Gabriel explained how the title “Son of God” was more than an expression. This child—a holy child, free from the contamination of Adam’s original sin—was actually the Son of the Most High (cf. Luke 1:32).
While Mary didn’t ask for confirmation through a miraculous sign, the angel nonetheless provided something to build her confidence and sustain hope through the difficult days to come. He sealed the announcement with more good news: God had given Zacharias and Elizabeth a miraculous pregnancy as well. And with that, he alluded to the Lord’s visit to Abraham and Sarah in their old age, declaring, “Nothing will be impossible with God” (cf. Gen 18:14), perhaps suggesting that even more amazing events would soon take place.
The Lord glowed with pleasure at the opportunity to reveal the next detail of His plan. “I will provide a substitute
—someone to pay the penalty of sin on their behalf.”
“But who?” I protested. “How can someone pay for the sins of another if he dies paying for his own?”
“A very astute question,” He answered. “The substitute must not have any sin of his own.”
I was even more perplexed. “But Lord, the substitute would have to be a human in order to represent humanity, yet all of humanity has been infected with evil. Furthermore, this substitute would have to be superhuman in order to pay the penalty for all people, to die a death that would cover not just one sinner’s penalty, but that of the whole multitude!
What substitute can possibly suffice?”
After a short silence, God said, “God.”
I stood dumbfounded. It didn’t seem possible. And if it were, it didn’t seem fair. Indeed, it wasn’t! This was grace.
So characteristic of Him, yet utterly beyond my ability to comprehend.
He continued, “I will send My eternal Son to be the Messiah. He will be the substitute. The Messiah will not be the son of a sinful, earthly father, but My Son, born of a virgin to preserve his sinlessness. The Messiah will be man.
The Messiah will be God. Being the God-man, He will represent humankind, yet He will have no sin. Furthermore, after He dies on behalf of all humankind, He will conquer death by rising from the grave.”
I could not speak. The perfection of His plan—so ingenious, so simple, so intricate—left me even more amazed than seeing Him create the universe with a mere word.[20]
— 1:38-40 —
Mary responded without hesitation. The Greek word translated “bondslave”
describes a particular kind of servitude common in her day. The term denotes a person who has voluntarily sold himself or herself into slavery, usually to pay a debt or to avoid destitution. She used this word to express her complete submission to the will of her Creator. “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord.” In other words, I willingly commit myself to the unconditional service of the Lord.
Take note of how the women respond to the miraculous activity of God in the beginning of Luke’s account. Mary felt stunned, surprised, humbled, and curious, but never once did she say, “This is impossible! I don’t believe what I’m hearing.” Nor did she object, “There’s no way I’m going to stand before the people of Nazareth and listen to them call my son illegitimate. I refuse to spend the rest of my life defending my honor!”
Quite the opposite! While not understanding all the particulars, she responded with immediate belief, complete submission, and total trust in her Lord. Luke records no hesitation from Elizabeth in believing the Lord could accomplish a miracle. Both women lived in the horizontal dimension, but they never forgot the vertical. They lived in the realities of a broken, sinful world, but they remained open to the intervention of God’s grace.
To tie the births of the forerunner and the Christ together, Luke records Mary’s visit to the home of Zacharias and Elizabeth (1:39-40). She
immediately hastened south from Nazareth to an unnamed city in the hill country of Judea. Luke uses geography strategically, so place names don’t appear unless they have theological significance or support his narrative structure. Here, Luke’s primary concern is to tell us that Mary went to be with Elizabeth.
— 1:41-45 —
By this time, Elizabeth had begun to feel the kicks of her baby, John.
She had emerged from seclusion to allow everyone to see her
grandmotherly frame bearing the unmistakable swelling of a baby in her
womb, and no doubt she quickly became the talk of Judea. Zacharias had undoubtedly told her, through writing and gestures, the significance of John’s birth. So, when Mary entered her home—by now pregnant with the Christ child—and called her name, the forerunner responded in Elizabeth’s womb to the presence of the Messiah. The Holy Spirit filled Elizabeth with supernatural knowledge of Mary’s condition and gave her words of praise for God.
Luke does not reveal the details of Mary’s conversations before departing Galilee, or whether she had revealed anything to her family or even to Joseph. Matthew’s account of Joseph’s reaction (Matt. 1:18-19) probably describes the response of Mary’s family and community as well.
Imagine the loneliness she must have felt as she tried to explain the
wonderful news of her unique place in history. Imagine the reaction of those who knew her. “Pregnant, yet still a virgin? Just stop and tell us the truth!”
In stark contrast, imagine what Mary must have felt when, without a word from her, Elizabeth knew of her pregnancy and understood its
significance. While she gives honor to Mary as the bearer of the Messiah, she focuses on the child. By virtue of Mary’s arrival, Elizabeth has received a royal visit from her “Lord” (Luke 1:43).
The title “Lord” in Luke’s Gospel is especially meaningful. Of the 202 occurrences of the Greek term kyrios [2962] in the synoptic Gospels
(Matthew, Mark, and Luke), 104 appear in Luke, most frequently in connection with Jesus. While the everyday use of the title could refer to anyone with status or authority (e.g., Luke 13:8; 14:22), Luke’s Gospel follows the precedent set by the Septuagint. This Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament also uses kyrios to refer to humans with status or authority (cf. Gen. 18:12; 23:6; Exod. 21:5-8, 28-29), but in thousands of instances, it uses it to render God’s most sacred name, YHWH (Yahweh).
Elizabeth most likely didn’t understand the full significance of God’s incarnation, just as Mary puzzled over the idea for many years (Luke 2:19).
Without a doubt, however, she knew the unborn Messiah had entered her home. She may have referred to the Messiah as “my Lord” (1:43) even if
she viewed him as only human. Nevertheless, we cannot overlook the fact that the same word, kyrios, in 1:45 can only refer to God. This leaves open the possibility that Elizabeth understood the mystery of the Incarnation before anyone else.
— 1:46-56 —
Mary’s response has been given the Latin title The Magnificat based on the first Greek word in the response, which means “exalt” or “magnify.” Most translations arrange the text in strophes, like poetry, for two reasons. First, the meter and style of the Greek text appears hymnic. Second, much of Mary’s song comes directly from Hebrew Scripture, blending quotations and allusions to messianic psalms and Old Testament prophecy.
Lines from Magnificat OT Quotations/Allusions
My soul exalts the Lord 1 Sam. 2:1-2; Ps. 34:2-3
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. Pss. 24:5; 25:5; 35:9; Isa. 12:2;
Mic. 7:7; Hab. 3:18 For He has had regard for the humble state of His
bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
Ps. 138:6
For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.
Ps. 24:8; Zeph. 3:17
AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.
Ps. 103:17
He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has
scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
Pss. 98:1; 118:15
He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble.
Job 5:11; Ps. 2
HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; And sent away the rich empty-handed.
Ps. 107:9
He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy,
Isa. 41:8-10
As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his descendants forever.”
Gen. 17:19; Ps. 132:11;
Isa. 41:8-9
If Mary’s hymn of praise tells us anything, it’s that she did not consider herself exalted, but rather a woman very much like the rest of humanity: a sinner in need of a Savior. It also reveals a woman very familiar with the Scriptures and desperately longing for the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises through the Messiah. Her celebration hymn also shows that while Mary may not have completely understood the significance of the
Incarnation, she recognized that the fulfillment of God’s promises—all of them from the beginning of time—was growing within her womb. Mary’s visit with Elizabeth lasted about three months, but she apparently returned home before John’s birth (1:56).
Mary is worthy of our admiration for two very good reasons. First, God chose to honor Mary among all women to bring the Christ child into the world. Though not sinless, though very much a woman in need of a Savior, she was nevertheless chosen as a qualified vessel to bear God’s Son.
Second, Mary chose to set aside her own dreams of a normal life to accept the complications of obedience. God’s blessings notwithstanding, she accepted an extremely difficult assignment. The rest of Nazareth didn’t receive an angelic visit, so Mary would have to endure the sting of false accusations along with the privilege of bringing God’s redemptive plan to the world. She would be the bearer of the most wonderful secret in the history of humankind, yet suffer the consequences of being misunderstood.
If we venerate Mary for any reason, let it be for her remarkable example of faith and obedience.