Last updated on August 18, 2022
Birth of Jesus Foretold
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed[b] to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”[c] 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And 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 bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to 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 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”[d]
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born[e] will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant[f] of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be[g] a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
Mary’s Song of Praise: The Magnificat
46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on 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 for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
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 offspring forever.”
56 And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
This passage of Luke, and the corresponding narrative in Matthew 1, has caused plenty of controversies over the years. This is one of the foundational texts for Catholics’ doctrines regarding Marian devotion, for example. I’m not going to get into all that, in part, because I am thoroughly Protestant when it comes to Mary. But it’s also because I have many Catholic friends and I see no need to debate, here, whether Mary was sinless, whether she died a human death, or what role she has in intercession. This is important, historically and doctrinally speaking. But there is much more to this passage that is equally if not more important. I also cannot talk about all of it, so I’ll have to be selective.
First, note how important it is for Luke to show that Jesus is in the line of King David. God the Father is the Father of Jesus. Mary conceives Jesus, despite being a virgin, and, unlike other mythological traditions of, say, ancient Greece, there’s no divine-human sexual interaction here. She conceives and becomes the mother of Jesus because God wills it to be so and accomplishes this miracle in a mysterious and ultimately unexplainable way. Mary, however, is betrothed to Joseph. This is more than the notion of modern engagement. She is already legally bound to Joseph and vice versa, and she would have to get a divorce to change that. Joseph’s incredibly important role is to connect his adopted son, Jesus, to the line of David, of which Joseph is a part. (see Matt. 1:16 &20, Luke 1:32-33; 2:4; 3:23-38) To fulfill Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah, Jesus must be of this line and he must be born of a virgin.
Second, consider Mary’s response when Gabriel tells her what’s about to happen. She asks, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” As many other scholars and preachers have noted, Mary’s faith is astonishing here. Gabriel tells her something that is even more incredible than what the same angel told Zechariah. But rather than doubt or ask how can this be, she asks how will this be. We might imagine her saying, “I believe that what you say will come to pass. Please tell how it shall happen.” She’s not questioning this. She doesn’t seem to question God’s choice of her as the mother. She says, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” What astonishing faith! This is why the veneration of Mary is quite easy to understand. Who is like this? Even if an angel was the one giving me the message about some mission or miracle about to happen I’d start worrying about my schedule, or what others might think, or how much this is going to cost, etc. I want to believe I’d be better than that, but lets be real.
Mary’s humility, faithfulness, sacrifice, and utter submission to the will of God marks her as the greatest woman to ever live. “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” – that is a phrase that all Christians should aspire to say frequently and sincerely.
Third, this story isn’t about Mary. Yes, she’s a central character but not the central character. This a story about Jesus, and we ought to follow Mary and Elizabeth’s lead in remembering that. These two women don’t focus on themselves. They focus on God and what He is doing through them.
And few passages reflect this as beautifully as the “Magnificat,” Mary’s song of praise to God for choosing her and for keeping his promises. It is a Psalm of Thanksgiving now used regularly in the liturgy of every tradition with which I am familiar. We would do well to make her words our words and practice remembering what the Lord has done and is doing through those committed to His service.
Mary’s example of humility and faith, as well that of Elizabeth, is an inspiration to all those who follow Christ; all those who wish to be a vessel for the coming of his kingdom.