Angelic Message of Mercy

Luke 1:26-56

Christ's Birth Announced to Mary

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.

Mary Visits Elizabeth

39 Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, 40 and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."

The Song of Mary

46 And Mary said:

"My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.

49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.

51 He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.

54 He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
55 As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever."

56 And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house.

The angelic message of God’s mercy as promised to and through Abraham and his seed who is the Christ was given by Gabriel to a humble young woman named Mary, a virgin who was engaged to be married soon.  The Lord was announced as being with her to bless her with the privilege of bringing the Son of God into the world as a man (John 1:1, 14) because of her favored standing with God, supposedly because she sought to follow and serve Him according to the scriptures with all her heart.  This Jesus would be the Son of God and be the sovereign ruler over His people forever.  The first question Mary had was how this could be since she was still a virgin; how then could she have a child unless a father put the life in her?  The answer was simple yet inconceivable at the same time.  God’s very Spirit would be the Father creating the life of His Son in her!  Nothing is impossible with God no matter how far outside the realm of our understanding of how the universe operates.  The Creator of all we see and fell and experience all come from the word of His power with infinite wisdom and ability.  He who made man from the dust of the earth and breathed His life into man could then certainly create life in a woman by that same word and Spirit breathed into Adam in the beginning.  God created the rules of the physical realm and has the ability to supernaturally (above and outside of the observable ways of nature) step in and create a new thing as He wills and as He puts in motion.  The angel further informed Mary that her barren relative Elizabeth had been pregnant for six months already by His will and word, though not conceived by His Spirit as Jesus was to be.  One very young and one old enough to be past childbearing age both were to give birth for God’s glory; what exciting and terrifying news for them both to see the mighty hand of the Lord at work in them!  Mary went to Elizabeth and her baby John left for joy in her womb at the presence of the Savior and his Lord.  This then led to the Holy Spirit of God in her exalt Him and praise Mary for being chosen to bring the Savior into the world and believing God in this matter.  Mary then was also moved by God’s Spirit to rejoice in song.  She magnified God for all His work in choosing a lowly young woman like her with such an honor and great blessing as her Savior and Lord.  She acknowledged His holiness and mercy in doing such great things for her as the bearer of the Savior of the world into human form, Immanuel who was to be God among us!  He showed His people the infinite power of their omnipotent Lord God as He humbled the proud who reasoned apart from His word and those who imagined their own power gave them authority over others when God Himself gives and takes that power and position (Romans 13:1, John 19:10-11).  Those who hunger and thirst form his righteousness are satisfied by Him while the self sufficient ones suffer need and great want because of their pride.  He was fulfilling His promises to His chosen children through the faith of Abraham with the promised son Isaac offered as a sacrifice because He keeps His word faithfully and fully.  This Savior was God’s only Son given to bring those promises to light and deliver His people from the great darkness (Matthew 4:16) of the rule of sin and death (Romans 5:12, 18, 1 Corinthians 15:22, 26) over them through Abraham and his seed which is Christ Jesus according to the flesh.  Mary remained with Elizabeth another three months, just before her relative was due to give birth and then returned to her own house to await by faith the coming of her Lord into the world as promised.  This angelic message of God’s mercy was the love for His people through His Son who would suffer and die to buy us back with a promise of eternal life from the eternal bondage of sin and resulting eternal death.