Fear Not
“The Mary Miracle”
December 21/22, 2013
Digging Deeper (Questions are on the last page)
Fear Not: “The Mary Miracle”
Written by: Robert Ismon Brown ([email protected])
Background Notes
Key Scripture Text(s): Several, throughout.
Introduction
What does it mean for God to do big things through little people? What happens when those little people turn
out to be you and me? It just doesn’t seem possible, we say, that God would choose to work through us. And
yet he does, again and again. There are people, however, who take great pride in their own achievements and
carry the inflated idea that God is pretty lucky to have them on His team. God, in their eyes, isn’t much of a
God, but a sort of prop that gives credibility to their predetermined plans. He gets chosen by them, and not the
other way around. Early in his ministry, St. Paul encountered communities of highly cultured individuals that
saw themselves as God’s gifts to the world, such as the community in the city of Corinth. Nobody outdid them
in wisdom, nobility, and power — or so they thought. Hearing God’s message of grace and forgiveness made
them feel uneasy, for the Gospel assumed that all human beings are lost without God and that the coming of
Jesus as Savior meant they needed to admit their dependency on him. Self-reliant people don’t do that easily.
For them, Paul had these words:
27
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame
the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things
that are, 29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).
In this are echoes of Isaiah’s familiar words:
15
For thus says the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy
place, and also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive
the heart of the contrite (Isaiah 57:15).
When God decided to implement His purpose for human salvation, he didn’t follow the stereotypes, not even
the ones prominent within Judaism. Make no mistake: people had plenty of misconceptions about how God
would finally act to set the world right again. Using a word like “Messiah” carried enormous freight, loaded
down with expectations about military success, political supremacy, and royal dynasty. God chose a different
path — one that sidestepped privilege, advantage, and popularity. In the end (at the beginning!), He chose an
unlikely vessel, humanly speaking, for giving Jesus to the world. He chose Mary from an obscure corner of
Israel, overshadowed with suspicion and ridiculed by the urban elite of Jerusalem, the capital city.
In Isaiah’s words, contrite and humble souls are the proper earthly residence for the God whose name is “Holy”
and whose residence is high. The Most High God desires the low and simple place to take up His abode with
the human race. Which is more wonderful, that God is Most High, or that He comes to be among us? There is
miracle in all of this, and the story we study this week is not shy about giving us the details. There is much in
our text that defies logic and common sense; much that asks us to believe in the impossible. Not even Mary
could easily accept the outrageous claim she heard from God’s messenger. And yet, was she more mystified by
the impossibility of Jesus’ conception or by the idea that God would choose her?
God could have saved His world in any number of ways, completely ignoring human agency. But He didn’t.
He chose the unlikely young woman from Nazareth, on the other side of the tracks, where nothing good ever
came (see John 1:46). The offer He made to her and through her put her at significant risk. Did she really
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understand what was about to happen in her life? This was already her first child, and now she is drawn into a
mystery she can scarcely fathom, in a world that was not especially tolerant of moral exceptions.
As we take up our study, insert yourself into the storyline: be Gabriel or Mary or Elizabeth or gossipy townsfolk
in the days ahead. Ponder for awhile a reasonable question in a young girl’s mind: “O, dear Lord, why did you
choose me for this?”
The Text (Luke 1:26-56)
26
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a
man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said,
"Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of
greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now,
you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him 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 ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house
of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." 34 Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a
virgin?" 35 The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow
you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old
age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be
impossible with God." 38 Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.
39
In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of
Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth
was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of
your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the
sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a
fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord."
46
And Mary said:
My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54
He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he promised our ancestors.
47
56
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.
In the reading above, we have reiterated a portion studied two weeks ago when considering the announcement
to Zechariah. It is the text about Elizabeth, Mary’s relative, who played a helpful role as mentor. As it stands
the passage admits of these simple divisions:
1. Annunciation to Mary by the angel Gabriel (1:26-38).
2. Mary’s visit to Elizabeth (1:39-45).
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3. Song of Mary (The Magnificat) (1:46-55).
4. Conclusion of the visit (1:56).
The Annunciation (1:26-38)
Three angel visitations prominently appear in Luke’s infancy narrative: 1) to Zechariah about John’s birth (1:525); 2) to Mary (1:26-38); 3) to shepherds (2:8-15). Such a concentration of angelic activity, from a Jewish
perspective, signaled the imminent arrival of some new work of God for Israel. During the late Old Testament
period, particularly noticed in the later Prophets and Writings, angels issued calls to serve (see Isaiah 6, the
cherubim and seraphim) and also prefigured future events (see Daniel 8:16; 9:21; 12:1; Zechariah 1-6).
Furthermore, angels protected God’s servants from danger (Daniel 3:28; 6:22; Psalm 34:7; 91:11). They often
were simply messengers and witnesses to confirm the divine Word to human beings (Judges 2:1-4; Galatians
3:19). As “the heavenly host,” they served as an angel army sent to defeat an overwhelming force that
threatened God’s people (2 Kings 6:17). Thus, God is called “Yahweh of Hosts,” a phrase that occurs many
times in the Old Testament (among them, 1 Samuel 15:2, and in 247 verses elsewhere). From a heavenly
perspective, angels stand in the presence of God, offering worship and song, in praise and glory (Luke 1:19;
Isaiah 6; Revelation 4; 8:2). Additional roles for angels appear in Hebrews 1 where they are called “ministering
spirits, sent to minister to those who will be heirs of salvation,” no doubt leading to the idea of “guardian
angels.”
When Luke gives us the account in 1:26-28, Gabriel is already known to the reader as the messenger angel
announcing John’s birth and his future ministry to prepare the people for the Lord’s coming. The second
appearance simply unifies the two narratives, assuring the readers that the same God is unfolding a common
purpose through two ordinary human beings, Zechariah and Mary. The angel’s arrival in the “sixth month”
provides additional continuity with the pregnancy of Elizabeth in the previous section.
But the similarities end there. Into a simple home at the marginalized town of Nazareth, the angel comes. He
comes to a lowly place with no special credentials in the culture of Israel. This is not the Temple, as it was for
Zechariah. In fact, there is no mention of Nazareth in the biblical texts prior to the New Testament. Recently
(2009), new discoveries have shed light on life in this community:
According to Yardenna Alexandre, excavation director on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “The
discovery is of the utmost importance since it reveals for the very first time a house from the Jewish village of
Nazareth and thereby sheds light on the way of life at the time of Jesus. The building that we found is small and
modest and it is most likely typical of the dwellings in Nazareth in that period. From the few written sources, we
know that in the First century CE Nazareth was a small Jewish village, located inside a valley. Until now only a
number of tombs from the time of Jesus were found in Nazareth; however, no settlement remains have been
discovered that are attributed to this period.”
The artifacts recovered from inside the building were few and included fragments of pottery vessels from the
Early Roman period (First and Second centuries CE). In addition, several fragments of chalk vessels were found.
Such vessels were used only by Jews during this period because they were not susceptible to becoming ritually
unclean.1
(Note: Evidence for Nazareth largely dates from the 4th century C.E., and so finds like this one open up new
insights. There was a time when skeptics denied the existence of the town during the time of Jesus, but the
patient work of the spade continues to shed light on old places.)
Galilee, known in Hebrew as hagalil, was the northernmost of three significant Roman provinces in Israel,
along with Samaria and Judea. Lower Galilee, where Nazareth is located, had stronger Greek (Hellenistic)
influences, which created suspicion on the part of more observant Jews. The largest city in Galilee was
Sepphoris, an hour’s walk from Nazareth, and became the capital city under Herod Antipas after his father’s
1
“A Residential Building from the Time of Jesus,” The Friends of Israel Antiquities Authority, www.archaeology.org.il/news65.html.
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death in 4 B.C.E. Some speculate that Jesus and Joseph, as local contractors, may have contributed labor to the
refurbishing of Herod’s town. Pictures of Jesus in the carpenter’s shop are highly idealized and take their cues
from Western experiences not from the ancient Near East. Persons like Jesus and Joseph would have been
generalists in the building trades, working in both wood and stone. Most labor was contracted, and paid at daily
wages, and so the early years of Jesus’ life no doubt felt the same economic crunch as everybody else. From his
doorstep in Nazareth, Jesus and his family would have seen in the distance the splendor of rebuilt Sepphoris and
been reminded of the disparity between those in power and themselves. But the angel comes to Nazareth, not to
Sepphoris; he comes to Mary, not to the nobles of the Empire.
Luke makes additional connections for the reader, noting the betrothal of Mary to Joseph, using approximate
language to parallel Jewish marriage practices (see last week’s discussion): “to a virgin engaged to a man whose
name was Joseph, of the house of David” (1:27). The word parthenos, translated here as “virgin,” has a range
of meanings: “a woman of marriageable age, a young woman,” presumed to be a virgin. Both Matthew and
Luke follow the Septuagint (Greek) version of the Old Testament, and narrow the meaning from the more
general Hebrew word ‘almah (used in Isaiah 7:14), which might not imply a virgin. The choice of this word is
fortuitous for the writer’s purpose to show that Jesus owed his human life to a special act of God.
By including the name “Joseph,” the text can proceed to draw lines to “the house of David.” The emphasis in
this case is not on Mary, but Joseph “of the house of David.” Nolland asserts: “In the present text the betrothal
to Joseph serves to provide (legal) Davidic ancestry for the child.”2 I.H. Marshall, concurs.3 In Luke 2:4 the
writer confirms his intentions when he says of Joseph, “He was of the house and lineage of David,” and
therefore needed to travel with Mary to Bethlehem for the census enrollment. If Luke 3:23-38 is supposed to be
Mary’s genealogy, then the generations that ascend from her back to David pass through marriages of mixed
ancestry that look more priestly than royal. The entire list of descendents after David completely bypasses
Solomon and his sons. “House of David” is used much as it was in the Old Testament where David’s
descendents were “regarded as one large family or household (1:69; 2:4; 1 Samuel 20:16; 1 Kings 12:19;
13:2).”4
Entering Mary’s house, Gabriel offers a three-fold greeting that has taken on lyrical quality when adapted to
worship settings by the church:
1. Greeting. From the Greek chaire, the term is equivalent to the Jewish šelām. There may be further
significance in a similar greeting to national Israel found in Zechariah 9:9, which includes the
announcement, “Your king is coming to you.” The liturgical counterpart is “Hail, Mary…”
2. Favored one. Similar in sound to the greeting, this expression (from charitaō) means to bestow favor or
to bless. Grammatically, the idea conveyed is that Mary has already become the beneficiary of divine
favor because God has chosen her for a special purpose. Again, the liturgy has “Full of grace,” although
this can be misunderstood to mean that Mary has grace to give, rather than that God has given grace to
her, the best reading of this phrase.
3. The Lord is with you. Once more we have a traditional greeting found in the Old Testament (Judges
6:12; Ruth 2:14). It is stated as a fact not a future hope. There is confidence and declaration in this
portion of the greeting as ably demonstrated by van Unnik in his careful study of other instances of the
phrase.5 We are inclined to associate this portion of the greeting with Matthew’s use of the name
Emmanuel, “God with us.”
John Nolland, Luke 1-9:20 . Word Biblical Commentary. Ed. David Hubbard, et. al. (Dallas: Word Publishers, 1989), 49.
I.H. Marshall, The Gospel of Luke: A Commentary on the Greek Text . The New International Greek Testament Commentary. Ed.
I.H. Marshall and W. Ward Gasque (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978), 64-65.
4
Marshall, Ibid.
5
W. C. van Unnik, “A Liturgical Formula,” New Testament Essays in Memory of T. W. Manson, ed. A. J. B. Higgins (Manchester:
Manchester University, 1959), 270-305.
2
3
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While the greeting might be commonplace for the time, Mary obviously doesn’t see it that way at all, but is
surprised by it. The text says:
1. She was much perplexed by his words. Marshall points out that the root of the verb for “perplexed”
probably implies fear. Luke uses diatarassō, a compound form from tarassō which has suggests an
unsettledness within that makes a person afraid. Fear in this case comes from not knowing what the
angel meant, as the next expression indicates.
2. She pondered what sort of greeting this might be. In the Greek, dialogizomai means “to debate, reason”
used in the imperfect tense, and found elsewhere in the Gospel (3:15; 5:21-22; 12:17; 7:39). Mary’s
thoughts no doubt jumped from one possibility to another, landing on each of the angel’s words in
search of meaning. “How am I favored?” “Why me?” “When did the Lord arrive to be with me?” The
questions were endless.
The angel’s appearance, if consistent with biblical precedents, would have taken on a human form rather
than glowing light as was the case at the tomb of the resurrection. Old Testament visitations were
commonly experienced as human messengers with the discovery that they were something more coming
later in the conversation. Compare Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 18 where “three men” showed up and
were shown hospitality in a very ordinary way. Only later does Abraham realize he is in the presence of
God.
Mary’s perplexity was a response to the honorific terms that implied a call to divine service along with
the accompanying empowerment to perform it.
In his reply to Mary, Gabriel uses the familiar formula, “Fear not,” consistent with the theme of this series. He
is responding to Mary’s perplexity and is preparing her for the even more momentous announcement he will
make. At first he focuses on the language of “favor”: “You have found favor with God.” This statement echoes
Old Testament texts (Genesis 6:8; Judges 6:17; 1 Samuel 1:18; 2 Samuel 15:25), especially in cases where God
graciously chooses persons without reference to their credentials or worthiness. When God bestows favor in the
biblical text, He does so as a superior to an inferior, giving to them an honored role. In doing so here, Gabriel
proceeds to explain what form that favor will take in Mary’s case.
What follows in 1:31-33 is a highly stylized statement of the conception and birth of Jesus, in advance, whereby
Mary learns what will become of the child she will soon bear. There is much similarity between Mary’s call to
divine service and the Old Testament story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1-2, which is worth reading in this
connection. Hannah’s son, Samuel, played a crucial role at a critical time in Israel’s fragile history. Jesus
arrives in a world that is equally at risk.
The material in Luke 1:30-38 alternates between what the angel tells Mary and how Mary responds.
1. Angel makes general announcement to Mary about Jesus and his destiny (1:30-33).
2. Mary asks a question about how any of this can possibly happen (1:34).
3. Angel explains the process (Holy Spirit conception), introduces the person (Son of God), and offers a
promise (the story of Elizabeth) (1:35-37).
4. Mary offers herself in humble obedience to the angel’s word (1:38a).
5. Angel leaves (1:38b).
Several key points emerge from Gabriel’s initial annunciation to Mary, and they exclusively orbit the child,
telling about his person, work, and destiny.
1. Conceive … bear a son … named Jesus (1:31).
2. He will be great … called Son of the Most High … given the throne of ancestor David (1:32).
3. Rule over the house of Jacob forever … no end to his kingdom (1:33).
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There is a distinctively poetic quality about the first part of the announcement. With rapid, rhythmic language,
the angel foretells the conception, birth, and naming of Mary’s child. Compare Genesis 16:11-12 where Hagar
receives the announcement about her conception of Ishmael. The format is similar.
God’s messenger provides the name of the child that Mary will bear, as was the case with John in the first half
of Luke 1. The name in Greek is Iēsous, taken from the Hebrew yēšûa‘. Until the beginning of the 2nd century
C.E., it was a common Jewish name. We are indebted to Israeli scholar Tal Ilan for her 2002 Lexicon of Jewish
Names in Late Antiquity, with special emphasis on Palestine, 330 B.C.E. – 200 C.E.6 She gathered information
from literary sources, inscriptions, and legal documents. Bauckham points out that we know more than 3,000
names of Palestinian Jews during this 500 year period.7 The following list of male names, with the number of
occurrences, is instructive:
Simon (257)
Joseph (231)
Judah (179)
Eleazar (177)
Yohanan (128)
Joshua (=Jesus) (103)
In the same analysis, “Mary” (=Miriam) is #1 on the list for female names during this period.8
Whereas Matthew 1 unpacks the meaning of the name “Jesus” for Joseph, Luke does not. “Joshua” meant
“Yahweh saves,” and it is his saving work that sets Jesus apart. In the Old Testament, Joshua succeeded Moses,
and led Israel to victory in the occupation of Canaan. He did the work of deliverance and won the victory.
Later, Paul reflects on the Lord Jesus in 1 Corinthians, and exclaims, “Thanks be to God, who gives us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (15:57). By calling him Jesus, the angel ascribes to Mary’s child this
primary vocation in the life of Israel, to succeed Moses in a higher sense, as the New Joshua who will truly
bring God’s people to the enduring Promised Land.
And the angel thinks of Jesus in distinctively royal terms, calling him “Great,” a term reflected in the title which
follows, “Son of the Most High.” From the Old Testament usage, we have the phrase in Hebrew ’el ’elyôn
(God Most High) (Genesis 14:8) that also surfaces in the New Testament (Luke 1:35, 76; 6:35; 8:28; Mark 5:7;
Acts 7:48; 16:17; Hebrews 7:13). A commentary on the book of Daniel, found among the Dead Sea Scrolls,
attests to the usage (4Q ps Dan Aa), “son(s) of the Most High” which also appears in Psalms 82:6. This is a title
for the Messiah expressed in a Father-Son relationship between God and His anointed king, and has roots in
texts like Psalm 2:7 and 88:26-27. Whereas Zechariah called his son John, “the prophet of the Most High”
(Luke 1:76), Jesus holds an even more exalted title as “son of the Most High.” By indentifying Jesus in this
way, the angel transforms the older royal idea that God adopts a human king as His son, replacing adoption
with something that deeper. Jesus is God’s Son in an utterly unique sense.
The royal quality of the announcement includes reference to the succession of David’s dynasty. Since the exile
to Babylon, no Davidic king occupied the throne. The Herods did not come from David, to be sure, and every
Jew knew this with anxiety. In his public healing ministry, Jesus often heard the cry, “Son of David, have
mercy…” (Luke 18:38-39; Matthew 9:27; 15:22; 20:30-31). At one point the crowds wondered aloud, “Could
this be David’s son” (Matthew 12:23), and later will cry on Palm Sunday, “Hosanna to the Son of David”
(Matthew 21:9, 15). Because the throne — the dynasty — of David had been long left vacant, Israel lived with
an unfilled promise that the throne of David would never be abandoned (1 Kings 2:4; 8:25; 9:5; 2 Chronicles
6:16). And so the angel presses forward with the assurance that the reign of Jesus, in David’s house, will last
“forever” as part of a kingdom that will have “no end.” Regime change is coming in the house of David!
6
Tübingen: Mohr, 2002.
Richard Bauckham, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006), 68.
8
Ibid, 89.
7
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Fear not, Mary; Fear not, Israel; Fear not, world. Jesus comes to be your king forever. Royal dynasties were
notorious for losing their places and being replaced by others through palace intrigue or foreign conquest.
Israel’s first king, Saul, fell to the Philistines after Yahweh rejected him as king and replaced him with David.
When the kingdom divided in 931 B.C.E., the northern tribes went through several royal families before finally
falling to the Assyrians in 722 B.C.E. The world of power and politics is, as we all know, uncertain and
susceptible to public will and popular opinion. In the person of Jesus, Mary hears the promise of an everlasting
rule and a stable kingdom. This foreshadows the majestic hymnody of Revelation:
Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying,
“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord
and of his Messiah,
and he will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15)
Even the Persian king Darius, after witnessing Daniel’s deliverance from the den of lions, declared:
26
I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people should tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: For he
is the living God, enduring forever. His kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion has no end. 27 He
delivers and rescues, he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth; for he has saved Daniel from the
power of the lions (Daniel 6:26-27).
If the miracle of Jesus’ conception does not move us, surely the miracle of his politics surely should!
Certainly young Mary was left speechless by the poignancy of Gabriel’s words. So many questions swim in her
mind, but only one of them escapes her lips: “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34). She could
scarcely get past the words, “You will conceive … and bear a son ...” As wonderful and awe-inspiring as the
everlasting kingdom might be, Mary can hardly imagine the kingdom before she imagines her own personal
role in brining any child into the world when there is no human father involved. She might be young, but she is
not stupid, and plainly knows about the mechanics of making babies. Mary needs to crawl before she walks,
and walk before she runs. All theological arguments about the virginal conception and birth of Jesus pale by
comparison to the anxiety of a young woman when asked to believe that she can have a baby without a man.
Her further comments are easy to imagine: “Gabriel, this is me, you are talking about, and there’s no way this
can be about me. Not here, not now, no way.”
The angel is compassionate and non-judgmental with Mary, and in his reply to her question he begins with the
essentials.
1. Holy Spirit comes upon you. The nativity texts in Matthew (1:18, 20) and Luke (here) are awash in
references to the Holy Spirit. Ancient writers, known to the Jews at that time, associated the coming last
days with the work of the Spirit. Joel (2:28-29) speaks of the Spirit poured out on “your daughters,”
among others, bringing signs and wonders. Genesis (1:2) begins with the creative work of the Spirit
hovering over the great abyss like a mother brooding over a nest of unhatched eggs. In Hebrew thought,
the Spirit was ruah, wind and breath, sent by God to renew the world (Psalm 104:30). Spirit surrounds
and resides within the world with inescapable presence (Psalm 139). When Mary heard about the Spirit
coming on her, she not doubt remembered how the Spirit came on the heroic “judges” (Hebrew:
shophetim) and empowered them to do great deeds for Israel. In many ways, Spirit language is warrior
language about human beings equipped by God for battle. The Spirit references the presence, power,
and productivity of God. What the prophets told Israel about the Spirit had to do with a promised future
when “a spirit from on high is poured out on us, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the
fruitful field is deemed a forest” (Isaiah 32:15).
2. Power of the Most High overshadows you. Returning to the language of “Most High” and consistent
with Isaiah’s promise, Gabriel adds the additional term “overshadows” (from episkiazō), a term that
quickly reminds Israel of the Tabernacle-dwelling where God took up residence as cloud and fire
(Exodus 40:35). Using such language suggests that Mary is like a sanctuary, a holy place, where God
will at last live. There are also nuances of protection (Psalm 91:4; 140:7). Similar imagery is in John
1:14 where the “Word became flesh and pitched his tent (from the Greek: skēnoō, parallel to the Hebrew
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idea, šākan) among us…” Unlike Zechariah, Mary is in her own house, and not the temple, yet by the
power of the Spirit, the temple-presence of God comes to her and she becomes the holy place for God’s
Son.
3. Therefore the child to be born will be holy. Whenever you see the word “therefore” in the text, duck!
Gabriel brings his message to a powerful climax at this point by working out the implications of the
Spirit’s activity through Mary. First, the child will be holy, though the text does not say in what sense.
a) It is possible that the angel wants Mary to know that her child will not be illegitimate, and thus avoid
a serious charge. b) Whatever the Holy Spirit achieves is also holy. c) Jesus, begotten by the Spirit, will
be holy because he has the Spirit within him.
4. He will be called “Son of God.” If the phrase, “son of God” held a royal meaning in prior Jewish
history, in the case of Jesus that idea advances to new heights. As the result of the Spirit’s production,
the child Mary will bear becomes the Son of God in ways that not even the earliest witnesses could
understand. If the phrase were comprehensible, then the radical uniqueness of Mary’s child would
quickly erode into a world of ordinary ideas with expected meanings. Not so here. Though Mary knows
what the angel says, she wouldn’t comprehend what it all meant until much later. Even the church
throughout its long contested history has grappled with the reality of God-become-human, at a loss for
words to express it, though doing its best from the later councils of Nicaea through Chalcedon (4th-5th
centuries C.E.).9
Abruptly, the angel leaves off his commentary on Jesus’ conception and birth, and turns to Mary’s immediate
pastoral needs. Gabriel knows that Mary cannot carry the weight of his message by herself. With a skilful eye
toward her spiritual well-being and social support, he directs her to relative Elizabeth, an old woman
unexpectedly carrying a child. Six months along, Elizabeth bears more than her child; she bears the wisdom of
trusting the Lord’s work in her life when he lifted her social stigma of barrenness. The two women share one
thing in common: their children are the work of God’s Spirit and not the result of human proclivity. If anyone
could counsel Mary, it would be Elizabeth. And Luke not doubt delights in the example of Elizabeth helping
her younger relative work through the mysteries of their shared pregnancies. Together they symbolize the
nature of the church, also a mystery, the body of Christ, members one of another, formed by Spirit, and bearing
Christ for the world.
Then, in a single clarifying statement, the Gabriel declares: “For nothing will be impossible with God” (1:37).
This language comes directly from Genesis 18:14, when God promised Abraham about the coming birth of
Isaac, using the words “Is anything too hard for Yahweh?” In the Hebrew text, the words “too hard” come from
the root palah, “to be wonderful, beyond one’s power, difficult to do.” The God of Israel had a reputation for
“doing wonders” when every human option was exhausted. Was it too hard for God to give an old man and an
old woman a baby in their old age? The expected answer: “No, my Lord, nothing is too hard.” Jeremiah
repeats the idea twice: 1) “Ah Lord Yahweh! It is you who made the heavens and the earth by your great power
and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you” (32:17); “See, I am Yahweh, the God of all flesh; is
anything too hard for me?” (32:27). Working a pela’ — a wonder — was the trademark of Israel’s God,
whether in Abraham’s child or in the Exodus from Egypt. And now, Mary, favored by God for a holy calling,
is asked to receive into her body a new wonder made possible only by God.
At the end of the annunciation text, Mary has the last word, and it comes in the form of an acceptance and an
invitation. The words, “Here am I” are formulaic and remind us of Old Testament incidents such as the call of
Samuel in 1 Samuel 3. A Hebrew equivalent would be hinnēnî, which calls attention to the fact that “I” am
present, and is common in settings where the servant presents herself before the master in response to a request
or command. Mary is presenting herself as “the servant of Yahweh,” accepting the offer of the angel and
inviting the fulfillment of the promised word. The verb expression, “Let it be…,” is in the optative mood, a rare
9
The great ecumenical councils of the church held during the 4th and 5th centuries worked hard on the right language to express the
issues involved in what Paul himself called “the mystery of godliness” (1 Timothy 3:16).
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New Testament occurrence except in Lucan material. The optative has a weakened force in Greek, close to the
idea of a wish or hopefulness. By using this form, the text communicates Mary’s tentative understanding of
what the angel said, while at the same time, showing complete willingness to have the promise of Jesus fulfilled
through her. “Let it be with me” indicates that she was a willing partner in God’s purposes, even though they
baffled her mind.
When we compare the annunciation to Mary with that to Zechariah, there are parallels to be sure. But Mary’s
experience surpasses the announcement to Zechariah for one major reason: she is being asked to play a direct
role in bringing about the birth, whereas Zechariah is simply witnessing what God will do through John.
Nolland, in his commentary, says that Mary’s account takes the older birth oracle form, modifies it, and makes
it more of a call narrative (see Judges 6:11-24; Exodus 3; Jeremiah 1:4-10).10 Mary, like the prophet Daniel,
receives messages from Gabriel about end-time events that climax with the appearance of her child as the Son
of God, Messiah for Israel, and eternal king — all themes near and dear to Daniel.
Nolland concludes: “Mary is given the last word and as statement of faith declares her unreserved readiness for
God’s purposes. Mary is here the pattern for Christian faith but also much more: she responds to a call that is
unique in human history.”
Reprise: Visit to Elizabeth (1:39-45)
In what follows, we review material we presented two weeks ago when considering Gabriel’s visit to Zechariah.
Re-tracing this material will help us to contextualize the remarkable Song of Mary which we will consider in the
next section. But first, let us consider the reprise.
There were many unanswered questions for Mary after Gabriel left. From the moment the angel appeared to
her, she was afraid, even as the angel seeks to calm her fears with the familiar words, “Do not be afraid, Mary”
(1:30). What followed in the narrative of 1:30-38 were the baffling details about Jesus’ future arrival in the
world. As we noted above, Mary accepted the angel’s words, but needed time to understand what they meant.
As the text reminds us, angels ultimately “depart,” and we are left alone to wrestle with their message. Mary
refuses to remain alone, and will not allow the isolation of the next few weeks to drag her down into permanent
fearful anxiety.
Mary heeds the advice of the angel and seeks out a friend — a relative, one older than herself: one able to help
her sort out her perplexity and stave off her fear. Anxious souls seek out the “other.” In this case, the “other” is
none other than Elizabeth whose own story was intertwined with Mary’s. From this reliable kinswoman, Mary
hears words that can anchor her soul, lift her burden, clarify her situation, and challenge her fears. Travel from
Nazareth to the hill country of Judea (1:39) was a significant journey, one that she would not have taken alone
but in the company of family or pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for a feast day. Along the way, pilgrims would
sing together from the ancient psalms. This would have encouraged young Mary.
Luke tells us that she “entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.” Since Zechariah was a priest, he
would have other duties beyond the service of the Temple, including pastoral duties to counsel and support
those in need. Though she is living in Nazareth of Galilee (1:26), Mary has roots in Judea, and the text alludes
to these in 1:36 when the angel informs Mary that Elizabeth, “her relative,” is six months pregnant. Natural ties
connect these two women as indicated by the Greek word for relative, suggenis, “female relative.” We do not
know from the context what this relationship was, though traditional views claim her as Mary’s cousin. There
is a difference in their ages, however, as Elizabeth is older than Mary by at least a generation or more. If
tradition is correct, and Mary is a teenager, then the special bond between these two women is likely a maternal
one. The older woman brings her experience and perspective to the younger woman. And we credit the angel
in 1:36 with reminding Mary about the more senior Elizabeth.
10
Nolland, 57.
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What motivated Mary, beyond the angel’s reminder about Elizabeth, might well have been the simple wonder
that an old woman like Elizabeth is having baby too! If Mary struggles with the announcement of the angel
about the unusual conception of her own baby, then knowing about Elizabeth’s pregnancy in her old age might
quickly draw Mary to make the long journey. Elizabeth fits Jung’s profile of “the wise old woman” with help
for Mary.
Mary may enter the house of Zechariah the priest, but it is Elizabeth, the wife of the priest, who becomes
Mary’s true pastor. It is Mary’s greeting that that causes Elizabeth’s child “to leap” in her womb (1:41). From
the deep and hidden place of conception and birth comes palpable testimony that Mary is carrying God’s Son.
In that moment a sacred bond brings together two generations, where the young turns to the old and the old to
the young (see again 1:17 and the prophecy of Malachi 4:6). Elizabeth leaves her seclusion in order to embrace
“the mother of my Lord” (1:43). In Mary and Elizabeth we observe that relationship with God is personal but
not private.
Fear thrives on isolation. God nudges Elizabeth from cloister to community. He does so by bringing the young
Mary into her life. God nurtures the perplexed Mary through the influence of Elizabeth. The next words in this
remarkable story are Elizabeth’s, and they take the form of a three-fold Hebrew beatitude:
Blessed are you among women,
And blessed is the fruit of your womb (1:42)
… (1:43-44)
And blessed is she who believed
That there would be a fulfillment
Of what was spoken by the Lord (1:45)
In the ellipses (…) Elizabeth gives testimony to what happen in our own womb when “the mother of my Lord
comes to me.” Her unborn leaps for joy through the Holy Spirit.
Each line that begins with “blessed” focuses on a different person: In the first, Mary is blessed; in the second,
Jesus is blessed; in the third, Elizabeth reflects on her own experience, that “she who believed” (aorist tense,
past time) God’s word to her, is also blessed. “Blessed, blessed, blessed!” God blesses His faithful ones who
embrace His purpose for the salvation of the world. And in that blessing, He offers them a way beyond fear.
So here is the fulfillment of the angel’s word to Zechariah, taken from Malachi 4:6, when the young support the
old, and the old support young. Here is the sacred bond between the generations, forged in those intense days
when two women conceive babies whose lives will change the world. Here is the fulfillment of what was
spoken by the Lord (1:45b). Fulfillment anchors our lives when fear comes.
Elizabeth was faithful to the promised Word, and she was also faithful to Mary. Mary was faithful in seeking
out Elizabeth, and then, in 1:46-55, she proves herself faithful to the Lord through the lines of her song, The
Magnificat. Music purifies the soul in the face of fear, and in the case of Mary’s poetry, music courageously
challenges any foe that inspires fear. Her hymn celebrates God as “Savior, Might One, holy, strong, helper, and
promise-keeper.” In these lines there is more than private worship, even beyond what two blessed women
share.
The God who inspires the poetry also “scattered the proud … brought down the powerful … sent the rich away
empty …” Every person named here makes the others afraid! Therefore, the Song of Mary is one of the most
subversive and dangerous poems in the Bible, as we shall see below. It dares to challenge the fear-producing
system that moved God to send His Son and set His people free. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Mary gathers the
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lines of her poem from several Old Testament texts and then weaves them together on the loom of her own
experience with God. In this effort, Elizabeth is her mentor.
Fear is not the unique property of the young or the old. Both generations share a common world where
powerful, proud, and propertied persons fight to shape the future. The Advent story isn’t just a pleasant, warm,
and fuzzy tale that we tell once a year to wide-eyed children and reminiscent grandparents. Instead, Advent
invites all of us, young and old, to confront the anxiety of our times with the life-giving hope that God fulfills
what He promises. Yes, we wait and hope, and the future keeps us spell-bound. Into this holding pattern, steps
the divinely planned fellowship of the generations, the communion of saints.
Here steps Elizabeth the Old, with her wisdom and experience that chases her right into advancing years! She
now knows the meaning of “love that will not let me go,” and she, along with Zechariah, walk on holy ground
where an old man and an old woman are never too old to have a baby. Fear not!
Here steps Mary, young and inexperienced, scarcely comfortable with the changes to her adolescent body, faced
with a troubling prospect of carrying a child and not being married. Nobody can glibly say to her, “Fear not!”
She naively accepts the word of the angel, and yet she instinctively knows that she cannot take the journey
alone. In the hills of Judea, Mary finds Elizabeth. Fear not!
And here step you and I, young and old, the fellowship of the generations, joined by faith in the Blessed One
who makes us leap for joy. Church is the place where generations meet and tell the story of Jesus and his love.
They love to tell the story for they know that in it God speaks His word that drives away all fear. They tell the
story together for they know the power of two or three that gather in Jesus’ name. Fear not!
From the pen of Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) comes a short synopsis poem, written from Elizabeth’s
perspective as inspiration for Mary’s own song which follows. It’s worth the read:
I feel as if I were to live forever. God fills the rich with vanities, dear friend, almost not even looking at their clever glitter; choosing maidens , though , He's never rash , but fills them with life without end. That He found me! Consider, that on my account His fiats moved the stars. Oh , raise Him up, my soul. Exalt the Lord on high, for all that you can praise." Magnificat Already gravid, she ascended, nearly bereft of any solace, faith, or hope . The pregnant matron , proudly and austerely knowing , met her on the slope, aware of all that Mary need not share. Since she was resting on her suddenly, the heavy frau embraced with patient care , and waited till the younger spoke: "You see, Magnificat: The Song of Mary (1:46-56)
One of the eight most ancient Christian hymns, this passage came to be called The Magnificat, from the Latin,
“it magnifies,” referring to Mary’s soul as seen in the first line (1:46b). English versions translate variously as
“glorifies, proclaims the greatness of, magnifies.” The Greek word is megalunō, meaning “to make great, exalt,
strengthen, gain glory from, make great by word, extol, boast in,” among others. How do we “make God great”
or “exalt God” if He is already “the Most High,” as Gabriel plainly told Mary. Such language does not describe
God as He is in Himself, but instead as He is for us. For example, though the sun is 100 times the size of the
earth, yet from a distance of nearly 93 million miles, we can encircle it with out fingers. To “magnify” the sun
(or any large heavenly body distant from Earth), for us, means overcoming the limitations imposed by distance
through careful instruments of enlargement. The size of the subject remains the same, but the size relative to us
changes.
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So it is with God. If we read the Bible carefully, certain passages tell us that God’s reputation in the world is
constantly at risk. Human beings, who represent God to the world, often fail Him and bring dishonor to His
name. Events transpire that lead people to doubt the reliability of God. Tragedies bewilder us and we want to
hold God accountable. And then there are the endless questions about why God made this world and not some
other with features more amenable to us. Where is the true God in all of this?
The call to “magnify God” is the call to find God among the perplexities that easily obscure and even hide Him.
For Mary, the call of God that rested on her added to the perplexities, and yet, after constructive time with
Elizabeth who challenged her to believe “that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the
Lord,” Mary finds her voice. Her hymn is aptly called Magnificat since in it Mary “makes large and visible” the
God with whom she has recently dealt. Nothing about the hymn changes God, but everything about it allows
the light of God to shine more brightly. Mary is “blessed among women” and “blessed is her child.” From the
abundant place of blessing, Mary finds her voice and sings what has been called one of the most subversive
songs of the biblical repertoire — subversive because it turns all accepted social realities on their heads.
When Martin Luther translated the Bible into German, “he left the Magnificat in Latin because the German
princes who supported Luther’s struggles with Rome took a dim view of the mighty being brought down from
their thrones.”11 Perhaps the “Mary Miracle” will turn out to be even more difficult for us than accepting the
virginal conception of Jesus. When Mary chooses to accept the call of the angel, she begins a difficult journey
that will finally bring her, with her son, to the cross. There’s a whole lot to surrender when you become the
“mother of my Lord.” Mary understood human need. She knew about it before Gabriel showed up, and she
faced more of it by “letting it be to her according to your word.”
In the Magnificat, Mary sets the tone for Jesus’ coming ministry. This is not a soft, easy-listening, piece of
music. This is a song with an edge. Coming from a young woman with little life experience, much more is
happening in the song than a single life can contain. Mary sings the song of Israel “that mourns in lowly exile
here until the Son of God appears,” as another ancient Adevnt hymn reminds us. Luke’s Gospel will take on
hard issues in the ministry of Jesus. It is the most socially aware of all the Gospels, advocating for the poor,
women, the marginalized, and anybody on whom others turn a deaf ear. Barbara Reid calls this passage “An
Overture to the Gospel of Luke.”12 In her view, Mary is a prophet with the message of divine assistance to
overcome all obstacles. “Mary sings of a simultaneous movement of relinquishment on the part of those who
have power, privilege, and status, and an empowerment of those who have not.” Mary proclaims an alternate
rule.
Mary also joins her namesake,13 Miriam, the sister of Moses, whose own hymn in Exodus 15:21 complements
the themes of her brother’s with the words, “horse and rider he has thrown into the sea,” singing about the
victory of God over the oppressors of Israel. Reid thinks that Miriam led both songs that include all of 15:1-21.
If that is so, then Mary becomes Miriam’s soul-sister! After all, Mary, in Hebrew, is Miriam.
But Mary was inspired most by Hannah’s Song from 1 Samuel 2. Hannah also shared much in common with
Elizabeth, and perhaps the time Mary spent with her elder relative let her drink deeply from the well of this Old
Testament poem. Would it be too far-fetched to suppose that Mary thought about that text during the long trek
from Nazareth to the hill country of Judaea? Or that she sang it with fellow pilgrims on the journey? Did she
already see herself within the ancient story of Israel as a poor woman, unmarried, from notorious Galilee, left
on the outside of the Jerusalem power structure? The Song of Mary drew further inspiration from texts like
these:
He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer (Psalm 102:17).
John M. Buchanan, “Revolutionary Words,” Christian Century, 129 no 25 D 12 2012, p.3.
Barbara E. Reid, “An Overture to the Gospel of Luke,” Currents in Theology and Mission, 39 no 6 D 2012, p.428-434.
13
A reminder that “Mary” is really “Miriam” or “Mariam” in Hebrew.
11
12
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They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures forever; their horn is
exalted in honor (Psalm 112:9).
Then all nations will count you happy, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts (Malachi 3:12).
Weaving such scriptures as these into her song, Mary reveals a theological depth that may well earn her the title
as “The Church’s First Theologian.”14 Notice the words that describe the God whose character she decides to
magnify:
1. God, Savior, Mighty One, Holy.
2. Mercy, mighty deeds
3. Brings down rulers, lifts up the humble
4. Filled the hungry, sent away the rich empty
5. Helped Israel his servant, merciful
6. Promise keeper to Abraham and his descendents.
This is not an abstract theology full of technical speculations about the nature of God. For Mary, the Lord is
“God my Savior.” Like all of us, Mary needed a Savior, and she found One in the covenant-keeping God of
Israel who causes her spirit to rejoice. The message of the angel and the encouragement of Elizabeth brought
her out of anxiety to trustful faith, the kind of faith that cannot be contained but bursts into joyful song. Like
the words of an old Shaker hymn, “How can I keep from singing?!”
When Mary sings about her “humble state,” she refers to herself as “his servant.” The Greek reads tēs doulēs
autou, indentifying “servant” as feminine. She is talking about herself! The word “humble” does not refer only
to an attitude of her heart, but to the actual condition of her life, as the Greek suggests with the term tapeinōsis
which generally means “humiliation, abasement, defeat.” Hints of her lowly origins combine with her socially
precarious pregnancy to place Mary at the margins. She does not boast about her birth or standing or
reputation, since she knows that until now she has been a nobody from Nazareth, and it doesn’t get any humbler
than that.
But God has changed all of that. By allowing her to carry the Lord of heaven and earth in her womb, God
exalts her above her ordinary station, as the Wisdom Sage writes:
Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he shows favor (Proverbs 3:34).
Luke says in 1:48 that God “has been mindful” of Mary, using language that echoes the covenantal word
“remember.” In his favor (Hebrew: ḥēn), Yahweh proves reliable to Mary by remembering His covenant with
those who are lowly, without adequate resources for life.
And when God shows her favor, Mary experiences an act of divine blessing that will persist beyond the brief
moments she carries the child, but she will be “call blessed” by “all generations.” What is happening to Mary
will become a faith-building sign that ignites confidence in other people. Later generations read about Mary
and give praise to God by blessing her with proper respect and honoring her with standing in the community of
Jesus. While the different branches of the Christian church may differ in the manner of this honor, there can be
agreement on Mary’s place as the first disciple of Jesus the Messiah. Texts like this permit calling her “the
Blessed Virgin Mary.”
But Mary does not claim this honor for herself but only by virtue of what God has done for her. In 1:49 she
speaks of God as “the Mighty One,” a phrase with strong military connotations. Through Mary, God is
bringing glory to his name through “the great things he has done” (1:49). Even our own hymnody declares: “To
God be the glory, great things he has done…” by giving His Son, and Mary joins the chorus with those who
have experienced “his mercy” by demonstrating awe-inspired respect (“fear”) for Him. She does not limit the
accolade “blessed” to herself, but redirects her testimony “to those who fear him, from generation to
14
From Patrick D. Miller in Theology Today 56 no 3 O 1999, p. 293-296.
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generation.” By using the language of “generations,” Mary locates the drama unfolding around her within the
bigger story of God whose mercy comes to save the world. God is my Savior, but He is also their Savior into
all future generations.
Borrowing terminology from the Old Testament that focuses on “generation to generation,” Mary affirms that
God has jump-started the ancient blessings to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and is now adding more generations
to the roll call of humanity. This is the language of poets (Psalm 79:13; 106:31) and prophets (Isaiah 34:17;
Daniel 4:3, 34). In the phrase “all generations” Mary hears her forbears singing and prophesying about the
enduring, steadfast love, and faithfulness of their covenant-keeping God (Psalm 89:1; 102:12, 24; 119:90;
145:13; ). Perhaps Psalm 90:1 best expresses the thought:
Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you
had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God (Psalm 90:1-2).
And now Mary is able to say that her body has become the dwelling place for God among His people, in the
person of the child Jesus who is forming in her womb. She embodies the desire of God to live among His
people as a human being, not just for the a few years, but forever — in all generations.
Then, in a series of rapid-fire statements that begin with “He has …” Mary rehearses the palpable evidences of
how God’s mercy extends from generation to generation. Notice the strong verbs that begin each line:
1. Performed mighty deeds with his arm
2. Scattered the proud
3. Brought rulers down off their thrones
4. Lifted up the humble
5. Filled the hungry with good things
6. Sent the rich away empty.
7. Helped his servant Israel
8. Remembers to be merciful
You will notice the strong emphasis on God’s commitment to the humiliated and the hungry, paralleled by
harsh judgment on the proud, the rulers, and the rich. Such a social critique grew out of the prophetic tradition
of the Old Testament that increasingly targeted the privileged who behaved badly toward the poor. When the
prophets exposed idolatry as the root cause of Israel’s many problems, the emphasis was on images of gold and
silver expressed as commodity fetishism.15 Mary’s own social situation resonated with those who had been left
out of the economic equation. She is not speaking about ethereal matters when she identifies the rich and the
hungry, but about the concrete reality of life in Nazareth.
Mary sings like a prophet, as if to signal that the child she bears is already speaking through her, announcing in
advance his kingdom agenda that will eventually find its way to a synagogue in Nazareth through words that
quote from Isaiah 61:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me
to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19 to proclaim
the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18-19).
Dare we imagine that through the virginal conception of Jesus, Mary’s unborn child already speaks his message
through the song that she sings? That he speaks through a song that gives hope to the humble and the hungry,
and that proclaims help for servant Israel? That he fulfills the eternal promise to Abraham’s descendents (Luke
1:55)?
With depth and pathos, Mary, through her Song, the Magnificat, becomes the first preacher of the Gospel.
Touched by an angel, the mother of Jesus, God’s Son, puts flesh and blood on the mercy and faithfulness of
This idea was not lost on Marx in his Capital: A Critique of Political Economy. Vol. 1. Trans. Ben Fowkes. New York: Penguin,
1990, 163.
15
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God, and she does this even before her child is born. The Mary Miracle allows the beloved community to hear
the Good News ahead of time, in the spirit of the prophets who went before.
Conclusion
The story of Mary is a wonder. There are different words in the New Testament for God’s wonder working
power:
1. Sēmeion: sign. The emphasis is on an event with a distinctive meaning, or that points to something
significant.
2. Teras: wonder. Usually an event that stirs the heart, even to the point of fear or perplexity, requiring the
calming words, “Fear not.”
3. Dunamis: miracle. Something happens that is full of transformative power, indicating divine activity.
What happens to Mary, as announced by the angel and confirmed within the community (through Elizabeth),
shares to some extent in each of these. Mary needed to know the meaning of the angel’s greeting. Mary had a
measure of wonder, perplexity, and fear that required the angel’s assurance. Mary would experience in her
body the power of the Holy Spirit, giving form and life to the Son of God. Luke writes his story with each of
these in mind, drawing from both the experience of Mary and the expectation of the ancient texts.
The church fathers looked at Mary as a New Tabernacle, a kind of “holy of holies,” and “the ark of God.” Our
ability to properly honor Mary may err in two directions. On the one hand, we may attribute to her a status that
not even God Himself has bestowed nor that the New Testament teaches. While we respect other traditions that
secure her place in sacred history through liturgy and song, we do not share the belief that she is Queen of
Heaven or that she shares in our redemption Mediatrix of all Graces. There is even dissent within parts of the
church that teaches these things, and a valid concern that the veneration of Mary may lead to forms of
Mariolatry — the worship of Mary.
But, on the other hand, especially among Protestant churches, there has been a tendency to detract from the
honored place which Scripture gives to the Mother of Our Lord. These efforts attempt to correct the other
fallacy above, but may go well beyond the pale in disrespectful ways. The Gospels and Acts offer a mixed
picture of Mary in the mind of the faithful community. Jesus declines to privilege Mary within his public
ministry (see John 2:4; Matthew 12:46-49; Mark 3:31-34; 8:19-21), and offers instead a new family from
among his followers. At one point, Mary and his siblings seek to rescue him from the crowds that question his
sanity (Mark 3:21). Early in Luke’s narrative, Mary chastens her son for worrying the family by remaining
behind in the Temple (Luke 2:48-50). The text says “they did not understand what he said to them.”
Yet, according to John’s account, Mary was present at the cross when Jesus was crucified (John 19:25). And
when the pages of Luke’s history begin the story of the early church, we are told that among those praying
before Pentecost was “Mary the mother of Jesus” (1:14). She faithfully remains among the disciples of Jesus
without credentials, title, or privileged office. Ever the disciple of her son, Mary exemplifies the text quoted
early in this study:
15
For thus says the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy
place, and also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive
the heart of the contrite (Isaiah 57:15).
For us Mary ever remains the contrite and humble disciple of Jesus, who bore his body before she bore his
cross. She shows us what the revived spirit and the revived heart look like. And, as is repeated throughout the
Gospel of Luke, most notably on the night of Jesus’ birth:
Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19; also, 2:51).
In this way, she leaves for us the incomparable example of taking the Word of God into our hearts and allowing
its mystery to become our treasure and its message our trust. If the Mary Miracle means this, then the Advent
season can open up our future and, like the shepherds who departed with joy, we will never run out of new
things to say. Good News!
Glory to God! Amen.
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Digging Deeper: Fear Not: The Mary Miracle
(Bob Brown)
To gain a deeper understanding of this week’s study, carefully read the selected passages below. To aid you in your
study, we invite you to visit the website at http://www.c1naz.org. Click on Resources. If the sermon occurred within the
past 4 weeks, click on it in the Recent Media list. If not, click on its series logo in the Series section below; then find the
sermon you want below the huge logo on the next page. Once you’ve selected a sermon, you’ll get a freeze frame of the
speaker. Below that photo on the right are buttons for Video, Audio and Notes. The Notes button downloads the
Background Notes for that sermon. You can also pick up a copy of the Background Notes at the Information desk, or
from your ABF leader. Now consider the following questions, as you ask the Lord to teach you.
1. Our focus this week is on the announcement of Jesus’ conception to Mary, followed by her response. Take
some time to read Luke 1:26-56., and then suggest a simple outline of the material you find there.
2. According to texts like Isaiah 57:15 and 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, what kind of people does God often choose
to be the carriers of His message?
3. What do you know about the angel Gabriel? Refer to the first part of Luke 1 and texts from Daniel (8:16;
9:21). Think of the roles played by angels throughout biblical history. How might angels be seen as both
welcomed and fearful? Refer also to Hebrews 1:14.
4. Briefly summarize the message Gabriel brought to Mary. What does he tell her about the coming of Jesus?
How might his words bring both good news and fear to someone like Mary? Comment: Mary could have
been 14-16 years of age at the time of her betrothal to Joseph.
5. Mary is from Nazareth in Galilee. How does that affect the impressions other people might have of Mary?
Compare John 1:45-46 as you think about your answer. How will her unusual pregnancy further influence
these impressions?
6. Why is “house of David” emphasized in this passage? What role will Jesus have that makes this connection
significant?
7. Mary is called “favored” in the angel’s greeting. Discuss the meaning of this term. Further explain the
statement “The Lord is with you.” Compare with Isaiah 7:14. What caused Mary’s perplexity, and why
did she ponder the angel’s words?
8. How did the angel clarify his opening greeting? Discuss the terms: 1) Holy Spirit; 2) Power of the Most
High; 3) Son of God. What significance would Mary find in these statements? Do you think she
understood them?
9. What response does Mary give to the full account of Jesus’ coming that was given to her by Gabriel (1:38)?
How is her response both trusting and wishful? Do you think she had doubts? Would you? Why?
10. In Luke 1:39-45, Mary visits her relative Elizabeth (compare first part of Luke 1). What motivated her to
make this trip? How does Elizabeth respond to her arrival? Discuss the different uses of the word “blessed”
in 1:43 and 45. What does it mean in each case? How do you account for the movement in Elizabeth’s
womb when Mary arrived? What is the significance of this event within the story Luke is telling us?
11. In what ways does Elizabeth mentor Mary, and what example does that leave for inter-generational ministry
in the life of the church (compare Malachi 4:6)?
12. Luke 1:46-55 is the Song of Mary, called The Magnificat. How does Mary “magnify the Lord” through the
song she sings? What does it mean for us to magnify the Lord with our lives?
13. What picture does Mary paint of herself in her song? Compare texts like: Psalms 102:17; 112:9; Malachi
3:12.
14. What picture does Mary paint of God? List both the main nouns and verbs that identify the person and
works of God. Why might some readers see Mary as “The First Christian Theologian”?
15. Why does Mary sing about “generation to generation” and about “all generations”? Compare texts like:
Psalm 89:1; 90:1; 102:12, 24; 119:90; 145:13. How is the coming of Jesus a fulfillment of God’s
commitment to the generations? Think about how Jesus is conceived when you suggest your answers.
16. In what sense is the Song of Mary inspired by the unborn Son of God whom she carries in her womb? Is
Mary a prophet? Compare the text Jesus read in Nazareth thirty years later (Luke 4:18-19; see Isaiah 61).
What major changes will the coming of Jesus bring to the world, according to her song?
17. What is the “Miracle of Mary” as presented in Luke’s account? In what sense is it a “miracle”?
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