Gabriel was sent to a small village in Israel to announce another miraculous conception that would occur. This devotional reading looks at the response of a teenager in Nazareth.
Nuggets
- When Elizabeth was in the sixth month of her pregnancy, Jehovah sent the same messenger down to earth.
- This is the second time in Luke 1 that Gabriel has been sent to humans to announce the impending miraculous birth of sons.
- Nazareth was an insignificant town.
- Mary’s life was already planned out because she was betrothed to Joseph.
- We don’t know much about Joseph, either.
- Mary didn’t know what to think when Gabriel addressed her.
- Mary had the normal reaction to an angel.
- Mary’s obedience to Jehovah was recognized.
- Mary was about to be told she was going to have a baby in an unimaginable way.
- Mary’s question was not a question of if but how.
- Just because everyone says it can’t happen doesn’t mean it can’t happen.
- Mary’s simple response showed her devotion to Jehovah.
Gabriel had already been to visit Zechariah to announce the conception of John the Immerser. He was about to make a second visit.
If John was to prepare the way for Someone coming after him, that Someone’s birth needed announced, also.
Let's Put It into Context
To read devotions in The Battle for the Heart theme
Devotions in the Preparing for the Christ Child series
Christ’s Birth Announced to Mary
“In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David” (Lk. 1: 26-27 NLT)
In the Sixth Month of Elizabeth’s Pregnancy
When Elizabeth was in the sixth month of her pregnancy, Jehovah sent the same messenger down to earth.
The message was the same but in different circumstances: you are going to have a baby. Even though the circumstances made the message a little more unbelievable, Gabriel got a little different reception this time.
Gabriel
This is the second time in Luke 1 that Gabriel has been sent to humans to announce the impending miraculous birth of sons.
We talked, when Gabriel – Gavi’el (גַּבְרִיאֵל) – the mighty messenger from God – visited Zechariah, that his visit was to bring more than birth announcements. He first visited Daniel in Daniel 8: 16 and Daniel 9: 21-23 to interpret Jehovah’s plan for redemption. Now, he was visiting earth to announce that plan was beginning to be put into motion.
Nazareth
Nazareth was an insignificant town.
Nazareth was a small Galilean village in the hills of Lower Galilee. The village probably had 200 to 400 inhabitants. It was tucked into the hills, so there was no trade route associated with it.
Mary, Engaged to be Married
Mary’s life was already planned out because she was betrothed to Joseph.
The woman Gabriel gave this message to was named Mary (Miryam). We learn a couple of important things about her, mainly because she is described to be betrothed.
The betrothal process had changed from Abraham’s day. In Jewish life it was then a legal institution consisting of two stages.
The first stage was the betrothal (Kiddushin – נִישּׂוּאִין), also called Erusin (אֵרוּסִין). It was more than our engagement. It included witnesses, a formal declaration, and a transfer of value.
The betrothal process was formalized through the marriage contract (Ketubah – כְּתוּבָּה). This was a legally binding agreement, which could only be broken through a writ of divorce (get – גֵּט).
The emphasis had shifted away from the bride price (mohar – מֹהַר), what the groom paid the bride’s father. Instead, it emphasized the husband’s continued financial obligation to the wife if the marriage ended through divorce or death. This protected the bride’s future security.
It is estimated that she was a teenager. Most became betrothed between the ages of 15 and 17.
Isn’t it wonderful! God uses older people, younger people, and everyone in between!
Because she was betrothed but not married, Mary was a virgin.
The marriage, where the union is consummated, was called the Nissuin (נִישּׂוּאִין). This usually occurred a year after the Kiddushin.
Farmingham identified four characteristics that could be associated with the mother of Yeshua.
- Humility
- Submission
- Quietness
- Fidelity
Resource
Mary was chosen because she was a righteous person.
Joseph
We don’t know much about Joseph, either.
Joseph is described as a righteous man (Mt. 1: 19). His character certainly fits the role God entrusted to him as Yeshua’s earthly father.
Some traditions picture Joseph as considerably older than Mary, though Scripture does not tell us his age.
We don’t know what happened to Joseph. He just leaves the narrative. Because of that, we assume he died.
Greetings
“Gabriel appeared to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!’ Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean” (Lk. 1: 28-29 NLT)
Mary didn’t know what to think when Gabriel addressed her.
Mary had to have been surprised by the appearance of the angel. Then when she heard what he first had to say, she must have been really confused.
Shalom wouldn’t have troubled Mary as that was the standard greeting. She may or may not have been startled by “Adonai is with you!” If she was blameless (as Joseph was identified [Mt. 1: 19]), she would have known Jehovah never leaves us (Deut. 31: 6).
What probably troubled Mary was being told of her favored status. Well, think about it. Expecting it would have been prideful – eliminating her from favored status.
Can’t you just hear it going through her mind, “Who, me? Favored by the Lord? I know He knows my name, but seriously? Blessed?
We may not realize it, but Gabriel was greeting her as a saint. She would have been favored because she was righteous, not because she was sinless.
The Message
“Don’t be afraid, Mary,’ the angel told her, ‘for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” (Lk. 1: 30-33 NLT)
Don’t be Afraid, Mary
Mary had the normal reaction to an angel.
Gabriel was smart. He let Mary get over the initial shock of seeing him. People being afraid of heavenly encounters was a normal thing (Gen. 28: 17; Ex. 3: 6; Isa. 6: 5).
Reassurance was a good thing, Gabriel even called her by name to show he was at the right place at the right time with the right girl.
You Have Found Favor
Mary’s obedience to Jehovah was recognized.
Then Gabriel repeated himself: “… you have found favor with God” (Lk. 1: 30 NLT). On the surface, this was more reassurance.
That is good, because I am sure what Gabriel had to say next deepened the confusion.
Bushnell reminded us that Jehovah found favor in Mary, but it could also have been Mary had found favor in Him. I’m sure He saw she did have the list Farmingham made. Plus, He would have heard her prayers.
Resource
Think about it. Yes, Mary would have had to be blameless as Elizabeth. But if you look at favor as being unmerited favor, that deepens the confusion, also. Mary would probably agree that Jehovah’s favor was unmerited, but she had probably already begun asking herself, “Why me?”
Conceive and Give Birth to a Son
Mary was about to be told she was going to have a baby in an unimaginable way.
A virgin birth? But think back about who is writing this book. Luke was a physician. He knew how babies came. Normally, it wasn’t this way.
But the doctor lays it all out for everyone to read.
What Luke wrote was an accurate account of what happened. It may seem impossible, but Luke bought into the belief that “For the word of God will never fail” (Lk. 1: 37 NLT).
If we were to look at things through the lens of a job description this is the first responsibility. The Messiah had to be a son.
Questioning in Faith
“Mary asked the angel, ‘But how can this happen? I am a virgin” (Lk. 1: 34 NLT)
Mary’s question was not a question of if but how.
The girl was no dummy. She might have been young, but she knew enough to know how babies were made. There was one important piece of the puzzle that Gabriel was leaving out – the man.
Mary questioned Gabriel but was submissive throughout (Lk. 1: 34, 38). Look at the second word of her question in verse 34. How, not if. She wasn’t calling God on the fact that she thought it was impossible.
Understanding how it was going to be accomplished was beyond her. So, she asked, and God rewarded her with an answer. He didn’t have Gabriel tell her exactly how it was going to be done. But Gabriel gave her a detailed explanation of Who would accomplish this.
Let’s take a step back and see what these verses don’t tell us but do. Yes, it was good that Mary was a virgin, but she also had to have been strong in her faith. Jehovah wasn’t going to entrust the raising of His Son to just anyone. She had to know Sovereign God as her Father.
Mary had probably heard stories of angels showing up on people’s doorsteps. She never expected it would happen to her, but she didn’t go running. Her relationship with God was such that she knew He would take care of her.
I don’t say that lightly. The next nine months couldn’t have been easy.
Mary was and was supposed to be a virgin, but she was having a baby. I bet not only the women talked, but the men also talked.
No, Mary probably didn’t have an easy life for a while. She would have needed Joseph.
Immaculate Conception
“The angel replied, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most high will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For the word of God will never fail!’” (Lk. 1: 35-37 NLT)
Just because everyone says it can’t happen doesn’t mean it can’t happen.
Jehovah said, “No man – Me.”
Let’s look at Gabriel’s answer. He said the Trinity would be present at the conception. The Holy Spirit creates life through the power of Jehovah Who is Father, and they would be creating Yeshua. Yeshua would be divine.
I love what Parker said. He wrote,
“In the introduction of Jesus Christ to the world, it would seem as if all laws of nature were to be suspended, that He Himself might be the crowning miracle of the universe. … In the birth of Christ law was not only suspended, but treated as if it had never had any existence, showing how easy it would have been for the Almighty to have founded society upon a totally new basis.”
Resource
God knows we have to process things. He knows if we have questions about procedures, it will sometimes take our focus off accomplishing the task successfully. He knows the attitude with which we ask.
Right after that, Gabriel throws Mary a lifeline. “Mary, you are a virgin, but everyone said Elizabeth was barren. She is going to have a baby, too.”
Elizabeth was Mary’s relative. Someone she knew and was related to was also going to go through a very special pregnancy.
We aren’t told how Mary and Elizabeth are related. “And Elisheva your krovah [close, near, female relative] also has conceived a ben in her old age, and this chodesh [month, new moon, or new moon monthly] us hasishi (the sixth) for her who is called barren” (Lk. 1: 36 OJB).
How can this happen? “For the word of God will never fail” (Lk 1: 37 NLT). We may scratch our head, question the nuts and bolts of how it will work God is going to accomplish things according to His plan.
Submission
“Mary responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.’ And then the angel left her (Lk. 1: 38 NLT)
Mary’s simple response showed her devotion to Jehovah.
I love this verse. Teenager though she may be, Mary’s response was, “Bring it on.”
Mary didn’t say she had to think about it. She didn’t say that she had to run this by Joseph first. She jumped in with both feet.
Mary accepted the risk, loss of reputation, and misunderstanding.
Oh, if only we were that quick to accept God’s Will for our lives!
Mary knew it was going to look bad when she ended up pregnant. She could lose Joseph as her husband, which would probably mean she would never have another shot at happily ever after.
But Mary didn’t waver. She was ready to be the mom of a Special Baby.
Making the Connections #1
Burkitt noted that Mary was chosen because she was a virgin to honor virginity. She was also chosen because she was betrothed to honor marriage.
Resource
Since Mary ended up pregnant, it would probably be assumed that she had committed adultery. Deuteronomy 22: 23-27 tells of the punishment for those who were found guilty.
If the young lady is somewhere that she can scream for help, she wouldn’t be punished. It was assumed there was no one around to rescue her.
However, if the young lady was in the city, both she and the man would be stoned. It was assumed she didn’t cry out for help.
To us this seems harsh. We want to say that society had changed, and Mary wouldn’t have been harmed physically.
Maybe because capital punishment was largely controlled by Rome. Maybe not because the Sanhedrin would have had limited authority to execute.
That doesn’t change the fact that Jehovah’s laws don’t change. We can’t say for sure what repercussions Mary would have endured.
Are we saying that Jehovah allowed Mary to sin to get pregnant with His child? No. She didn’t lay with a man. The Holy Spirit impregnated her. We don’t know how that happened, so it is something for our UNR book – understanding not required.
Making the Connections #2
We often look at the Hebrew to check if things were translated correctly.
In the Orthodox Jewish Bible, it shows that the baby’s name would be Yeshua.
“And in your womb you will conceive and bear BEN [YESHAYAH 7:14] and you will call SHMO YEHOSHUA. [ZECHARYAH 6:11-12]” (Lk. 1: 32 OJB).
“… Yosef [Ben Dovid] called him by name of Yehoshua [Ben Dovid] …” (Mt. 1: 25 OJB).
Benner and Robbins both noted the Hebrew name given to the Child was Yehoshua – Joshua. Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) is Aramaic. It means YHWH saves. It became Jesus when transliterated into Latin.
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Does that matter? Well, as disciples, we are to do a lot of things in the name of Jesus.
- “And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father” (Col. 3: 17 NLT).
- “You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father” (Jn. 14: 13 NLT).
- “You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name” (Jn. 15: 16 NLT).
- “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Mt 28: 19 NLT).
- “Peter replied, ‘Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Ac. 2: 38 NLT).
- “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Ac. 4: 12 NLT).
Who are we really serving?
Heart Check
Think about the battle Yeshua is engaged in for your heart. Ask yourself the following questions.
- Do I respond to God’s calling with surrender, even when I don’t understand everything?
- Am I treasuring God’s Word and pondering it in my heart?
How Do We Apply This?
- Receive God’s calling with humility, even when you don’t understand every detail.
- Trust God’s promises instead of your own understanding when
- He asks you to do something difficult.
- Ask honest questions in faith, but don’t let unanswered questions keep you from obeying.
- Remember that God’s favor is His gracious gift, not something you earn.
- Be willing to surrender your plans when God has a greater purpose for your life.
- Respond to God’s Word as Mary did—with a heart that says, “I am the Lord’s servant.”
Father God. We are amazed at the faith of a teenager. We thank You for the example of her faithfulness. Her trust in You is beautiful. Amen.
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