Saying ‘Yes’ to God

KEY VERSE: “Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the LORD; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” —Luke 1:38

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:26-38

THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO Mary by an angel that she was to be mother of the long-promised Messiah of Israel must have been a very wonderful experience. The account states that when she saw the angel, “she was troubled [excited] at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.” (Luke 1:29) But the angel assured her, stating that she should call her son Jesus, and said, “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God 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.” (vss. 32,33) Then he said to her, “The Holy Spirit 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.”—vs. 35

The angel’s explanation of the unusual circumstances of Jesus’ impending birth could well have brought misgivings to Mary as to how his birth would appear to her family and friends, and to the Jews in general. But she obviously had great confidence that the Lord would take care of the matter, and quickly gave her consent, “Be it unto me according to thy word.”

After meeting with the angel, Mary visited her cousin, Elisabeth, who was to be the mother of John the Baptist, who indicated that it was because of Mary’s faith that this blessing came to her. She said: “Blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.” (vs. 45) Mary, in expressing her joy, also indicated that she had an accurate knowledge of the prophecies concerning the lineage of him who was to be the king over Israel.

Mary’s statement was, “He hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. … He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath helpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever.”—Luke 1:48-55

God had promised David that “thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee: thy throne shall be established forever.” (II Sam. 7:16) When he died the promise passed to Solomon and the Lord spoke to him saying that if he would be obedient as was his father David, the kingdom and the lineage would pass through him. (I Kings 9:4,5) But, on the other hand, if he was unfaithful, he would be cast off as far as the promise was concerned. We know that, despite a good beginning, Solomon was unfaithful, and the kingdom was wrested from him. (I Kings 11:11) And so the lineage passed through Nathan rather than Solomon. God fulfilled his promise and the line of succession had come through the more faithful line, of Nathan, of which Mary was the heir. (See the genealogy given in Luke 3:23-38, especially verse 31.)

On the day the Savior was born, the angels made their announcement of this event. (Luke 2:10-14) Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, in his prophecy in Luke 1:66-75, tells why the news of Jesus’ birth was tidings of great joy to all people. We quote in part from this text: “He has raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets which have been since the world began: … to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant, the oath which he sware to our father Abraham.”

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