It has been six months since the angel Gabriel visited Zacharias and announced the upcoming birth of John the Baptist. For five of those months Elisabeth has been in seclusion (verse 24). The Bible does not tell us why, but with her advanced age, I assume she has had a difficult pregnancy.
We will begin reading today with verses 26-28. The angel Gabriel was sent to earth, once again, this time to a small farming town called Nazareth in Galilee. He came to see a young girl named Mary, who was still a virgin (Isa 7:14). Mary was betrothed to a man named Joseph. This would have made her around 13 years old, just at the age where she had begun having menstrual periods. While Luke has told us all these things about Mary, he has told us only one fact about Joseph. What was that one fact?
The fact that Mary and Joseph were betrothed is an important thing to understand. Betrothals, at that time, were much more binding than engagements in our culture. They would begin with the groom’s parents (or a friend) drawing up a contract which was then presented to the bride at a meeting between the two families (usually with jewelry). After declaring his intentions and presenting the contract to the bride, the groom would drink wine from a cup and then offer the cup to the bride hoping that she would accept it and drink from it also, thereby accepting the contract. The next step in the process would be a ceremony, involving a priest, where the bride price was paid by the groom. Once the couple reached this stage in the process, they were already being referred to as husband and wife. They were not yet married as the marriage ceremony had not been performed and there was no physical intimacy, but if they wanted to change their mind at this point, they would have to have legally gotten a divorce. This is the point of the process where Joseph and Mary were. A death, at this point, would have left one or the other in widowhood. Thus, even though Gabriel came to an unmarried woman, God was actually choosing a set of parents.
Read verses 29-33. The angel’s words frightened Mary, but he reassured her that she was very favored by God and should not be afraid. He tells her that she will conceive a child and she should name Him Jesus. Though this was a common name, it means ‘Savior’, and the child would be the Son of the Most High God, ruling over Israel as King David had, and His reign would be forever.
Read verses 34-37. Mary asks Gabriel how this can be since she is a virgin. This is not unbelief like we saw in Zacharias. She is just trying to understand how this could be possible. Gabriel is very patient with her and explains that the Holy Spirit will come, with the power of the Most High God, and impregnate her. He tells her that the resulting child will he holy, the Son of God. Just as Jesus becomes an adopted child to Joseph, we become adopted children in God’s family when we are born again by our faith (Eph 1:4-6). God places high value on adopted relationships.
Gabriel tells Mary about Elisabeth’s pregnancy which is a miracle. Elisabeth was clearly at an age when everyone understood that she had become too old and would not be able to have a baby, but she was in her 6th month. Mary is encouraged with the fact that nothing God says will happen will ever fail. At hearing these words, Mary declares that she is the Lord’s servant. There is no hesitation or arguing… things you would expect from a teenager of that age. She is ready to do the Lord’s will. Total submission. Facing pregnancy while unmarried, at that time, would have been a scary thing, and would have put her engagement at great risk and left her subject to public judgment and ridicule, but Mary’s desire was for God’s will to be done. What an amazing attitude!
Responding to God: Worship God, thanking Him for sending His Son. Thank Him for the work of angels and ask Him for a heart willing to obey. Vow to make His will a priority in your life.
Add comment
Comments