The Christmas Story From Luke's Gospel Part 3 The Angel Gabriel Gave Mary Amazing News

The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary at Nazareth and she was also a descendant of King David.

Luke 1:26-27  And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 27  To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 

Luke's gospel tells us that the same angel who appeared to Zachariah in the temple to tell him of the birth of John, came and appeared to Mary.

This text also reminds us why Joseph and Mary returned to Galilee and Nazareth after they came back from the flight into Egypt.

This was their home town and country.

We are introduced to Mary, who was a virgin or sexually pure and she was a descendant of King David.

She was espoused to Joseph and was waiting for her husband to finish preparing their home.

Luke 1:28-29  And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. 29  And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 

Imagine being Mary, sitting quietly at home with her family at the end of a busy day, and having the angel Gabriel appear!

Gabriel greeted Mary and said the Lord was with her and that she was highly favored which means honored with blessings.

Gabriel's greeting filled Mary with trouble which means her heart was suddenly agitated and her mind filled with turmoil trying to figure out what was happening.

What she saw and heard defied logic and she was stressed trying to process it.

This is why she was troubled for this was a very supernatural event that occurred. 

Even more striking is that four hundred years elapsed since God last spoke to Israel through His prophets.

Angels are glorious in appearance and his shining countenance no doubt caused some level of fear or alarm in Mary's heart.

Gabriel told Mary she would give birth to a son and that His name should be called Jesus.

Luke 1:30-33  And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 

Just as he did for Zachariah, Gabriel was quick to dispel Mary's fears.

Then he told her something most profound. 

She was going to conceive a son and was to name him Jesus, which means Jehovah saves.

Gabriel declared who her son would be. He is the Son of the Highest, the very Son of God.

His Father in heaven would give Jesus the throne of David and He shall have rule over all Israel with an eternal kingdom.

Mary must have made the connection between Gabriel's announcement and Genesis 3:15, the first promise of a Savior in scripture.

She was going to bear the seed of the woman who would deal a death blow to the serpent, that old enemy of God, Satan!

Mary was also alerted to the fact that her Son Jesus would be the long awaited Messiah, the one who would rule eternally as King of all kings.

Certainly she thought about her lineage to King David and her Son being given the throne of David.

We cannot fully understand how amazing, sobering and overwhelmed Mary must have felt that night.

However, we can praise God that this young virgin responded with faith!

Gabriel answers Mary's question about how she would give birth as a young virgin maid.

Luke 1:34-35  Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35  And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 

Mary asked a very practical question. 

She asked Gabriel how she could give birth to a son such as the angel spoke of, because she was pure and had never been with a man.

Gabriel explained the miraculous process of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.

The Holy Ghost would come upon her and the power of God would overshadow or envelop her during this process. 

Thus, the "seed of the woman" promised in Genesis 3:15 came from God Himself. 

Gabriel told Mary about Elisabeth's miraculous pregnancy and Mary submitted herself to God. 

Luke 1:36-38  And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 37  For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38  And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. 

If all of this truth about the Christ child was not enough, Gabriel shared one more astounding fact with Mary.

Her cousin Elisabeth had conceived a son in her old age.

The barren wife of Zachariah was going to give birth to the forerunner of Jesus!

How her heart must have been filled with more joy and more amazement!

God was at work and ready to send the long hoped for Messiah into the world!

Nothing is to hard for God who created and governs all things by His Word!

This is why her child is called the Son of God.

Mary then believed the tidings Gabriel brought to her and she humbly submitted and said "be it unto me according to thy word."

Mary rushed to visit her cousin Elisabeth to tell her what the angel Gabriel said.

Luke 1:39-40  And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; 40  And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

After digesting all that she heard from the angel Gabriel, Mary was bursting with fear and anticipation.

She had to tell someone and who better to speak to than her older cousin who was pregnant in her old age?

Both of these soon to be mothers, were carrying a son in their wombs that were great blessings from God.

Mary made haste to travel to see her cousin and one can only imagine their conversations filled with excitement, amazement and being overwhelmed with the goodness of God.

With God nothing is impossible if we believe His Word.

Luke 1:41-45  And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 42  And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 43  And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44  For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45  And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. 

Here is another amazing element of the Christmas story.

As soon as Mary greeted Elisabeth, the baby in her womb jumped in Elisabeth's womb.

Elisabeth exclaimed with a loud voice that Mary was blessed among all women because she was going to bring forth the long anticipated seed of the woman.

She was blessed that "the mother of my Lord should come to me."

These two ladies were bound together by the working of God in time, space and matter.

Elisabeth proclaimed that Mary would be blessed because she believed.

We will stop here for today as Mary is going to break out in what is known as "Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat."

This is historical narrative but it does teach us truth about God.

First, we see that with both Mary and Elisabeth, nothing is impossible with God.

One was barren and old while the other was a young virgin, yet both women were going to bear sons miraculously.

Second, in both accounts, faith is the right response when we hear from God.

May the beautiful realities surrounding the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ adjust our focus during this Christmas season.

May we better appreciate and praise the Father for His marvelous plan.

May we rejoice that God loves us so much that He set this amazing plan of redemption into motion in eternity past!

Bob