Luke 1:26–38

²⁶ Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” ²⁹ But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. ³⁰ Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. ³² He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. ³³ And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” ³⁴ Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” ³⁵ And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. ³⁷ For with God nothing will be impossible.” ³⁸ Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

Commentary

Vs. 26-27 ²⁶ Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

Now in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth (vs. 26), For it was there that a young virgin named Marry who was betrothed to a man named Joseph who was of the house of David. Several very important things then are taking place here. First is that the Christ was to be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) and as we are about to see Mary was that virgin chosen by God to bring forth His Son into the world. Next is that the Christ was to be of the seed of David (that is a descendent of king David), for it was through David that God has established an everlasting throne for His Son, that one day He will reign from (1 Chr. 17:11-14; Ps. 89:3-4; 132:11 etc.). Therefore, the angel Gabriel according to the Will of God has now come to Mary, for the fulfillment of God’s prophetic Word and Promises of bringing forth His Son into the world is going to come through her.

Vs. 28-29 ²⁸ And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” ²⁹ But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.

Now when the angel Gabriel entered the house where Mary was, he greeted her by saying: “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” ^{vs. 28} His greeting then which was to elevate her spirit and prepare her for his complete declaration to her initially only troubled her. For she being ignorant of God’s disposition towards her, (highly favored one, gr. kecharitōmenē, related to charitoō) and His plans for her (to bring forth His Son), initially only troubled her, for no one would’ve ever greeted her like that before! Nonetheless the Scripture says she considered what manner of greeting this was. For truly she was most blessed amongst woman, in being chosen by God for this special privilege.

Vs. 30-33 ³⁰ Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. ³² He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. ³³ And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

The angel then seeing Mary’s troubled state now reassures her, telling her not to be afraid, for she has found favor (gr. charin from charis) with God (vs. 30). That is God is delighted to make her the woman to bring forth His Son into the world. Having told Mary that she has found favor with God, the angel Gabriel now tells her that she will conceive and bear a Son whose Name shall be Jesus (vs. 31, which means Savior for as Matthews Gospel reveals He shall save His people from their sins (see Matt. 1:21). Therefore, He will be great, for He will be called the Son of the Highest, (i.e. God

Almighty). And the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David (vs. 32). That is the everlasting throne that He established through His servant David for Him to reign on. Now that Jesus’ father is said to be David means that His human genealogical descendance is through David in accord with the Word of God in order to fulfill it (1 Chr. 17:11-14; Ps. 89:3-4; 132:11 etc.), for Jesus is the Promised Messiah, the Person of God to whom all the Scriptures point too. Therefore, the angel also says that Jesus will reign over the house of Jacob (i.e. Israel), forever! And He concludes by saying: “and of His kingdom there will be no end.” A gripping declaration that both astonishes and delights the depths one ones being.

Vs. 34-35 ³⁴ Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” ³⁵ And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

Mary upon hearing the angel’s declaration cannot fathom how she being a virgin can possible conceive a child, for she does not know a man (vs. 34, that is she is not intimate with her betrothed husband Joseph) for that is something that they have each reserved themselves for their wedding night. Therefore, the angel tells her that: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” Therefore, Mary’s conception will be by the Holy Spirit placing in her womb the Holy Seed so that the Son born to her would not be by human conception but by Holy Spirit Intervention, therefore the Son born to her will be called the Son of God (vs. 35). Jesus then would be born a mortal man, and yet He would not have come through man, but from God, who He Is and where He Is.

Vs. 36-38 ³⁶ Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. ³⁷ For with God nothing will be impossible.” ³⁸ Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

To affirm his word to her the angel now tells Mary that Elizabeth (her relative) has conceived a son in her old age, that indeed she has been with child for six months (vs. 36), thus Elizabeth who throughout her whole life was barren has now by the Divine Will of God conceived in her old age a child, therefore the angel assures Mary that his word to her will come to pass by saying: “for with God nothing shall be impossible.” Which not only applies to Mary, but also to you, and everyone who repents and believes in Him. For God is the God of possibilities in the face of “impossible.” Mary then upon hearing that does not doubt, but commits herself to the Word spoken through the angel to her by saying: “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” ^{vs. 38} And with that the angel departs from her (vs. 39). 

Scripture Quotations
New King James Version. (1982): Thomas Nelson