The Greatest Birth Announcement Ever
Luke 1:26-38
The Advent season and Christmas celebrate the incarnation of Jesus Christ—the unfathomable truth that the eternal Son of God became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). This truth is at the very heart of the Christian faith. The Apostle Paul wrote that Christ Jesus, “who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” (Phil. 2:6-7). God the Son, who was with the Father in glory before the world was created (John 1:1-2; 17:5), laid aside His divine glory and dignity, not ceasing to be divine but to taking on human flesh in the form of a bondservant, in order to be obedient unto death for our salvation. What a mystery of grace![1] Paul writes, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.” (1 Tim. 3:16).
J. I. Packer in his book, Knowing God, calls the doctrine of the incarnation the greatest mystery of the gospel. He writes:
The real difficulty, the supreme mystery with which the gospel confronts us, . . . lies not in the Good Friday message of atonement, nor in the Easter message of resurrection, but in the Christmas message of Incarnation. The really staggering Christian claim is that Jesus of Nazareth was God made man—that the second person of the Godhead became the “second man” (1 Cor 15:47), determining human destiny, the second representative head of the race, and that he took humanity without loss of deity, so that Jesus of Nazareth was as truly and fully divine as he was human.[2]
If we really consider the astounding truth of the incarnation, how could we let another Christmas go by without being awestruck by what God has done? How could we be content to casually make merry and exchange gifts and cards as if it’s just another holiday? How could we not fail to fall down before our God in humble worship?
Today I want us to look at the greatest birth announcement ever, the passage in Luke 1 known as the annunciation, that is, where the angel Gabriel comes to announce to the Virgin Mary this marvelous truth of the incarnation. Although this may be a familiar passage, as we read it today listen with awe and wonder, with a humble heart of worship to the word of God (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.
As his prologue to his Gospel shows, Luke had carefully researched and written an orderly account of the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection to a man named Theophilus so “that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed” (Luke 1:4). Luke takes his reader back to the very beginning, describing more fully than any other gospel writer the events of the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. In Luke 1:5-25 he narrated the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist to his father Zacharias. The angel Gabriel appeared to this old priest while he was serving in the temple, telling him that his barren wife Elizabeth would give birth to a son in their old age. This child would “be great in the sight of the Lord” (Luke 1:15), would “be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Luke 1:15), and would “make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17).
Just as Gabriel said, Elizabeth conceived (Luke 1:24). The “sixth month” in Luke 1:26 refers to Elizabeth’s pregnancy, as the angel tells Mary in Luke 1:36, “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.” God dispatched this same mighty angel Gabriel to announce the birth of the Messiah to Mary. In this birth announcement I want us to focus on some wonderful truths about our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the purpose of the Gospel, to show us Jesus Christ so that we will believe on Him for salvation and worship Him as Lord. The first thing we learn about Jesus is:
1. His humility
Notice where the birth announcement takes place: in “a city of Galilee named Nazareth” (Luke 1:26). Galilee was a territory overrun by Gentiles and where the Roman governor had erected numerous pagan temples. Galilee was, therefore, despised by the more sophisticated Jews in Judea. Jerusalem was traditionally the city of the king. The temple of God was there and all the important and influential religious men. But it was to Galilee that God sent the angel Gabriel.
Nazareth was a tiny insignificant town. It is not even mentioned in the Old Testament or any other ancient Jewish writings or histories. It was on a hillside at the foot of which ran the highway from Tyre and Sidon to Jerusalem, carrying Greek travelers and merchants, many of whom would have lodged in Nazareth. With such a transient population, Nazareth became a corrupt town, a despised town. The contempt with which Nazareth was viewed was expressed by Nathanael when he asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46).
In Nazareth, Gabriel comes not to a temple or even a synagogue where people gather for worship—he comes to the privacy of Mary’s home. The person to whom the angel Gabriel declared the incarnation of the Son of God was “a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph… The virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:27) – not to the high priest, or to the governor of the land. Mary was a very common name for Jewish girls (there are at least six different Marys in the New Testament). Her name goes back to Miriam, the sister of Moses (Exo. 15).
Betrothal was a binding marriage contract usually made by the families of the bride and groom. Mary legally belonged to Joseph, but the wedding often would not take place until a year after the betrothal, at which time she would go to live with him. In that day the average age of betrothal for young women was 12 or 13. Chances are, Mary was a very young woman, maybe barely a teenager. Kent Hughes comments, Mary was “a nobody from a nothing town in the middle of nowhere.”[3] Mary herself described her low position in her song, “My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant… (Luke 1:46-48). Jesus’ birth announcement was marked by lowliness and meekness.
What we find in the gospel is that “The incarnation, salvation, resurrection, and Christmas are not for the proud or self-sufficient.”[4] Mary exemplifies those whom Jesus saves and through whom He works.
2. His grace
Luke 1:28 says, “And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you.” Mary was the recipient of God’s gracious favor. The words translated “Rejoice” and “favored” are both related to the word usually translated “grace.” Gabriel extends a double portion of God’s grace to Mary. God showing favor to Mary in an extraordinary way. The additional greeting, “the Lord is with you,” was often extended to an individual who was called to some great task that necessitated the Lord’s empowerment (Moses, Exo. 3:12; Joshua, Josh. 1:9; Gideon, Judges 6:12).
She is highly favored for the Lord was with her – i.e. she lived in the presence of God. Such is the high privilege and divine intimacy of the virgin Mary. One commentator said, “Mary was chosen by God to be the mother of our Lord. Eve was the mother of all living; Mary was the mother of the Messiah. Eve gave birth to a murderer; Mary would give birth to the Redeemer. Hidden in the recesses of despised Nazareth, this beautiful young woman was set apart by God for this very purpose.”[5] Martin Luther in his little Christmas book said, “No woman has ever lived on earth to whom God has shown such grace.”[6]
Mary was troubled at seeing the angel and “considered what manner of greeting this was” (Luke 1:29). The Greek word that was used to describe her ‘consideration’ is an interesting one. It’s the word dialogizomai – and perhaps you recognize our English word “dialogue” in that word. She was, you might say, having an internal “dialogue” about what the angel told her. She was thinking deeply about it.
Gabriel reassures her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30). Again, “favor” is the word for grace. Mary found grace with God. Contrary to what the Roman Catholic Church teaches, Mary is not a dispenser of grace, but a recipient of it. If grace is deserved, it’s not grace, it’s merit. By definition, grace is God’s undeserved favor. In her song later in Luke 1 Mary refers to God as her Savior (Luke 1:47). What does He save from? Sin, as Matthew records the angel saying to Joseph, “He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Only sinners need a Savior. Mary needed God’s grace and salvation just like all sinners do.[7]
Mary was certainly a godly young woman. She was a woman of faith. Whe believed what God revealed to her. She submitted herself humbly to His will. She found grace with God (Luke 1:30). Therefore she was highly favored (Luke 1:28). God has always had his chosen servants, often the least likely in the most obscure places. And in the town of Nazareth, God comes to this simple, humble woman who evidently was walking in communion with God.[8]
What does this show us about Jesus? He is the expression of God’s grace. Paul writes, “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7).
3. His Greatness
Gabriel then announces his news to Mary: “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.” (Luke 1:31-33).
There are several ties to Old Testament prophesies in this announcement. First is Isaiah 7:14 which Matthew quotes as being fulfilled in Jesus (Matt. 1:23), “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” The exact same Greek word for “virgin” in the Septuagint in Isaiah 7:14 is used of Mary in Luke 1. It really means virgin, one who has not been with a man. Mary herself speaks of her virginity in Luke 1:34, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” The words for “womb” and “son” are also the same. Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us.”
The second tie to this verse is also in Isaiah. Isaiah 9:6-7 says,
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. (Isa. 9:6-7)
Here Isaiah prophesies that the Messiah would be born a child (referring to His humanity), but would also be a Son that would be given (referring to His deity). He would be the King who would reign on the throne of David forever.
A third tie to the Old Testament is God’s promise to David in 2 Samuel 7: 12-16,
12 “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. 15 But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.” (2 Sam. 7:12-16).
Jesus is said to have David as His father in Luke 1:32, and 2 Samuel 7:12 says that the coming king will be of the offspring of David. Jesus is called Son of the Most High in Luke 1:32, and in 2 Samuel 7:14 God says of this Davidic king, “ I will be his Father, and he shall be My son.” Luke 1:33 says that Jesus’ kingdom will have no end, and 2 Samuel 7:13 and 16 say that the throne of the Messiah’s kingdom will endure forever. Gabriel is presenting Jesus as the one who will ultimately fulfill this prophecy to David.
Jesus is great because He is the God, the Son of God, the Son of the Most High. This is a title first used of God in Genesis 14, He is called El Elyon, God Most High, God the Supreme One, God who is above all. That name for God sweeps through the Old Testament and is used repeatedly to define God as the Supreme Being. No one is higher than God. Psalm 47:2 says, ” For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.” And this little baby is the Son of that sovereign Most High God. Now what is such a title intended to say? Nothing less than the obvious: Jesus bears the same essence as God. … Hebrews 1:3 says of Jesus, “who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” He is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact reproduction of God’s nature. As the Son of God Jesus has the very same divine nature as God.
In Luke 1:34 Mary then asked not about if, but how these things would take place. Her question was not in unbelief like Zacharias, but believing God, she wanted to understand how. Then in Luke 1:35 answers Mary’s extraordinary faith with an extraordinary answer about the virgin birth, “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.”
The Holy Spirit, who is the Most High God, the third person of the Trinity, will surround Mary with His glorious presence, just as the Lord surrounded the Israelites of old with his glorious presence (Exodus 40:34-35; Numbers 9:18, 10:34). This is the mystery of the virgin birth and of the incarnation. The Bible does not explain it, it proclaims it. That God overshadowed Mary with His Spirit and conceived Jesus in her womb is truly a miracle. If you can’t conceive how a virgin can conceive, then what about this? Christians believe that Mary gave birth to the sinless eternal Son of God. Now which is harder to believe, that God came in the flesh in Jesus and He was without sin? Or that He came in the flesh miraculously?
Because the son will be conceived by the Holy Spirit, he will be called “holy”—set apart for God and completely pure and sinless as God Himself. The virgin birth is necessary to affirm the sinless humanity of Jesus Christ.
4. His power
Gabriel then gives Mary what she did not ask for, assurance of this truth. In Luke 1:36-37 he says to her, “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. For with God nothing will be impossible.”
It’s as if the angel says: “Do you wonder how this can be, Mary? Do you need help processing all of this, Mary? Well, your relative, Elizabeth – you remember, the one who has been barren all these years, the one who is now past her child-bearing age? Something miraculous has also happened to her, Mary. She has conceived a son and is already 6 months pregnant, despite her old age and life-long barrenness.”
Isn’t this an incredible act of God’s gracious favor toward Mary, that He would give visible, tangible evidence of His supernatural power? The God who can cause a barren old woman to conceive can surely cause a young virgin to also conceive – “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). More literally it reads, “for no word from God will fail.” God’s word cannot fail. He keeps His promises. He fulfills His word, always. This reminds us of what the angel of the LORD said to Abraham when he was told his old barren wife Sarah would bear a son, “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Gen. 18:14).
We need to be convinced of the sovereign, life-giving power of God to do what is far beyond anything we can ask or think. We need to remember that the truth of Messiah’s birth should conceive in us an appreciation for the sovereignty of God, for with God nothing is impossible. The One who created the world from nothing caused a virgin to conceive by the Holy Spirit. Nothing is too hard for God.[9]
What does this show us about Jesus? He is the holy one, the Son of God Most High. He is sovereign and powerful over all. No word of His can fail. Nothing is too hard for Him. J. C. Ryle wrote:
There is no sin too black and too wicked to be pardoned — the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin. There is no heart too hard and wicked to be changed — the heart of stone can be made into a heart of flesh. There is no work too hard for a believer to do — we can do all things through Christ strengthening us. There is no trial too hard to be borne — the grace of God is sufficient for us. There is no promise too great to be fulfilled — Christ’s words never pass away — and what He has promised, He is able to perform. There is no difficulty too great for a believer to overcome — if God is for us, then who can be against us? The mountain shall become a plain. … Faith never rests so calmly and peacefully as when it lays its head on the pillow of God’s omnipotence. .[10]
This is our God. This is Jesus Christ our Savior, the King who will reign forever and ever. Do you know Him? Have you believed on Him to save you from sin by His death and give you eternal life through His resurrection? Don’t go through another empty, world, merry Christmas without knowing Jesus Christ, the Son of God made flesh, the Savior of the World, the King of Kings. Trust Him today.
[1] Bedzyk, Matt, The Glorious Mystery of Christmas: The Incarnation, https://eccelmira.org/articles/glorious-mystery-christmas-incarnation/
[2] Packer, J. I., Knowing God, Intervarsity Press, p. 52.
[3] Hughes, Kent, Luke: That You May Know the Truth, p. 32
[4] Hughes, p. 32.
[5] Pascoe, Roger, The Greatest Birth Announcement Ever: Unto Us A Son Is Given (Luke 1:26-38), https://bible.org/seriespage/5-greatest-birth-announcement-ever-unto-us-son-given-luke-126-38
[6] Luther, Martin, Martin Luther’s Christmas Book, p. 14.
[7] Cole, Steven, Should Christians Hail Mary? (Luke 1:26-45), https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-4-should-christians-hail-mary-luke-126-45
[8] Pascoe.
[9] Pascoe.
[10] Ryle, J. C., Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/ryl/luke-1.html
