THE POINT: Everything about Jesus’ birth points to His divinity.
THE PASSAGE
Luke 1:26-35
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
Teenagers are not known for always making good decisions. Most of us can recall memories from our adolescence—choices in clothes, friends, and things we did—and ask ourselves, “What was I thinking?” And many of us were often on the receiving end of that question from parents. After questionable behavior, a parent would ask, “What were you thinking?”
Our usual response was, “I don’t know.”
That’s a valid answer from a teenager! The adolescent brain is still developing, and the brain’s neurotransmitters don’t always make the logical leap they should. But that doesn’t mean teenagers are incapable of good decisions. Many of us found hobbies or other interests during those years. Some of us chose the career paths we wanted to pursue. And a lot of us decided in our youth to follow Christ.
Mary was a young person who faced a huge decision. When she heard a life-changing announcement, she could have doubted or refused, but she chose to accept God’s mission. It falls on us now to decide: do we accept the miraculous birth of the Son of God or do we take a more skeptical approach. Is Jesus really God?
Luke 1:26-29
26 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. 28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, 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.
KEY WORDS: Highly favored (v. 28)—Mary was providentially chosen by God, apart from any merit of her own, to be the mother of Jesus, God’s promised Messiah.
Troubled (v. 29)—The Greek term (diatarasso) suggests the meaning of intense agitation and concern. Mary was perplexed at the angel’s greeting and its meaning.
It had been four hundred years since God last spoke through the Old Testament prophets. After such a long “silence,” the work of God was on display. God was doing what only He can do: making the impossible possible. Mary’s relative, Elizabeth, was pregnant. Despite her old age and lifelong barrenness (Luke 1:7), God transcended her circumstances and made it possible for her to conceive. There was no doubt God was involved, because He had sent the angel Gabriel to announce His plans to Elizabeth’s husband, Zechariah (vv. 11-20).
God had done a mighty work, but He wasn’t finished. Six months later, God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary to announce that an even greater miracle was about to occur. One thing that made this miracle so fantastic was to whom it was happening. Scholars believe that in all likelihood, Mary could not have been older than fifteen, although marriageable age was typically between twelve and fourteen in those days. Scripture tells us she was “espoused to a man whose name was Joseph.” In their culture, engagement (or betrothal) meant others viewed her as Joseph’s wife, although they were not yet living together as husband and wife.
What was the miracle? Mary was a virgin. Because Luke wanted to be very clear on this, he twice referred to Mary’s virginity. Matthew also told us of the virgin birth in his Gospel and reminded us that “the prophet” had foretold “all this” centuries earlier. Roughly eight hundred years earlier, God spoke through the prophet Isaiah:
“And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:13-14).
The angel Gabriel had announced that two miraculous births would soon take place, but make no mistake: the virgin birth of Jesus is far more significant. It points to Jesus’ divinity.
- Luke described John as “great in the sight of the Lord” (Luke 1:15), but the Gospel writer called Jesus “great” without any qualification (v. 32).
- John “shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb” (v. 15), but the very conception of Jesus involved the Holy Spirit. Gabriel told Mary, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee” (v. 35).
- John would “make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (v. 17), but Jesus “shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (v. 33).
We will look in a moment at some of these details, but for now consider the impact it had on this young virgin, just for an angel to appear to her. And this wasn’t just any angel—this was Gabriel. His name means “Warrior of God.” Gabriel also had appeared to Daniel in the Old Testament (Dan 8:16; 9:21); in those instances as well as in his encounters with Zechariah (Luke 1:12) and Mary (v. 29), all three humans were understandably terrified. We can certainly understand that—after all, this was the appearance of an angel!—but Mary “was troubled” by his statement: “Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee.”
Mary would soon learn how much she was favored by God and just how the Lord was with her.
Question 2: Why do you think Mary found Gabriel’s greeting to be troubling?
Luke 1:30-33
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor 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.
Many who challenge the virgin birth of Christ believe Jesus was an illegitimate child. They do not believe in the miraculous power of God. They forget that, though Gabriel clearly connected Jesus to “his father David,” he also called Jesus “the Son of the Highest.” Jesus was fully human, yet this connection to his earthly ancestor David also points to His divinity. God had made a covenant with King David, one in which God promised David that his descendant would rule over an eternal kingdom. Consider the parallels between God’s words to David and Gabriel’s words to Mary.
2 Samuel 7:9-16: “a great name” … “the throne of his kingdom” … “he shall be my son” … “thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever.”
Luke 1:32-33: “He shall be great” …“the throne of his father David” … “shall be called the Son of the Highest” … “he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
Religions are full of human leaders, but while Jesus is human, He is like no other! In fact, the things we learn from Gabriel’s announcement about Jesus’ relationship to David point to His divinity.
1. He shall be called the Son of the Highest. Note the order of Gabriel’s description; he referred to Jesus as the Son of God before referencing his connection to David. First and foremost, Jesus is the Son of God before He is the Son of David. Before any other title, before Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb, He is the pre-existent Son of Almighty God.
2. The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. This promise fulfills one of the major Old Testament covenants, the Davidic Covenant. Jesus would suffer and die, but He would rise victorious and reign on His throne—a throne given to Him by His Father.
3. He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever. Jesus’ victory is an eternal victory. Daniel had a vision of “one like the Son of man” (considered a reference to the Messiah) who was given “dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (Dan. 7:13-14).
4. His kingdom will have no end. A promise of an eternal kingdom alludes back to an earlier prophecy about the coming Messiah: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6).
Question 3: What do these verses teach us about Jesus’ humanity?
Question 4: What do these verses teach us about Jesus’ divinity?
Luke 1:34-35
34 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.
KEY WORD: Overshadow (v. 35)—A description of how the Holy Spirit would manifest the power of God in bringing about the conception and birth of Jesus.
All that Mary heard was amazing; for many people it might be too incredible to believe, but not for Mary. She did ask a question about it, but it was not a question of doubt. Six months earlier, Zechariah asked a question that, on the surface, may have seemed the same.
Zechariah asked, “Whereby shall I know this?” (Luke 1:18), but Mary asked, “How shall this be?” Mary did not question what Gabriel was saying, but she was curious to know how God was going to carry out this miracle.
Consider also that Gabriel did not rebuke Mary for her question, as he did when Zechariah questioned earlier (v. 20). Instead, Gabriel explained what God would do. “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee.” Clearly, the conception would be the result of divine activity, the work of God’s Spirit. Divine activity meant the child would be divine. As a result, “that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”
Some skeptics say Jesus never claimed to be God, nor was He touted as the Son of God until much later in church history. But from Gabriel’s first announcement that Jesus was coming, it was clear that Jesus is God. In defending the faith against those who doubt the nature of Jesus, we can point to Gabriel’s words: “That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”
People in our society today offer a wide range of reactions to Jesus. Some like Jesus, some do not; but all can agree no one else has ever been like Him. Jesus’ greatness eclipses that of any other man or empire. Luke wrote this gospel for a Gentile audience, a group that was familiar with emperor worship that was so common in the first century. Gabriel’s declaration of Jesus’ greatness and divinity thus would have been all the more remarkable to them.
No less striking today—and no less needed—is the truth of who Jesus is. The truths that Jesus is God and He was born of a virgin should mean everything to us as believers. Jesus had to become one of us—human—to die in our place, but He couldn’t offer the perfect sacrifice if He was like every other human with a sin nature. The virgin birth means Jesus had no human father—God is His Father—therefore, Jesus was born without a sin nature. Jesus is fully man and He is fully God. God is with us!
Just as Mary trusted God with the truth she heard, so must we. It takes faith. Each of us must accept the truth that Jesus is God’s Son who came to save us from sin and death. Only Jesus can do that. Let Jesus enter your heart and life. He will bring you forgiveness, hope, healing, and transformation.
Question 5: How would you explain the virgin birth to someone who finds it hard to believe?
ENGAGE
In the space below, write aspects of Jesus’ humanity on one side and aspects of His deity on the other side. Then describe how each has impacted you.
LIVE IT OUT
In the moments when life feels overwhelming, anxious, or confusing, remember you have a great Savior—Jesus, the Son of the Highest.
How will you live out that truth?
- Trust. Trust God for the miracle of a changed life. If you want to know how to become a follower of Christ, talk with your group leader. You can also read the inside front cover of this book.
- Pray. Ask the Lord to increase your faith. Trust Him with what you know from His Word.
- Defend. If you have a friend who sees Jesus as simply a good man or a good teacher, share with him or her the reality of the virgin birth of Christ. Pray that eyes would be opened to the impact that trust can have on life.
We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas celebration and we hope to see you on Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
Teacher's Notes:
Click Here to Watch
Answers to Tough
Questions: Defending
What You Believe
Video:
IS JESUS GOD?
What
did you learn from the video in answer to this question?
- Jesus is the only one who claim to be God.
- God put into history signs and markers pointing to Jesus.
- If Jesus actually rose from the dead, no other person did that.
- The resurrection, the empty tomb, the 500 witnesses testify.
- Jesus said I Am the way, the Truth and the Life.
- All these claims – He’s either crazy, or a liar – can’t be – He must be God!
- The love of Christ compels me – the love of Christ compels.
Did
Jesus Say He Was God?
How
can Jesus of Nazareth claim to be God? We have to pause for a moment to
seriously consider the matter. It is not a light thing to claim to be God. A
person who makes such a claim falls into one of three categories.
1.
If he claims to be God and yet in fact is not, he has to be a mad man or a
lunatic.
2.
If he is neither God nor a lunatic, he has to be a liar, deceiving others
by his lie.
3.
If he is neither of these, he must be God.
You
can only choose one of the three possibilities. These are our three choices.
There is no fourth.
What
did Jesus of Nazareth say about Himself?
- In John 10:30 He said, “I and the Father are one.” It was a statement that no one else could make. This man was saying in reality that He and the invisible God are one entity. He is God, and God is He. God is the invisible Father, and He is the manifested Son. The Father and the Son are one! Who can this One be that made such a claim? Is He a madman? Is He out to deceive us?
- John 5:17 says, “But Jesus answered them, My Father is working until now, and I also am working.” He always put Himself in the same place as the Father. Verse 18 says, “Because of this therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath but also called God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.” When we read His words now, we may consider them to be ordinary remarks. But the Jews knew what He was saying. They knew that He was making Himself equal with God. The words in fact meant that God is His Father and He came to express God. The invisible One is God, and the visible One is He. Therefore, the Jews sought to kill Him.
- Now they brought out Abraham. Please read John 8:53: “Are You greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets died too. Who are You making Yourself?” How did Jesus answer them? In verse 56 Jesus said, “Your father Abraham exulted that he would see My day, and he saw it and rejoiced.” What is this? Even Abraham had to look forward to Jesus! Hence, verse 57: “The Jews then said to Him, You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Now please pay your attention to Jesus’ answer in verse 58: “Truly, truly, I say to you, Before Abraham came into being, I am.” Tell me who this man is. The words Jesus spoke made Him either a madman, a liar, or God. There can be no fourth alternative.
Who
is Jesus of Nazareth? What would you say?
- Is He merely the founder of the Christian religion?
- Is He merely an example of self-sacrifice and humanitarianism?
- Is He a social reformer?
- Is He an advocate for universal love, peace, and freedom?
- Listen to what He said about Himself. He said that He is God.
What is your
conclusion? Is He a lunatic or a liar? Is He a hoax, or is He God? This is a
vital question. Can He be a madman? If you read His biographies in the Gospels
and observe His life and manner, you will realize that not only was He sane and sound; He was very sober and firm. Then is He a liar? A liar always lies for a profit. If there is no
profit to be gained, what is the purpose of lying? Why was Jesus
crucified? It was for no other reason than that He claimed to be God. Is there
a liar who would sacrifice his life for his lie?
Jesus
Christ made two unique claims that distinguish Him from all other men.
- He claimed that He could forgive sins. He did not espouse teachings that could be used to reform one’s life but then avoid the problem between God and man due to sins previously committed; rather, He claimed that His death would satisfy God’s just condemnation of all our sins. He could shed real blood because He was a man, and His blood can deal with every sin of humankind throughout all the ages because He is the eternal God. He shed human blood, but this blood was also God’s own blood (Acts 20:28).
- He claimed that He would die, resurrect, and then indwell His believers. He did not establish a new set of teachings for us to follow; rather, He passed through death, entered into resurrection, and became the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45; 2 Cor. 3:17) to enter into all who believe in Him so that they might live by Him as their very life.
Luke
1:26-29
In
the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings,
you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
I.
The virgin birth points to Jesus’ divinity.
Why
is the virgin birth so important?
- The doctrine of the virgin birth is crucially important (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:27, 34). First, let’s look at how Scripture describes the event. In response to Mary’s question, “How will this be?” (Luke 1:34), Gabriel says, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35). The angel encourages Joseph to not fear marrying Mary with these words: “What is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20). Matthew states that the virgin “was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18). Galatians 4:4 also teaches the Virgin Birth: “God sent His Son, born of a woman.” From these passages, it is certainly clear that Jesus’ birth was the result of the Holy Spirit working within Mary’s body. The immaterial (the Spirit) and the material (Mary’s womb) were both involved. Mary, of course, could not impregnate herself, and in that sense, she was simply a “vessel.” Only God could perform the miracle of the Incarnation. However, denying a physical connection between Mary and Jesus would imply that Jesus was not truly human. Scripture teaches that Jesus was fully human, with a physical body like ours. This He received from Mary. At the same time, Jesus was fully God, with an eternal, sinless nature (John 1:14; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 2:14-17.) Jesus was not born in sin; that is, He had no sin nature (Hebrews 7:26). It would seem that the sin nature is passed down from generation to generation through the father (Romans 5:12, 17, 19). The Virgin Birth circumvented the transmission of the sin nature and allowed the eternal God to become a perfect man.
Who
was Gabriel and when had he appeared before?
- Gabriel appeared not only to Zechariah and to Mary but also to the prophet Daniel more than 500 years earlier. (Daniel 8:15-17; 9:21) Each time Gabriel appeared, he brought important messages from God.
Why
was Mary troubled?
- The Bible says Mary “was greatly troubled” (Luke 1:29). I used to think that Mary was afraid at the sight of the angel. After all, if I were alone at my home in the middle of the day and suddenly an angel appeared to me, I’d probably be greatly troubled, too! But that’s not why Mary was troubled. Luke’s Gospel tells us, “Mary was greatly troubled at the saying and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be” (Luke 1:29). Mary was not so much troubled by the sight of the angel as she was by what the angel said. There was something troubling about the angel’s greeting. The angel addressed Mary, saying: “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28). For a young Jewish woman of the first century, that last expression — “the Lord is with you” — would bring to mind what was spoke to the many great heroes of the Old Testament. When God called someone to an important task, to a mission that would stretch the person like never before, the assurance that the Lord would be with that person was often given. When Moses, for example, was called by God at the burning bush to convince Pharaoh to let the people go, the Lord told Moses, “I will be with you” (Exod. 3:12). When Joshua was called to lead the people into the hostile territory of the Promised Land, God said, “I will be with you” (Joshua 1:5) When Gideon was called by the angel to liberate the people from the Midianite oppressors, the angel said, “The Lord will be with you” (Judges 6:12). So, when Mary hears from the angel, “The Lord is with you,” she is standing in the tradition of Moses, Joshua, Gideon, David and the prophets who heard similar words when God called them to their crucial missions. These words would indicate to Mary that God is about to call her to some important mission in His saving plan. Upon hearing these words, Mary probably was thinking “Uh oh…What might God be asking me to do?” No wonder she was greatly troubled!
- Our Own Annunciations: To feel troubled when we sense God is calling us to do something difficult is understandable. So, if you sense that God might be inviting you to step out of your “comfort zone,” to trust Him more, to be more generous with Him, to make a greater sacrifice for Him, it is natural to feel a little fear and trembling. If, for example, you sense God might be calling you to move to a new city, take a new job or start working in a new ministry, that can be scary. If you sense God might be asking you to give more time to Him in prayer, to ask forgiveness from someone, to make a change in your moral life, or to spend less time building your career and more time with your family, you might be greatly troubled and not want to change. These feelings of fear are natural.
- Moses, Gideon and even the Blessed Virgin Mary experienced these emotions. But the crucial question we face in any discernment is what will we do with those fears? Mary did not allow her fears to control her. She remained truly open to God’s will, even though the angel’s message was troubling. The Bible tells us that Mary “considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be.” That word “considered” in the Biblical Greek (dielogizeto) is the word from which “dialogue” in English is derived. The term describes an intense, extended reflection. Therefore, even though Mary is “greatly troubled” by the angel’s greeting—even though she experiences some fear and trembling knowing that God may be asking her to do something difficult, she remains in dialogue with God. The Lord is often at work in unlikely places, using unlikely people, to do unlikely things. The Lord extends His grace in our lives to accomplish His divine plan and purpose. We may not always understand what God is preparing to do, but we need to be willing to let Him do it.
Luke
1:30-33
But
the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found
favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call
him Jesus. He will be great and will be called
the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will
give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
What
does it mean to you personally that Jesus was fully man and fully God?
- The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is both God and man. Scripture is clear that Jesus is God (John 20:28; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8), and it is equally clear that He is truly human (Romans 1:2–4; 1 John 4:2–3). Jesus claimed the divine name (John 8:58) and did things that only God can do (Mark 2:1–12; Luke 7:48–50). But Jesus also displayed the weaknesses and vulnerabilities common to humanity (Luke 19:41; John 19:28).
- The belief that Jesus is both God and man is of fundamental importance. The apostle Paul wrote that an affirmation of the divinity of Jesus is required to be saved (Romans 10:9), and the apostle John provided a sober warning that those who deny Christ’s true humanity are promoting the doctrine of antichrist (2 John 1:7). The Triune God of the Bible has existed and reigned from all eternity, and the second Person of the Trinity, the Son, took on human flesh at a particular point in time (Luke 1:35; Hebrews 1:5). God the Son added a sinless human nature to His eternally existent divine nature. The result was the Incarnation. God the Son became a man (John 1:1, 14). Hebrews 2:17 gives the reason that Jesus had to be both God and man: “He had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.” The Son of God took on human flesh to provide redemption to those under the law (Galatians 4:4–5).
- At no time did Jesus ever cease to be God. Although He was made fully human, there was never a point when He abrogated His divine nature (see Luke 6:5, 8). It is equally true that, after becoming incarnate, the Son has never ceased to be human.
The
humanity of Jesus is as equally important as the deity of Jesus.
- There are those who reject these biblical truths and declare that Jesus was a man, but not God (Ebionism). Docetism is the view that Jesus was God, but not human. Both viewpoints are unbiblical and false. Jesus had to be born as a human being for several reasons. One is outlined in Galatians 4:4–5: “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.” Only a man could be “born under the law.” No animal or angelic being is “under the law.” Only humans are born under the law, and only a human being could redeem other human beings born under the same law. Born under the law of God, all humans are guilty of transgressing that law. Only a perfect human—Jesus Christ—could perfectly keep the law and perfectly fulfill the law, thereby redeeming us from that guilt. Jesus accomplished our redemption on the cross, exchanging our sin for His perfect righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).
- Another reason Jesus had to be fully human is that God established the necessity of the shedding of blood for the remission of sins (Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22). The blood of animals, although acceptable on a temporary basis as a foreshadowing of the blood of the perfect God-Man, was insufficient for the permanent remission of sin because “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). Jesus Christ, the perfect Lamb of God, sacrificed His human life and shed His human blood to cover the sins of all who would ever believe in Him. If He were not human, this would have been impossible.
- Furthermore, the humanity of Jesus enables Him to relate to us in a way the angels or animals never can. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Only a human could sympathize with our weaknesses and temptations. In His humanity, Jesus was subjected to all the same kinds of trials that we are, and He is, therefore, able to sympathize with us and to aid us. He was tempted; He was persecuted; He was poor; He was despised; He suffered physical pain; and He endured the sorrows of a lingering and most cruel death. Only a human being could experience these things, and only a human being could fully understand them through experience.
- Finally, it was necessary for Jesus to come in the flesh because believing that truth is a prerequisite for salvation. Declaring that Jesus has come in the flesh is the mark of a spirit from God, while the Antichrist and all who follow him will deny it (1 John 4:2–3). These are biblical truths that cannot be denied.
II.
Jesus having an eternal kingdom points to His divinity.
What
are some lasting truths from Luke 1:30-33?
- Jesus fulfills God’s promise to Abraham that blessing would come to all peoples; to David of an eternal kingdom; and to the prophets of the coming of a glorious, eternal King.
- Jesus, a Greek form of the Hebrew name, Joshua, was a common name meaning, “the Lord saves.” Just as Joshua had led Israel into the Promised Land, so Jesus would lead His people into eternal life. Centuries earlier, God had promised David that David’s kingdom would last forever (2 Samuel 7:16). This promise was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus, a direct descendant of David, whose reign will continue throughout eternity.
Luke
1:34-35
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The
angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most
High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
What
was the essence of Mary’s question to the angel?
How
did Mary’s question to the angel differ from Zechariah’s?
- Both seem to respond in a similar manner to the angel. Compare: 18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” / 34“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” - Luke 1:18, 34 (NIV)
- In response to Zechariah, the angel silences him until the time of John’s birth; but in response to Mary the angel addresses her question by giving an explanation that the Spirit will overshadow her.
What
would account for the disparate reactions by the angel Gabriel to their
questions?”
- Humility is a key difference between Mary’s response and Zechariah’s response to Gabriel. Where Mary expressed humility, Zechariah expressed doubt.
- In Luke 1:29 (NLT), it describes Mary as “confused and disturbed” in her response to Gabriel’s greeting in verse 28, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” Her feeling of being confused and disturbed is an understandable result of humility and fear from being called a “favored woman” by Gabriel who needed no introduction as to who he was. As we see in verse 30 Gabriel says, “Don’t be afraid, Mary” after he sees her reaction to his presence. Gabriel told Zechariah to not be afraid as well in response to him being “overwhelmed with fear” (1:13). Zechariah’s response of overwhelming fear can be seen as an act of humility or being humbled. This reaction of fear or being disturbed by Gabriel is also seen in the book of Daniel as well. In Daniel 8:17 it says, “As Gabriel approached the place where I was standing, I became so terrified that I fell with my face to the ground.” Maybe it’s his appearance or maybe it’s the fashion in which he becomes known, but Daniel, Zechariah and Mary all show some kind of distress as they become aware of Gabriel’s presence. So, to this point in both Zechariah’s and Mary’s interactions with Gabriel we have similar initial reactions of fear and a form of humility. However, Zechariah doesn’t show humility with his response to the news Gabriel brings whereas Mary does.
- Zechariah’s response: “How shall I know this? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.” (ESV) Zechariah’s response is one of doubt. He hears and acknowledges what Gabriel is proclaiming to him but he is looking for something to hang his hat on, he wants a little more proof. He then gives his reasoning for doubt by telling Gabriel that he is an “old man” and his wife is “advanced in years.”
- Mary’s response: “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (ESV) Mary’s response is of humble confusion not doubt. She has a legitimate question about this news from Gabriel. She is an unwed, engaged to be married virgin. Short of a miracle, it’s physically impossible for her to become pregnant as a virgin. Never in the history of mankind had there been a story told of a woman becoming pregnant as a virgin. It is something that is extremely hard to wrap one’s mind around. Once Gabriel explained to her how it is possible (1:35), Mary’s response of acceptance (1:38) tells us where her heart is when she says, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
- Bottom line, Mary is not questioning if Gabriel’s proclamation will happen, she wants to know how it will happen. Whereas, Zechariah as a priest is not asking how it will happen, but rather he wants to know will it happen when he asks for further evidence.
III.
Jesus’ title as the Son of God points to His divinity.
What
are some lasting truths from Luke 1:34-35?
- Believers can be honest in asking questions of God.
- Jesus is the Son of God.
The
birth of Jesus to a virgin is a miracle that many people find hard to believe.
These three facts can aid our faith:
1. Luke was a medical doctor, and he knew perfectly well how babies are made.
It would have been just as hard for him to believe in a virgin birth as it is
for us, and yet he reports it as fact.
2. Luke was a painstaking researcher who based his Gospel on eyewitness
accounts. Tradition holds that he talked with Mary about the events he recorded
in the first two chapters. This is Mary’s story, not a fictional invention.
3. Christians and Jews, who worship God as the Creator of the universe,
should believe that God has the power to create a child in a virgin’s womb.
Jesus
was born without the sin that entered the world through Adam. He was born holy,
just as Adam was created sinless. In contrast to Adam, who disobeyed God, Jesus
obeyed God and was thus able to face sin’s consequences in our place and make
us acceptable to God (Romans 5:14-19).
Live
It Out
That
Jesus was fully man and fully God is another one of the more difficult
teachings of Scripture for us to understand. We might find it easier to think of
Him as part God and part man, or fully God and part man, but fully God and
fully man challenges our thinking. How can He be both and be both completely?
Perhaps
most believers would agree it is heretical to deny the divinity of Jesus—and it
is. It is equally as heretical to deny the humanity of Jesus. Scripture teaches
us He is fully God and fully man. That He is both is critical to His being the
Savior. If He is only divine, we cannot identify with Him. If He is only human,
then He is like us and no better off than we are.
This
session compels us to think about the identity of Jesus. The Scripture verses
for this session lead us to think about Him as a baby born to the virgin, Mary,
to be reared in the household of her husband Joseph. But we must not leave Him
there. He is so much more. The description given to Mary by Gabriel is true. He is the promised Messiah from God, the Son of God, and the Eternal King. And someday, He who came then to be Savior will come again as Lord.
"Therefore
God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every
name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow ... and that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father"
(Philippians 2:9-11).
