The Virgin's Son

Or, Nothing Will Be Impossible with God

The birth of a son to an old, barren couple would be doubtful, highly improbable. The birth of a son to a virgin would be unheard of, truly unimaginable. John would be great before God. Jesus would be great because He is God. John would fulfill prophecies in turning hearts to the Lord. Jesus would fulfill prophecies and be the one to whom the people turned.

Luke starts off with quite a bang in the first chapter of his history book. There are, on the one hand, some details that just don't fit with what you expect on the day to day. And on the other hand, the more we read, the more Luke may have actually understated some of the reality.

Luke 1:26-28 is a second birth announcement, of a different son to different parents, who would also fulfill national expectations. No one else has been born like this, no one else has a life like His.

An Unprecedented Choice (verses 26-27)

Luke recorded the setting of John's birth announcement: in the days of Herod's rule in Judea, and the appearance took place in the temple in Jerusalem. Luke also provides the setting for Jesus' birth announcement: a place nowhere near as important, which makes it all the more unprecedented.

In the sixth month refers to how far along Elizabeth was in her pregnancy (the angel says so in verse 36). And now the angel appears in a city, more like a small town, named Nazareth. Galilee was a region like Judea, north of Judea (and Samaria). Nazareth was the kind of place not printed on most maps. It was Nothing-special-ville.

The angel Gabriel is back. Readers who've continued from the beginning might either ask, "Another angel appearance?" or "Is Gabriel going to be a big player in this book?" Spoiler: this is his final scene, never mentioned after this in the rest of the New Testament. Gabriel doesn’t give his name to her; maybe Mary and Zechariah compared notes later.

But this time Gabriel surprises a small town, unmarried, unknown young woman. Since a young woman could become betrothed after 12, she’s also likely a teenager, though we’re never told her age. Before we learn her name, we learn that 1) she is a virgin, which turns out to be cosmically and soteriologically significant, and 2) she is betrothed, as in promised in marriage, to a Davidson, first name Joseph.

New sentence at the end of verse 27, just so we can catch the key point: And the virgin's name was Mary. Old women have been blessed with babies on occasion, but this has never been done before.

An Impossible Announcement (verses 28-37)

A Surprising Greeting (verses 28-30)

Did Gabriel try a different approach based on how Zechariah responded? Now Gabriel starts with a greeting. Some parts of this interaction were re-ordered in the 11th century into the liturgical prayer, Ave, Maria, meaning, "Hail, Mary." At least the angel tries to start off with something positive.

Mary, as I think is fair, is at least confused. Luke doesn't say that she knows she’s talking to an angel, he does say that she's not sure what sort of greeting this might be. Favored one, how so? The Lord is with me, in what way?

Like he did to Zechariah, Gabriel tells her "Don't be afraid." But unlike to Zechariah, Gabriel hasn't come to say her prayers have been heard, he comes to say you have found favor with God.

In other words, you're not in trouble. In other words, you've been chosen for something. In other words, your life is about to be forever changed.

Roman Catholic “theologians,” who are philosophical eisegetes, claim that Mary is “full of grace.” This claim is partially based on a misunderstanding of the Latin translation of this verse, and partially based on wishful and willful ignorance. They present Mary as a dispenser of grace, as if God sees her and wants her on his team. That is not what this text means. She is the object of God’s favor, she is not a source of it.

A Scriptural Fulfillment (verses 31-33)

I like the formula, "little did he know." It's a literary device called the third person omniscient, found in some books where the narrator says things he knows that the character does not.

In these three verses, Gabriel says less than he knows. But at the same time he says more than what the Old Testament books put together reveal. It’s also more than what Mary could have fully grasped. Some of these things took early church a few centuries to realize. Jesus fulfills God’s Word.

Behold, and here it comes. The announcement to Zechariah fulfilled a promise, this is bigger. For Mary, she's going to get pregnant, the gender is male, and his name already chosen. Not only does that take some of the fun out of it, how's she going to explain this?

For her son, this is a Christological cornucopia. This Jesus:

will have no biological father, conceived while she remains unwed.
will be great, as in, great on His own (more than John who will be “great before the Lord” verse 15).
will have another name, Son of the Most High, which is not just a title, but a statement of deity, of His divine nature. “The Most High” is a description of God.
is destined for royal and ruling authority as the Davidic Covenant expected (2 Samuel 7), to have the throne.
will reign over the house of Jacob. Jacob is the father of the 12 Tribes whom the Lord called Israel; Herod's kingship over Judea is nothing. There is a national future.
this reign will be forever, no end. And if this Son Himself is this kind of king, then He will need to live longer than your usual king. (Think Psalm 89:3-4)

Some of this is corroborated again in a moment, and a couple more parts are added. And, this isn’t even all that her Son will be or do. Mary, did you know?

Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
(Isaiah 9:7 ESV)

A Supernatural Explanation (verses 34-37)

At least according to Luke, Mary only asks one question. It is a good question, and her question reveals a couple very important things. But also, she's really accepting of all the rest?

Unlike Zechariah she does not express disbelief (verses 18, 20), she apparently believes the what but wonders at the how. How is she going to get pregnant "since I do not know a man," a euphemism for the intimacy of the marriage bed.

The question is unnecessary unless she knew that the angel was talking about a miraculous conception. She was betrothed, she would get married, then she could have a kid. That's the how of most conceptions. But she realizes that she's going to be pregnant before that.

The angel does not rebuke her, and also gives her a sign, but a good one.

First he says that the conception will be by the creative power of the Holy Spirit. Human agency is great, and often used by God to accomplish His purposes, but there’s none of that here. Her pregnancy will result from the power of the Most High, and so her Son will be the Son of the Most High (verse 32). Therefore, as a result, the coming Son will be called holy--the Son of God.

Second, the sign will be that Elizabeth, her relative, is also pregnant. Elizabeth had been hiding herself for the last five months, Mary would not have known, but the barren one was going to have a baby. For nothing will be impossible with God. All the repeated emphasis on Mary’s status as virgin is to point to God not her. “Is anything too hard for the LORD?” (Genesis 18:14). No!

An Exceptional Response (verse 38)

We might be tempted to say, "Wait a minute." Mary says, amen. According to Luke's retelling, and of course Mary herself would be the source of this interaction, there are no more questions, and more importantly, no apparent doubts. "Okay, we're strapped in to the ride, let’s go.” She’s got a five-point harness of faith.

This is what submission to God looks like: improbable, unlikely, and clear.

Then Gabriel left. Always get out before the Q&A starts.

Conclusion

We’re still in the first chapter and the birth of the Messiah has been announced. John is good, Jesus is God.

When you have hope when it’s heavy, when you forgive those who sin against you and hurt you, when you love your enemies, when you walk by faith, and others ask how it’s possible. Tell them, there’s even more where that came from. Tell them you serve the God of the impossible.

Vive fide = Live by faith. Each one of you who confess that Jesus is Lord are favored by God. The Lord is with you, His own Spirit dwells in you. You serve the Son of a virgin, you serve the God of the impossible. What can man possibly do to you? Live by faith!

Benediction:

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all. (2 Thessalonians 3:16 ESV)