Luke 1:31

Luke 1:31

We are in Luke Chapter One, where the angel has appeared to Mary and is speaking to her about what God is going to do. The angel says to her in Luke 1:31-33, "And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Mary was told several things about the son that would be given to her. First, she was told that his name would be Jesus.

Of course, what we now know about the name of Jesus means everything to us. In the day in which Mary lived Jesus was a very popular name. The name Jesus came from the name Joshua and meant savior. The people knew that God had promised a savior, and people expressed their hope for a savior by sometimes naming their own sons Jesus. But there is only one savior, and he is the one who was given by God to the world. He was the son of Mary, but He was much more. He was "the Son of the Highest." When God the Son entered into the womb of Mary the virgin, God’s Son became both man and God in one person, who we now know as Jesus of Nazareth.

He was given the name of Jesus, which means savior, because he came to be the savior of the world. He also came to fulfill the promise of the Messiah who would come to reign as King on the throne of David. It’s a common desire in the hearts of people of all countries to hope each time a new government takes power that this government will solve the problems of their land. But, alas, it never happens. The hopes and dreams of people have been dashed over and over again when they looked too much to their human leaders to solve all their problems. Remember that it was prophesied of the Messiah that "the government shall be placed upon His shoulder." Even if a human government came along that managed to solve the problems of the world, it would not last forever. Each form of government in this changing world eventually passes away, and is then replaced by another. But the Son who was born to Mary will reign forever, "and of his kingdom there shall be no end."

In Luke 1:34-35 the Bible says, "Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 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." Just like the rest of us, Mary knew how babies were conceived, through a woman knowing a man; and Mary knew that this angel was talking about her having a baby without such a relationship. She asked a question, not out of disbelief but out of curiosity, a question that anyone would probably ask in the same circumstance, "How shall this be?" If a man was not going to cause her to conceive, then how would she conceive?

The answer was very clear. God would cause her to conceive in some miraculous way. God is supernatural. He created the natural world, a world by which every detail of our physical lives is governed. But when God chooses, He can go over and above the natural way because He is supernatural. In the circumstance of Mary conceiving a son, God caused it to happen supernaturally. The Holy Spirit came over her, and she conceived, and a child grew and developed within her womb, and it all happened because of the power of God, and the child was the Holy Son of God who came in the flesh to save sinful man. Some people like to describe the book of Luke as emphasizing the human side of Christ. But in this part of Luke chapter one it’s very clear that he is emphasizing the divinity of Christ and His divine origin and His unique identity as the Son of God.

The angel continues to speak to Mary in Luke 1:36 and the Bible says in Luke 1:36-38, "And, behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her." The angel told Mary two things in order to encourage her to believe that such a miracle as having a baby as a virgin really could take place. First he told her of what had happened to her cousin Elizabeth. It’s good to remember what God has done for others, because He just might do the same thing for you. There is a great old hymn that uses this theme. It starts off: "It is no secret what God can do; what he has done for others, He will do for you."

The second thing that the angel told Mary was one of the great phrases of the Bible. He said, "For with God nothing shall be impossible." One would think such a statement would be obvious. Of course, the very definition of God requires such a statement. If we do not believe this, then we do not believe in God. Yet, it shows how often our thoughts are immersed in the earthly. If we are going to stay with God through every obstacle, and if we are to follow Him at every point along the way; this statement must never be far from our minds. "For with God nothing shall be impossible."

Notice the big difference between Zacharias and Mary when they heard the promise of God from the angel. The angel appeared to both of them. They were both given a promise concerning the miraculous birth of a child. Zacharias could not initially believe. He considered the limitations of His old age to be a greater factor than the promise of God. Mary was promised an even greater miracle: the fact that she would conceive a child even though she was a virgin. She believed immediately without wavering. She said, "Be it unto me according to thy word."

Mary said something else that showed a tremendous quality to her young character. She said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord." Most young people are full of their own desires for their lives. Most human beings of any age are full of their own desires for their lives. Unfortunately, most Christians are not near as surrendered to God as they should be either. A handmaid is a servant. The word that is translated "handmaid" is the basic Greek word for servant or slave. Mary was saying that she was willing to do whatever God wanted her to do. In the history of the human race there have probably been very few people willing to say this to God from their youth up. Mary was one of them.

There is one other thing that we should notice about this situation where the young virgin was willing to conceive a child by a miracle from God before she was married. What would people think? Would everyone believe that she became with child without knowing a man? What would happen today if a young unmarried woman became pregnant? People would wonder who the father was. What happened to Mary had never happened before and has never happened since. Undoubtedly Mary suspected that she would be the object of gossip and false stories for the rest of her life. Thirty years later the enemies of Jesus said to Him in John 8:41, "We were not born of fornication." They would not have said this unless in the preceding thirty years similar things had been said to Mary. In spite of the negatives it all happened because Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it unto me according to thy word."

Many of the things that God does in the world He does through the involvement of human helpers. This is especially evident in Mary’s case. The greatest promise that God had made through the centuries was that a Messiah would come and a Savior would be sent to one day save the people from their sins and deliver the world from its sorrows and woes. The promise was fulfilled in the life and death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, and His life on earth started when a young Jewish woman responded to a message from God and said with purity and honesty, "Be it unto me according to thy word."

The Bible says in Luke 1:39-45, "And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elizabeth. And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spoke out with a loud voice and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of your salutation sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believes: for there shall be a performance of those things from the Lord."

When Mary went to visit Elizabeth, Elizabeth immediately had a spiritual understanding about the child that was developing in Mary’s womb. Elizabeth said to Mary, "Blessed is the fruit of your womb." Then she called Mary "the mother of my Lord." Elizabeth knew that Jesus was her Lord. From where did Elizabeth get such understanding about the Christ: His blessedness and His lordship? She got her spiritual understanding from the same source that we get it from. Verse 41 says that she was filled with the Holy Ghost. Spiritual truth can only be understood when it’s spiritually revealed by God’s Spirit. Many people in the world walk in spiritual darkness, and they will stay in darkness until they are touched by the Spirit and the truth about Jesus Christ is revealed to them.

Another important thing that is emphasized in this passage of scripture is found in verse 45 that says, "blessed is she that believed." We were just told that Mary was blessed. Why was she blessed? We know that she served God. We know that she was pure: she was a virgin. She had kept herself from the ways of the world. We know that she was surrendered to God and to doing His will. These things contributed to her being chosen as the mother of the Christ, but none of them are listed as the reason that she was blessed. The scripture says that she was blessed because she believed. What do you need to do to be saved? Believe. What do you need to do to please God? Believe. Don’t underestimate the importance of believing God’s promises as you face the daily circumstances of your life.

The Bible says in Luke 1:46-55, "And Mary said, My soul does magnify the Lord. And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For he has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty has done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He has showed strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He has filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he has sent empty away. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy; As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever."

In the case of Mary of Nazareth God reached down to a woman of humble circumstances and called her to a most important work for Him. She who was unknown to the world and who would have remained unknown forever became perhaps the most famous woman in the history of the human race. How did this happen? The power of God and the mercy of God caused this to happen. Evidently Mary knew that there was no way that she could have merited this favor that came upon her. She mentioned God’s mercy twice: in verse 50 and verse 54; and she called Him her Savior in verse 47. Only sinners need a Savior.

Mary expressed knowledge about several of the attributes of God. She talked about the great power of God. She said in verse 49, "He that is mighty has done to me great things." She said in verse 51 that "He has showed strength with His arm." Mary expressed respect for the holiness of God. She said, "Holy is His name." She spoke of God as the provider for his children. In verse 53 she said, "He has filled the hungry with good things," and in verse 54 she said, "He has helped His servant Israel." Mary described God as powerful and holy, a merciful God and a giver of good things to the people of the earth, and a God who reaches down and lifts up those who are of low estate. Do not despair if you have been cast down or if you are not among the rich and powerful of this earth. You are well-placed to receive the blessings of God just as Mary was. Remember that Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed are the meek, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven."

Mary also spoke of God as judge. If you do not come to know God’s mercy, then one day you will come to know Him as judge. In verse 51 she said, "He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts." In verse 52 she said, "He has put down the mighty from their seats," and in verse 53 she said, "The rich He has sent empty away." Three kinds of people are described as being the recipients of God’s judgment: the proud, the mighty, and the rich. There is something that all three of these kinds of people have in common. They do not see their need of God, and therefore they do not come to Him for mercy and forgiveness. They are blinded concerning the seriousness of their spiritual needs. They think they are well, when in reality they are sick with the disease of sin. "Pride goes before a fall." The fool has said in his heart, "No," to God. "The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil."

What good will their pride or their power or their money do for them when they die? They brought nothing into the world, and it is certain that they will take nothing out of it. They face an eternity separated from God in the place of torment unless they become the way that Mary was, and unless they gain the relationship with God that she had. She called God her Savior, and she praised God for His mercy. You also can know the mercy of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Turn to Him before it’s too late.

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