3. Gabriel Visits Mary (Luke 1:26–38)
So much controversy rages over the place and function of Mary in the Christian religion. It is a point of contention between Roman Catholics and Protestants, and even between different divisions within those churches. But most Christians agree on the suitability of the title conferred upon Mary by the early church: 'Mother of God'. The title in the Greek language is theotokos. It did not call attention to her greatness, neither did it mean that Jesus derived his deity from her. It simply means that the child she bore is God incarnate. This woman had the most holy task of any woman in history.
How did Luke know of Mary's reaction to Gabriel's words? Where did he get his information? In the Introduction we saw that Luke was a careful historian who wanted to get his information from the earliest possible sources. Tradition teaches us that Luke got his information about these events from the lips of Mary herself. We can be confident that this record, although inspired by the Holy Ghost, was researched carefully.
In this passage Luke moves from Zechariah and Elizabeth, but continues to narrate the activities of Gabriel. He greets Mary with these words: 'Hail, favoured one. The Lord is with you.'
Mary's response, however, is very similar to Zechariah's when he met Gabriel. She was greatly troubled and wondered what sort of greeting this was. Gabriel's response again was, 'Do not be afraid, Mary.' His response is the most common negative prohibition that occurs in the New Testament. God knows that we are afraid to come too close to him or to those who remind us of his holiness.
Gabriel continues with a clear promise: 'You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end' (Luke 1:31–33). This is some message. Mary is astonished and asks the angel, 'How will this be since I am a virgin?'
Of all the New Testament miracles the virgin birth of Jesus creates the most controversy. It is seen to be incredible by sceptics! At the turn of this century some scholars tried to find a way around it. They said the word virgin, if we look back to the Old Testament, could mean simply a young woman. They argued that the Bible never intended to teach a virgin birth in the first place. It is true that the word doesn't have to mean virgin, although that is its principal meaning. But even if the word virgin were not found in the text, how could we miss the concept, when Mary asks, 'How can I have a baby? I have never been with a man.'
The angel understood what Mary was asking. He answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will over-shadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.' This child was not to be born by the normal biological process. He would go through the process of birth, being carried for a full term of pregnancy. Yet he was to differ from all humanity in that he did not have a human father. His conception occurred by the power of the Holy Spirit. This was a miracle in the strictest sense of all: it was an act that only God could bring to pass. God alone can bring something out of nothing; life out of death; fertility from a barren woman; a virgin birth.
Mary responds in words of submission, 'I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said.' There is no argument from Mary.
The second part of verse Lk 1:38 has been given a special name in some theological circles. It is called 'Mary's fiat'. A fiat is a command. God created the world by divine fiat. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead by the sheer power of his fiat. So the word fiat is used to show that Mary is giving a commandment. Those who exalt Mary to a degree of importance beyond what Protestant churches would grant, believe Mary's fiat was necessary for Jesus to have been born.
Nothing could be further from the tone of Mary's words. Mary was not giving orders to the angel. She was saying, 'If this is what God wants, then I will do it.'
You may think that there could be nothing greater in all the world than to have an angel make an announcement like this to you. But can you imagine the awesome responsibility that was placed on Mary? Do you realise the price that this woman had to pay to become the mother of Christ? Later, we shall see the promise that goes with the birth of the Messiah is that a sword would pierce her own soul. Yet Mary says to God, 'If that is your will, then I'll do it.' The beginning of Jesus' life is marked by a mother who submits to the will of God. The end of Jesus' life is marked by the words: 'Not my will, but yours be done.'
https://biblia.com/books/walkwgodlk/Page.p_25
Walk With God: An Exposition of Luke's Gospel by R. C. Sproul page 25.
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