the announcement of God’s favor and presence
v. 30: the comforting announcement of God’s favor repeated and the assurance that there is no need to be afraid.
v. 31: the message of God’s gift of His Son to be the Messiah-Deliverer
v. 32: the message that the Messiah will be the great Son of God, who inherits David’s throne
v. 33: the message that the Messiah will rule over an eternal kingdom
v. 35: the message that the Holy Spirit will perform the miracle of God’s Son becoming a human being
v. 36: the encouraging message that God has given Elizabeth a child
v. 37: the assurance that God can do all things

Preaching/Teaching Points in This text Suggest two or more teaching points in this text. A teaching point is a truth found in the text that could be explored and expanded within the sermon.

God makes a great, long awaited announcement: The Savior is coming to the world.
The Son of God takes on a human nature to become a human being while remaining God.
The miracle of the Virgin Birth, worked by the Holy Spirit in Mary.
Jesus begins his humble state of existence as he sets aside divine glory and the full use of his powers to enter the world so he could live a lowly life and die a cursed death in the service of sinners.
God can do what is humanly impossible.
Mary’s faith that believed God’s promise is also a great miracle of the Holy Spirit.

Minor Preaching Points

The holy angels are God’s compassionate, faithful messengers
God works in surprising ways that go against the expectations of human thinking (He sends his mighty Savior as a tiny baby to be born of a common virgin from an obscure village)
God keeps his promise of a great, eternal king from David’s descendants (2 Samuel 7:11-16, Isaiah 9:6-7)
God’s Good News for the world is a joyful, comforting, encouraging message for troubled, fearful hearts
We need God’s help and his word so we can grasp and begin to understand the great things he does.
The Father takes an active role in our salvation as he sends his Son and explains his works through his angel messenger.
The Holy Spirit takes an active role in our salvation as he uses his power so Jesus can be miraculously conceived in Mary.
Elizabeth’s pregnancy is convincing, comforting visible, verifiable proof of God’s power and truthfulness

Sermon outline with Theme and Parts Suggest a sermon theme and parts for this text. Like any text, there could be many different themes and parts. This outline covers the main elements of the text: GOD ANNOUNCES THE SENDING OF OUR SAVIOR

He Sends His Angel To Deliver The Message (verses 26,28)
He Chooses A Virgin To Become The Mother (verses 27, 34)
He Enlists The Spirit To Make It Possible (verse 35)
He Names Him “Jesus” To Give Us Hope (verse 31)
This outline focuses on the great miracles God performs as he sends Jesus to the world: MARVEL AT THE MIRACLES OF JESUS’ BIRTH
The Son Of God Also Becomes The Son Of Mary (The Incarnation) (verses 31-33)
A Virgin Conceives by The Holy Spirit’s Power (The Virgin Birth) (verses 34- 35)
Mary Believes All That the Lord Has Told Her (Faith) (verses 36-38)
This outline concentrates on the wonderful identity of the Savior God sends to us: WHO IS THIS CHILD GOD SENDS YOU?
He Is The Divine Son Of God (verses 32a, 35b)
He Is The Human Son Of Mary (verse 31a)
He Is the Royal Son Of David (verses 32b-33)
He Is Jesus The Christ, Your Savior (verse 31b)

Two Potential life Applications Suggested by the Text What are two applications for the faith and life of God’s people that you could make from this text?

Marvel as the great miracles God performs to send the Savior we need
Treasure how much God loves you that he comes in person to save you
Receive God’s Good News of the Savior as Mary did in simple faith
God is both willing and able to do what is humanly impossible to help you

Develop A 5-6 Question Bible Study That Leads Others To Grasp The Meaning Of The Text And Identify Applications For Their Lives. There are many possibilities for the students here. Here are some questions that could be used:

What special assignment did God give his angel, Gabriel? (v. 26ff)
What important things does Luke tell us about Mary? (vs. 27)
As Gabriel starts his announcement to Mary, what does he want her to know? (v. 28)
How does Mary respond at first to Gabriel’s greeting? (v. 29)
After he allayed Mary’s fears, what divine assignment did Gabriel announce to her? (vs. 31-33) 6 . List six things Gabriel told Mary about the special child she would bear? (vs. 31-33)
What does Mary’s question in v. 34 let us know about the state of her soul and mind as she considered this unique assignment?
How would Mary, a virgin, be able to give birth to a boy who is also God’s Son? (v. 35)
How could Jesus be a holy person and yet be born of a sinful mother?
Why do you think Gabriel added the news that Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, was pregnant? (vs. 36-37)
As you review Gabriel’s conversation with Mary, what impresses you about the holy angels as they serve God and His people?
How would you describe Mary’s faith as she responded to Gabriel’s message from God? (v. 38)
Do you think it strange or inconsiderate that God did not seek Mary’s permission before assigning her the task of being the mother of the world’s Savior? (Why or why not?)
Of all the wonderful and miraculous things mentioned in this story, which do you think is the greatest: a divine message sent by an angel, the virgin conception of the Savior, or the faith of Mary?
What does the Annunciation let us know about how serious God is about saving us?

A Sample Sermon by Pastor James Witt MARVEL AT THE CHRISTMAS MIRACLES

Luke 1:26-38 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel went to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord will give Him the throne of His father David and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth, your relative, is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Peace to all of you who are in Christ. It was a most unusual birth announcement. Actually it was the most unique birth announcement ever made. Consider this birth announcement was made by a holy angel sent from God and not by a sinful human being operating on his own authority. This birth announcement was made to the women chosen to become pregnant, not by the woman herself who was already pregnant. This birth announcement was made before the conception occurred, not after the birth took place. This birth announcement gave the most intimate details about the baby to be born - his gender, his name and his mission. This birth announcement is meant to bless not just one family or a few people, but rather every person in the world with salvation. A woman was once asked by her hairdresser how she would like her hair to be done. The woman replied, “I would like a miracle because that is what I need.” When it comes to the matter of our salvation from sin and deliverance from eternal death, it is definitely a miracle that we need. It is certainly a miracle God gives us - and not just one miracle, but actually three of them. The church father, Saint Bernard, commented on Luke’s account of Gabriel’s visit to Mary by declaring: “Here are three miracles. The first is that God and humanity should be joined in this Child. The second is that a mother gives birth but remains a virgin. The third is that Mary should have such faith as to believe that this marvel would be accomplished in her.” Each one of these miracles is important. Today we will take some time to meditate on them so that we may treasure them and take great personal benefit from them.

GOD’S SON TAKES ON A HUMAN NATURE The first miracle is that of the Incarnation. It is the miracle of God’s Son taking on a human nature. God gave the angel Gabriel the high privilege of announcing this miracle. This was Gabriel’s second major mission in a few month’s time. Six months earlier, God has sent Gabriel to the temple in Jerusalem to announce to Zechariah the birth of John, who would prepare the way for the Savior. Now Gabriel goes to the small Galilean town of Nazareth. He speaks to Mary, a virgin engaged to marry the carpenter, Joseph. He says: “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered just what kind of greeting this might be. Gabriel continued the message. He said: “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and will give birth to a son. You are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His Father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end.” The angel announced that the virgin Mary will give birth to a son. She is to name Him Jesus, the name that means ‘Savior’ or ‘Rescuer.’ This Son will be great. He will be the Son of the Most High, that is, He will be the Son of God. Mary’s child will also be the Son of David, a true human being, who will rule as a king forever. Gabriel announces the astounding truth that the Son of God will take on a human nature. He will become incarnate. What a miracle this is! What love God shows! The eternal God takes the nature of a human being. The Creator takes the nature of one of His creatures. The Maker of all becomes the brother of sinners. What sacrificial love God shows! The writer of the Book of Hebrews explains the purpose of the incarnation. He says: “Since the children have flesh and blood, He too, shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy Him who holds the power of death - that is the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people.” The incarnation of Gods Son means so much to us. Consider the embarrassing shame and the bitter agony Jesus spares us from. Job hunters who submit resumes with multiple spelling and grammatical mistakes and the disclosure of a lengthy criminal record are going to be embarrassed and rejected. Think about the embarrassment and penalty we all would face if we had to turn in the sordid, sinful record of our life without the Savior’s atonement erasing all the errors and crimes. It is the incarnation of the Son, His taking on our humanity, that made it possible for Him to atone for our sin. We do well to marvel at this first of the Christmas miracles: the incarnation of Christ. This miracle reveals God’s love to us and it declares our forgiveness. The hymn writer says it well: “He veils in flesh His power divine, A servant’s form to take. In want and lowliness must pine Who heaven and earth did make. A wondrous change which He does make! He takes our flesh and blood. And He conceals for sinners’ sake His majesty as God.”
A VIRGIN CONCEIVES BY THE SPIRIT’S POWER

The second miracle we consider is the miracle of the Virgin Birth. The virgin Mary will conceive her child by the power of the Holy Spirit. Mary heard the announcement and wondered (quite properly) how this would all work. She was to become a mother of a human child who was also God. She was a virgin. How would this be possible? Gabriel answered her. He said: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you so the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.” The angel explained that Mary would remain a virgin while conceiving and giving birth to Jesus. The Holy Spirit would use His power to allow her to conceive without a man playing any part in the process. In addition, the Holy Spirit would not allow Mary’s own sinfulness to interfere with the nature of the child. The baby would be a holy child, perfectly righteous and without any sin. What a miracle this was! The Christ Child was conceived in Mary by the working of the Holy Spirit. In Mary’s womb, He would grow and develop and eventually be born of the Virgin mother. What a miracle God performs! What great comfort He gives us! The Virgin-born Child is a great comfort to us. This truth reminds us that Jesus is not just a mere human being; He is also God’s Son. This teaching assures us that Jesus’ human nature is sinless and holy. The virgin birth lets us know that Jesus is qualified and capable to save us from our sins. There are many who deny the virgin birth. There are many others who do not consider it a vital teaching. One pastor announced: “The idea of the virgin birth is not important to salvation.” How wrong he is! The virgin birth is vitally important. If Jesus is only the product of human intercourse, then He cannot be God - and He cannot even be a sinless human being. If He is not those things, then He cannot be our Savior. Then we are without hope. God does not deprive us of the spiritual comfort we sinful people need. He assures us that the Savior He sends is not defective or inadequate. It is frustrating to have a defective product like an airbag that will explode and injure a passenger or a fake medicine that makes a person sicker instead of healthier. Jesus is the holy, sinless God-Man. He is a full and flawless Savior who rescues completely from sin’s guilt and condemnation. So we may well marvel also at this second miracle God works, the miracle of the virgin birth. With the hymn writer, we take comfort: “Savior of the nations, come, Virgin’s Son, make here Thy home! Marvel now, O heaven and earth, That the Lord chose such a birth. Not by human flesh and blood, By the Spirit of our God, Was the Word of God made flesh, Virgin’s offspring, pure and fresh.”

THE MAIDEN BELIEVES THE ANGEL’S MESSAGE

The third miracle mentioned in our text from Luke 1 is perhaps the greatest of the three. It is the miracle of Holy Spirit-worked faith. Mary believed what God had told her through the angel. Through His Word, God created a saving and submissive faith in Mary’s heart. Mary responded to Gabriel’s news of God’s choice of her to be the mother of the Savior. She said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.” In response to the amazing message, Mary believes. She does not comprehend it all (who of us could?), but she accepts the truth of it. She embraces her assignment and submits herself to the will of her God. She welcomes the Child and the opportunity to serve God as the Savior’s mother. What a great miracle God performs in Mary. Mary believes this tremendous message, even though it is so unusual and appears to be so unreasonable. She believes even though she has a low position in society and doesn’t seem to be a likely choice for the assignment. She accepts the implications for her even though the cost of being Jesus’ mother will be very high. To be the mother of the Savior will not be an easy task. She must face some unpleasant things right from the start. There will be the suspicion of her fiance, Joseph, once he discovers that she is pregnant. There will be criticism and ridicule from people in town. There will be the possibility of divorce and the prospect of foregoing a normal family life. There will be that rugged, bumpy 70-mile trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem in the 9th month of her pregnancy. There will be the lonely delivery of the baby far away from family help. There will be the sudden flight to Egypt to escape the swords of Herod’s soldiers. But in spite of the unlikeliness and improbability of it all - and the hardships that are in store, God enables this young woman to firmly believe that she of all women has been chosen to be the mother of her Savior and the Savior of the whole world.
The hardest part of Jesus’ birth is the part about faith. The greatest difficulty we and others face is not so much to believe that Jesus came into the world or that He is the Son of the Virgin Mary or that He is also the Son of God. The hardest part for us and others is to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and Mary given to us, to embrace the truth that Jesus is our personal God-sent Savior from sin and hell. This is the crucial point. It is one God emphasizes to us. It is the message of God’s true prophets: Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given. God’s Son, Mary’s Child is ours. He has come to be our Savior, our Brother, our Redeemer. Those who will not believe this miss all the joy and benefit the Savior brings. Those who do believe become new creatures. They leave the darkness and live in the light. They are born all over again. They become sure of God’s forgiveness of their sins. They become strong against Satan’s accusations and temptations. They become joyful in the midst of difficult, deflating earthly circumstances.
God’s powerful words through the angel transformed Mary’s heart, filling it with faith. Those wonder-working words made her confident and determined. Those words of God can and will transform our hearts, filling them with faith, making us sure and give us comfort. Let us read them and think on them. As we do the Spirit of God will use their blessed meaning to give us the miracle of a renewed Christmas faith - all full of peace and joy. May God grant you a marveling and marvelous Christmas this year as you marvel at the Christmas miracles. God’s Son takes on a human nature. The Virgin conceives by the Spirit’s power. The maiden believes the angel’s words. May God grant you the marvelous blessings they contain for you by His grace for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

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