Barry Beitzel
Nazareth Ridge. The village of Nazareth sits atop the mountain range above the Jezreel Valley.
The betrothal period lasted no less than was necessary to make certain the bride was not already pregnant, but could last as long as a year. During this time, the bride and groom were bound to one another as husband and wife, and only a writ of divorce could break the covenant. Furthermore, if the woman was found to be pregnant during the betrothal, she was viewed as an adulteress and might be publicly stoned to punish her sin and to vindicate the groom’s honor. The groom had the option to settle the matter privately to avoid a public scandal.
When the waiting period had elapsed and the groom’s new living
quarters had been prepared to receive the bride, the third stage transpired: A wedding ceremony celebrated the couple’s union, and the families hosted a
grand feast.
Mary was a betrothed virgin, waiting for the celebration of her vows and the consummation of her union with Joseph.
— 1:28-29 —
The angel’s greeting, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you,”
conveyed the idea of granting grace. Young women occupied a very low status in ancient times, so Mary probably found the angel’s greeting to be startlingly gracious.
The Latin Vulgate renders the Greek as gratiae plena, or “full of grace.”
The Roman Catholic Church has taken this to mean that Mary had received an overabundance of grace that she could then bestow upon others. She becomes an intermediate source of grace. The Greek term, however, is best understood as a perfect passive verb, meaning she was the recipient of an action completed by someone else. In short, the greeting is simply
emphasizing that Mary was a recipient of God’s unmerited favor, a pattern for other believers who would be the recipient of God’s free grace. It does not place her in a special position as mediator of overflowing grace.
— 1:30-33 —
The angel explained why Mary could be considered “favored.” Heaping grace upon grace, Gabriel revealed five future facts, each more wonderful than the one before.
1. She will conceive and bear a son (cf. Isa. 7:14).
Every married Hebrew woman would receive this news with joy. Jews, more than any other ancient culture, cherished their offspring. And the blessing of a son meant the family legacy would continue another
generation, and might even become the branch from which the Messiah would spring.
As part of the announcement, Mary was commanded to name the boy Jesus, which is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name Yeshua (or Joshua, in English). The name means “YHWH saves” (cf. Matt. 1:21).
2. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.
Gabriel’s announcement to Mary alludes to his announcement to Zacharias (Luke 1:15) in that the son will be “great.” The messenger
distinguished Jesus from John, however, by declaring Him to be the “Son of the Most High.” We discover later that the title is literal. But the expression was sometimes used in the sense of “special person of God” (6:35; Ps. 82:6;
Matt. 5:9). Mary probably heard it this way, only to realize later the full significance.
3. He will be given the throne of David.
The expression “son of God” also bore royal significance. The King of Israel was an “anointed one,” a “messiah” (little m). He was also considered a “son of God” (2 Sam. 7:14; 1 Chr. 22:9-10; Pss. 2:7; 89:27). Gabriel
revealed that Mary’s son would become the King of Israel, not in the treacherous, illegitimate way Herod (a non-Jew) occupied the throne. Nor would He claim illegitimate kingly authority in the manner of the
Hasmonean Dynasty (priests descended from Levi). Jesus would lay legitimate claim to David’s throne as a true descendant of David (2 Sam.
7:16) and Judah (Gen. 49:10).
4. He will be the Hebrew Messiah.
Gabriel revealed the most amazing news of all. Jesus would not only be a special man of God and a king of Israel; He would be the King of Israel.
The Messiah. The angel’s use of these phrases drew upon very familiar Old Testament language associated with the Messiah (2 Sam. 7:13, 16; Ps.
89:36, 37; Isa. 9:6-7; Jer. 23:5-6).
5. His kingdom will endure forever.
The kingdom of God is a consistent theme throughout Luke’s narrative.
The nation of Israel was supposed to become a means or a vehicle of God’s ruling the earth, but the people proved unworthy. The Lord chose David to become king, but even this great man failed to serve as God’s worthy vice- regent. So, the Lord promised David that his dynasty would endure,
eventually under the rule of a worthy king whose kingdom would exist forever (2 Sam. 7:13, 16; see also Dan. 2:44; 7:14, 18, 27). Gabriel promised that Mary’s son would be that very king!
Mary knew exactly what Gabriel meant by this. She would become the mother of the Messiah (capital M)!
— 1:34-37 —
Mary’s question differs dramatically from that of Zacharias. He asked,
“How will I know this?” (1:18), and then enumerated the physical difficulties preventing the fulfillment of Gabriel’s announcement. His question suggests that a miraculous sign would be enough to win his
confidence. Mary’s question, on the other hand, reflects genuine confusion.
She asked, “How can this be?” She qualified her question by saying, literally, “since I do not know a man.”
Her use of the word “know” is a euphemism for sexual relations (Gen.
4:1; 19:8; Judg. 21:12; Matt. 1:25). Her use of the present tense described her status as a virgin. She asked a reasonable, practical question. “How will this happen without a man?” She took the announcement to mean the
conception would happen very soon, but her consummation with Joseph was still several months away. Clearly, the Lord didn’t expect her to sin!
Gabriel provided a straightforward answer. He declared that this would be a supernatural conception involving no man—it would be the work of the Most High God through the Holy Spirit. God originally created
humanity out of nothing, and He would soon create out of nothing what Mary needed to conceive a child.
Within the angel’s announcement, we see all three persons of the Trinity referenced. God the Father, by the agency of the Holy Spirit, would bring the Son into the world through Mary. We also see a direct allusion to the beginning of the world. Just as the Spirit of God moved over the surface of the earth’s primordial waters and then brought light into the dark, formless void (Gen. 1:2-3), so He would overshadow Mary to bring the Light of the World to humanity.
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.