Anchor My Faith

Title: Gabriel Visits Mary (Luke 1:26-28)

Our story now shifts from the birth of John the Baptist being foretold to the Birth of Jesus being foretold. Again God calls Gabriel and sends him on a mission to earth. “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary” (Luke 1:26 – 27 ESV). The time mentioned is in reference to Elizabeth’s conception. That is when Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth. Saying that Nazareth was a city of Galilee suggest that it may have been a small town that Luke’s readers may not have been familiar with and so the area of Galilee is mentioned to help in its location.

Luke identifies Mary as a virgin who is betrothed to Joseph. According to Matthew, Mary remained a virgin until after the birth of Jesus: “[Joseph] knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus” (Matthew 1:25 ESV). To be betrothed to Joseph means that she is in a binding engagement breakable only by divorce. Luke mentions that Joseph was of the house of David, but actually both were from the house of David.

Gabriel drops in on Mary, unannounced: “And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”” (Luke 1:28 ESV). When Gabriel appeared before Zechariah at a time when he was offering incense in the temple, but we don’t know what Mary was doing. Surely it was an appropriate time when he appeared, or as some think, he may have appeared in a vision. I prefer to think it was in person as with Zechariah, or is it possible that his encounter was also a vision? I suppose a vision is possible in both cases, but I still prefer to think of Gabriel actually appearing before them. In any case, Gabriel said to her “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”

The word “Greetings” is the same as saying “Peace be with you” or “Joy be with you.” Through this greeting, Gabriel is expressing his joy in meeting such a favored person. Being called “O favored one” indicated God’s choice over all other women living on earth at the time. What an overwhelming honor to be chosen to be the mother, not of God, but of the Messiah. The Messiah is the Son of God, but the focus here is being in the flesh by Mary being the person through which that would happen.

Since Mary would become pregnant before her marriage, she is sure to face some very difficult times ahead and so Gabriel assures her that the Lord will be with her through whatever she has to face. Being chosen by God does not insure safety and comfort as many western Christians think, but may involve a great deal of suffering. This becomes clear by looking at many Christians living in eastern countries and suffering for their faith.

Prayer

Father, you have John in the womb of Elizabeth and now have announced to Mary that she is about to become pregnant with Jesus. Thinking back to how Zechariah responded when Gabriel appeared with his announcement, I look forward to see how Mary responds. Father, how exciting it is to follow a single story line through the four gospels. I am so thankful for the many years Jerry Peyton spent developing the outline we are following. Father, I pray that you will honor him for the blessing that we are receiving from the work he has done in preparing the single line narrative of the life of Jesus through the four gospels that we are working from.