1:28 The fact that Gabriel greeted Mary as he did and did not greet Zechariah the same way shows Mary's favored position. Gabriel's greeting was customary: Hail! or Greetings! (Gr. chaire). Mary was highly "favored"(Gr. kecharitomene) because God chose to bestow special grace ("favor,"Gr. charis) on her (cf. Eph. 1:6, the only other New Testament occurrence of kecharitomene). She would be the mother of the Messiah, which was an honor every Jewish mother prayed would be hers. God did this without any special merit of her own (cf. v. 47).51The Lord's presence with Mary guaranteed His help in the assignment she would have to fulfill (cf. Judg. 6:12; Ruth 2:14).
1:29-30 The angel's unexpected appearance in the temple sanctuary had unnerved Zechariah (v. 12), but it was his greeting that troubled Mary. Perhaps he appeared at her door and she mistook him for an ordinary visitor. Gabriel calmed the fears he had aroused with an announcement of a special divine blessing (cf. v. 13) by assuring Mary that God was happy with her (cf. Gen. 6:8; 1 John 4:17-18). Gabriel had come to announce a blessing, not punishment.
1:31 These words would have come as good news indeed to Mary. Not only would she bear a son, but her son would obviously be someone special in view of the angelic announcement of His birth. The words Gabriel used are very similar to the wording of Isaiah 7:14 in the Septuagint (cf. Gen. 16:11-12). "Jesus"was a common name that came from "Joshua"(lit. Yahweh saves; cf. Matt. 1:21). As with John the Baptist, God exercised His sovereign prerogative by naming Jesus. Both names were significant in the light of salvation history.
1:32-33 Like John, Jesus would be great (v. 15). However, He would be the Son of God, a clear statement of His deity (Ps. 2:7-9; 89:26-29; cf. v. 35). The "Most High"is a common designation of God in the Old Testament (Heb. El Elyon, Gen. 14:8; et al.). It carried over into the New Testament (vv. 35, 76; 6:35; 8:28; Acts 7:48; 16:17; Heb. 7:13). The Greeks also used "Most High"to describe their gods.52
"In Semitic thought a son was a carbon copy' of his father, and the phrase son of' was often used to refer to one who possessed his father's' qualities (e.g., the Heb. trans. son of wickedness' in Ps. 89:22 [AV] means a wicked person)."53
Jesus would also be the long expected Messiah (2 Sam. 7:12-14; Ps. 89:3-4, 28-29). His divine sonship qualified Him for His messianic role. The messianic rule of the Son would continue forever after it began (Isa. 9:7; Dan. 7:14; Mic. 4:7; et al.).54
1:34 Mary, unlike Zechariah, did not ask for a sign thatwhat the angel had predicted would happen. The idea that the Messiah would appear soon did not surprise her either. Instead she asked howit would happen. This was not an expression of weak faith but of confusion. Consequently Gabriel did not rebuke her as he had Zechariah. She was unmarried and a virgin. She had not had sexual relations with any man.55Evidently Mary assumed that Gabriel meant she would conceive before she and Joseph consummated their marriage.56The euphemism of "knowing"someone sexually comes from the Old Testament (Gen. 4:1; 19:8; et al.).
1:35 Gabriel explained that the Holy Spirit would be God's enabling agent who would make Mary's supernatural act of service possible (cf. vv. 41, 67, 80; 2:25-27). He would overshadow Mary with His personal presence. Beyond this Gabriel was not specific. God settled upon the tabernacle in the wilderness similarly filling it with His presence (Exod. 40:35; cf. Ps. 91:4). It is interesting that the same Greek word, episkiazo, translated "overshadow"here, occurs in all three accounts of the Transfiguration where the cloud overshadowed those present (Matt. 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:34). Then the voice came out of heaven identifying God's Son, but here an angel identified Him as such. The Holy Spirit would produce a holy offspring through Mary. The deity and preexistence of the Son of God required a miraculous conception. His virgin birth resulted in His assuming a human nature without giving up His divine nature.
1:36-37 Even though Mary had not requested a sign, God gave her one, namely the pregnancy of Elizabeth. The exact relationship between Mary and Elizabeth is unknown, but they obviously knew they were relatives.
Gabriel also reassured Mary with one of the greatest statements of God's power that God recorded in the Bible (v. 37). This verse undoubtedly comforted Mary in the following months as it has comforted countless believers faced with difficult ministries ever since. God can do the impossible (cf. Jer. 32:17, 27). Gabriel was alluding to the angel's words to Sarah when he announced that she would bear a son in spite of apparently impossible obstacles (cf. Gen. 18:14). Verse 37 should also encourage readers of this story who doubt the possibility of a virgin birth to believe that God can do even this.
1:38 Mary responded submissively to God's will, as Hannah had (1 Sam. 1:11, where the same Greek word, doule, "servant,"occurs in the Septuagint). Even though Gabriel's announcement was good news, it was also bad news. Mary would bear the Messiah, but her premarital pregnancy would bring misunderstanding and shame on her for the rest of her life. Therefore her humble attitude is especially admirable (cf. Gen. 21:1; 30:34). Unfortunately she did not always maintain it (cf. John 2:5). In this she was only human.57
"This passage suggests four other important lessons: (1) the certainty that God will perform his promise, since nothing is impossible with him, (2) Mary's example as one chosen to serve God, an example that extends even beyond the willingness to be used to trust God to take us beyond our limitations, (3) the significance of the Virgin Birth of our Savior, and (4) the importance of sexual faithfulness throughout our lives."58
