Luke 1:26–56

The angel Gabriel is sent from God in the sixth month (of Elizabeth's pregnancy) with a more important message. After the long silence of centuries, heaven speaks again. In Luke it speaks in a more familiar way than in Matthew, where Joseph receives the messages, but in a dream. Here we have open, face-to-face speech. And the most important message comes not in the temple, but in a private home. God is coming near in His grace; and He always reveals Himself more fully the nearer He comes.

It was the angel Gabriel who was sent to Daniel to make known long ago the Messiah's coming and cutting off, in the famous prophecy of the seventy weeks (Dan. 9:26). Now he comes to Mary, the one promised in marriage to Joseph, and announces to her — "the virgin" of a still older prophet (Isa. 7:14) — the birth of that Messiah.

The angel's mission now is not to the temple, nor to Jerusalem. It is to Galilee of the Gentiles, and to Nazareth. It is to a virgin promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, of the fallen house of David. The virgin's name is Mary, or Miriam ("exalted"). All is in ruin here, when God comes in to revive and raise to higher glory.

In Nazareth, that despised place, there was found a young virgin, unknown by the world, whose name was Mary. She was promised in marriage to Joseph, who was of the house of David. But everything in Israel was so out of order that this descendant of the king was a carpenter. But what is this to God? Mary was a chosen vessel; she had found favour in the eyes of God.

What was there in Nazareth and what in Mary that led the angel there? The city was small, obscure, and belonging to Galilee. The virgin was unknown, and, as she says, "of humble estate" (v. 52). There was no match between the place, the person, and the promise. But we must remember that grace owes nothing to what it finds here. And He whose coming is now announced comes to lowly circumstances and to humble, repentant hearts. He did not despise the virgin's womb.

Luke records the visit of Gabriel to Mary, a lowly virgin, at Nazareth in circumstances of the greatest poverty, but rich in faith… This is in perfect keeping with the Gospel, which sets out that surpassing grace that has come down to the very lowest in the eyes of men. Mary might be poor, and Nazareth despised, but these are what God will take up to accomplish His purposes.

The priest under the law did not believe the message of grace that Gabriel brought. So this representative of Israel could not speak until the day when God fulfilled His promise in grace. Then he could praise the Author of his salvation, as the faithful remnant will one day. Mary was not only godly, but humble and simple — an object of grace, and not a representative of the law. "You have found favour with God," said the angel. She was submissive: "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord." Her confidence was in the word of God, for she added, "let it be to me according to your word."

What was there in Nazareth and what in Mary that led the angel there? The city was small, obscure, and belonging to Galilee. The virgin was unknown, and, as she says, "of low degree" (v. 52). The place, the person, and the promise did not match each other. But we must remember that grace owes nothing to anything here. He whose coming is now announced comes to lowly circumstances and to broken and humble hearts. He did not despise the virgin's womb.

The angel's mission now is not to the temple or to Jerusalem. It is to Galilee of the Gentiles, to Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the fallen house of David. The virgin's name is Mary, or Miriam ("exalted"). All is in ruin here, when God comes in to revive and raise to higher glory.

In Nazareth, that despised place, there was found a young virgin, unknown by the world, whose name was Mary. She was betrothed to Joseph, who was of the house of David. But everything in Israel was so out of order that this descendant of the king was a carpenter. But what is this to God? Mary was a chosen vessel; she had found favour in the eyes of God.

Mary is the principal figure of the two in Luke, and there, I believe, the genealogy is hers… There were two lines that came down unbroken to those days — the house of Solomon and the house of Nathan. Mary was the representative of Nathan's family, as Joseph was of Solomon's.

The Jews looked on this as being as binding as marriage. Only a divorce could end it… Mary, the mother of the Lord Jesus, was betrothed to Joseph. He thought about divorcing her quietly, but the angel of the Lord told him the truth about her condition.

The Messiah had to be born not merely of a virgin, nor of a virgin daughter of David, but of one legally united to Joseph — in the eye of the law, really his wife… Let people slander as they might, Mary must be betrothed to Joseph. Otherwise the Lord Jesus would not have a proper title to the throne of David.

A curse struck the direct line of descent, yet the line kept its legal title. So it could hand on to another what could be of no use to itself. The marriage of Joseph and Mary was, in the wisdom of God, the means of accomplishing this. The Lord's birth from Mary made Him the real Son of David (Luke 1:32) while the marriage of His mother made Him David's legal heir.

We may be the 150th generation from Adam, but we are simply "after his kind". We could go on reproducing ourselves and push the first man and his race endlessly into eternity. We should still only have fallen man… There never was a real and original second man until Jesus was born, and that broke the inherited chain of sin and death. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit's power. Discard the virgin birth, and you have lost this great foundation truth of the gospel.

She was a woman, uniquely favoured because God chose her out of all the virgins of Israel to be the mother of the Lord. Yet the more we make of Mary, the less we make of the divine miracle of this holy birth.

This was the last place man would have chosen for God's purpose. In the world's eyes, the name of the town was enough to condemn anyone who came from there. There a young woman, unknown to everyone the world recognised, was engaged to a poor carpenter. Her name was Mary. But everything was in confusion in Israel: the carpenter was of the house of David. God never forgets His promises, and He never overlooks the people they concern. Here was the place where they would be fulfilled. Whether Nazareth was small or great made no difference. It only showed this: God expects nothing from man; man expects everything from God.

It was Gabriel who was sent to the prophet Daniel long ago, to make known the Messiah's coming and cutting off in the famous prophecy of the seventy weeks (Daniel 9:26). Now he comes to Mary, the one engaged to Joseph, and announces to her — "the virgin" of an even older prophet (Isaiah 7:14) — the birth of that Messiah. No wonder he greets her as a favoured one, with whom the Lord was… She is the chosen channel of the wonderful purposes that would yet fill her own people, and the whole world, with blessing. She is the appointed mother of One in whom God was about to solve every difficulty sin had brought into the world, and to do it by a righteous triumph over it. He would even make it possible for God to bless those who believed, sinners though they had been.

Gabriel's greeting speaks of great grace given to Mary. ("Favour" and "grace" translate the same Greek word.) It speaks of the Lord's presence with her, and of her being blessed among women. So her personal blessing comes first: great grace given to her. Then comes her relationship to the Lord: His presence with her. Then her relationship to others: blessed among women.

The expressions "found favour" and "highly favoured" do not mean the same thing at all. She herself had found favour, so she was not to fear. But God, by His own choice, had given her this grace — the immense favour of being the mother of the Lord. In this she was the object of God's sovereign favour… Finding favour with God refers to Mary's own spiritual state. Being highly favoured refers to her being God's chosen vessel for the birth of Jesus. But the two are truly connected.

The angel tells her she is "highly favoured" (Luke 1:28). Could any woman have a higher favour than to be the mother of our Lord in His human birth? "Blessed are you among women" (Luke 1:28) is the angel's greeting. "Blessed" she certainly was. Note, it does not say "Most blessed." The language is restrained. There is no room there for the worship of Mary.

"Hail, favoured one!" said Gabriel to Mary. The words "Blessed are you among women" belong to the meeting with her cousin Elizabeth. The Revised Version agrees, following the best authority. The Latin Vulgate leaned towards heaping honour on Mary, and many followed it.

Humanly speaking, Mary was most highly favoured. God singled her out by a supreme distinction. It is even possible that, in a right desire to keep clear of Roman Catholic error, Protestants have overlooked the remarkable honour God gave her. If that is an error at all, it errs on the right side.

But Mary, when she saw the angel — who no doubt appeared in human form (see Luke 24:4) — "was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be." That is, she reasoned inwardly about the nature of Gabriel's words. She was asking what their "aim and meaning" were. We can understand this if we recall her character and position. She was a devout, God-fearing woman, and, whatever her ancestry, she seems to have lived in lowly circumstances. Meekness, humility, and faith were the clear marks of her spiritual life. So she might well be troubled at what she had heard, and reason about what the angel's words meant. This was not the natural mind reasoning as the offspring of doubt. It sprang from perplexity of soul.

The word "thoughts" (dialogismoi) stands for inward reasonings. The same Greek word occurs in the following passages, though it is not always translated "thoughts." (1) Mary "cast in her mind" what manner of greeting the angel's was (Luke 1:29). (2) The people "mused" in their hearts whether John the Baptist was the Messiah or not (Luke 3:15). (3) Jesus said to the disciples when He appeared among them, Why do thoughts arise in your hearts? (Luke 24:38)… (5) The rich man whose crops were plentiful worked out his plans for future ease after he had "thought within himself" (Luke 12:17).

God gave Gabriel insight into Mary's feelings. So he first calms her mind. Then he assures her that she has found favour with God, preparing her for the amazing message he was sent to bring. We say "in preparation" for Gabriel's message, because a soul must be at peace and free before it can receive divine things.

Mary was perplexed at such words, as no doubt also by the sudden appearance of the angel, but wisely waited in silence for an explanation. "Fear not," he says, to set her at rest. Again he speaks of her as favoured by God — grace, or favour, is a subject Luke brings out beautifully. No human merit could deserve such honour as being chosen by God to be the mother of the Messiah.

No wonder he greets her as a favoured one, with whom the Lord was… Mary, though troubled, pondered what the meaning of this greeting might be. The angel tells her not to fear, for she has found favour with God. She is the chosen channel of the wonderful purposes that would yet fill the world, and her own people too, with blessing. She is to be the appointed mother of One in whom God was about to solve, by a righteous triumph, every difficulty that sin had brought into the world. In Him God could even bless those who believed, sinners though they had been, and make them triumph righteously through Him and with Him.

"The expressions 'found favour' and 'highly favoured' do not at all mean the same thing. Personally she had found favour, so she was not to fear. But God had given her this grace of His own choice, this immense favour: to be the mother of the Lord. In this she was the object of God's sovereign favour." We can add that finding favour with God refers to Mary's spiritual state. Being highly favoured speaks rather of God choosing her as the vessel for the birth of Jesus. But the two things are certainly connected.

She might well be troubled at what she heard, and reason about it — not out of doubt, but out of a puzzled heart, wondering what the angel's greeting meant. God gave Gabriel insight into Mary's feelings. So he first calms her mind. Then, to prepare her for the astonishing message he came to bring, he assures her that she has found favour with God. We say "in preparation" for Gabriel's message, because a soul cannot receive divine things until it is at peace and free.

Sometimes He reveals Himself only by an angel, a mighty heavenly messenger. Even then the soul He speaks to is deeply troubled. It needs, like Zacharias or Mary, this very comforting word, "Fear not."

"Fear not," he says, to set her at rest. Again he speaks of God's favour toward her. Luke emphasises this subject — grace, or favour — beautifully. No human merit could deserve such an honour: that God should choose her to be the mother of the Messiah.

The expressions "found favour" and "highly favoured" do not have the same meaning at all. She herself had found favour, so she was not to fear. But in His sovereignty God had given her this grace, this immense favour, of being the mother of the Lord. In this she was the object of God's sovereign favour… Finding favour with God refers to Mary's spiritual state. Being highly favoured speaks more of her place as God's chosen vessel for the birth of Jesus. But the two things are certainly connected.

The law does not produce confidence. Grace alone calls that out. The priest under the law did not believe the message of grace that Gabriel brought… Mary was not only pious. She was humble and simple — an object of grace, not a representative of the law. "You have found favour with God," said the angel. She was subject: "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord." Her confidence was in the word of God, for she added, "Let it be to me according to your word."

Mary was the mother of our Lord according to the flesh. She was surely "blessed among women," chosen for the highest honour possible to a woman. In her song she says, "my spirit rejoices in God my Savior" (Luke 1:47). Now if Mary had been sinless she had no need of a Saviour — and she certainly needed a Saviour, like the rest of us.

Mary is great in that she is nothing. Yet God favours her in a way no one else shares.

The angel tells her not to fear, for she has found favour with God. She is the chosen channel of wonderful purposes. Those purposes would yet fill her own people, and the world too, with blessing. She is to be the appointed mother of the One in whom God was about to solve every difficulty sin had brought into the world, and to do it by a righteous triumph over sin.

David the king found favour in the sight of God, and so did Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Jesus. But these were exceptional cases. The New Testament shows that standing in the favour of God is not limited to a few. All who are justified have it alike.

As you can see from Hebrews 4:8, Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, or Jehoshua. The name means "Jehovah is salvation," or "whose salvation is Jehovah." So there is good reason for the common observation that the name Jesus means Jehovah the Saviour. If so, what a subject this sets before our souls to think about — yes, and to adore! God Himself declares that a child born into the world, of lowly parentage in man's esteem, is Jehovah the Saviour!

"Jesus." The name (Jeshua), Nehemiah 8:17, was very common among the Jews of the time. Colossians 4:11 mentions a Jesus called Justus, one of the Jews. One of the Lord's own human ancestors bore the same name — see Luke 3:29. The Talmud wanted to get rid of the original meaning of "the name" (James 2:7). So while it uses "Jeshua" for everyone else who bore that name, it regularly calls the Lord by the clipped name Jesu.

It is His personal, human name: the name which tells us of His grace and tenderness, His lowly life, His sorrow, and His death. But this name also carries divine glory with it, for it means JEHOVAH THE SAVIOUR. Yes, the very name of His humiliation, the one written in mockery on His cross, declares to us the greatness of His person and the love of His heart.

It is wrong and misleading to say that the human nature of Christ was created in the virgin's womb — that is, formed out of nothing. Such a claim plainly departs from Scripture. Mary undoubtedly had her part in the sacred mystery, as the angel said to her, "You will conceive in your womb and bear a son." Some claim that the Lord's "holy humanity was created by a creative act of the Holy Spirit." That claim in effect denies the angel's own words to Mary about her conception.

Here again Joseph was the one who acted in public, while in Luke (Luke 1:31) Mary gave the name. The difference comes from the point of view the Holy Spirit gives us of our Lord's person in the two Gospels. In Luke He was proving that Jesus, though divine, was truly man — a partaker of humanity apart from sin. In our case it is sinful human nature; in His case it was holy… One great aim of that Gospel was to prove His holy manhood. It shows how fully and how suitably He could be a Saviour of men. He could take up the sorrows and the misery, and on the cross suffer for the sinfulness of others — Himself the Holy One.

So he says, "you shall call his name Jesus" — a Divine Saviour. "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 father David." This is another and quite different glory. It joins His title of Messiah to saving power… Even in the lowest sphere, how far His kingdom is from being a mere human dominion!

Surely every "shall" in this wonderful passage must come true, as really and as literally as the birth of Jesus did. God said He should be born: it came to pass. God says He shall reign over the house of Jacob: it will surely come to pass.

The contrast between these two messages is worth noticing. John would be "great in the sight of the Lord." Of Jesus the angel said, "He shall be great." All John the Baptist's greatness depended on the Person whose herald he was. Jesus was great in Himself and of Himself. From where I write, I can see the shadow of a chestnut tree in the light of the rising sun. The shadow grows to a giant size. Yet the shadow does not show how big the tree is. It witnesses to the sun's rising and splendour. Such was John.

"The Highest." The Old Testament Elyon. It was the usual name for God among the Greek-speaking Jews scattered abroad. It appears again in verses 35 and 76.

Here we are told that He — the One who should be born — "should be great," and, born into this world, "should be called the Son of the Highest." He had been the Son of the Father before the world was. But this child, born on earth, would be called the Son of the Highest — such as He was down here. He would fully prove His right to that title by His acts, and by everything that showed what He was. It is a precious thought to us, and full of glory, that a child born of a woman rightly bears this name, "Son of the Highest." It is supremely glorious for One who is in the position of a man, and really was such before God.

He (not Mary) would be great, called "the Son of the Highest," a dignity far higher than could be given to Him by Mary, indeed an eternal dignity. Therefore the Lord God would give to Him the throne of His father David. First mentioned is His being Son of the Highest, His eternal deity; then Son of David, which involves His manhood, being born of Mary.

But other things still were connected with the One who should be born. God would give Him the throne of His father David. Here again we plainly see that He is considered as born, as man, in this world. The throne of His father David belongs to Him. God will give it to Him. By right of birth He is heir to the promises — the earthly promises which, as to the kingdom, belonged to the family of David. But it would be according to the counsels and the power of God.

Whose line does Luke give us, Joseph's or Mary's? Some have long held it is Joseph's, as Matthew's is; others say it is Mary's. No one has yet settled the question. The Lord's Davidic descent is unquestionable, whichever view is adopted. Peter affirmed it (Acts 2:30), and Paul also (Acts 13:23; Rom. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:8), and the Lord Himself declared it (Matt. 22:45; Mark 12:37; Luke 20:41; Rev. 22:16). The angel Gabriel's words to Mary (Luke 1:32) speak of it, and so does Zacharias in his song (1:69). Yet both knew — certainly Gabriel, and doubtless Zacharias — that Joseph was not the real father of the child about to be born. Mary's child was really David's seed.

He was about to come as the Son of David according to the flesh, but He is also David's Lord. He is the One who spoke these words to the prophet Nathan. Of Him God announced: "the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David. And He shall reign forever and of His kingdom there shall be no end." That throne and that kingdom He has not yet received. He fills the Father's throne in the highest heaven.

Here again we see Him clearly: born into this world as a man. The throne of His father David belongs to Him. God will give it to Him. By right of birth He is heir to the promises. These are the earthly promises about the kingdom that belonged to David's family. But it would all come about by the counsels and the power of God. He would reign over the house of Jacob, not only over Judah. His would not be a weak, passing power with a short life. It would last throughout the ages.

Why should we not expect this word of the Lord, spoken by His angel, to be fulfilled? I cannot see any reason why I should doubt this, or any other part of God's word. The subjects, then, of His Kingdom will be the house of Jacob, not the Church of God.

Again, "Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever" (2 Sam. 7:16). God has never yet fulfilled this promise to Israel. The question is whether it will come true literally in their history, or spiritually in the Church. Nothing in the prophecy seems to point to the Church, and nothing in the Church seems to point to the prophecy.

We all know full well that instead of reigning, He suffered when He was here before. But when He comes again, He comes to reign. He will reign over the house of Jacob, as we have seen in so many Scriptures. But more than that, as we have seen in many others, He will "have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth."

The foundations of His throne rest in the deep places of eternity. His sceptre carries the stamp of immortality, and His crown the stamp of incorruptibility. No Jeroboam will rise then to seize ten parts of the kingdom. It will be one undivided whole forever, under the peaceful rule of Him who is "gentle and lowly in heart."

It does not mean that the kingdom will go on forever in the eternal state. It means that it will not have a successor. Kingdoms exist to keep hostile powers in subjection as well as to protect their subjects. Indeed one is the outcome of the other. But there are no hostile powers in the eternal state, so the kingdom will not be necessary. This is clear from 1 Cor. 15:24-26.

As Daniel had predicted, no one else would ever take it. It would never pass to another people. God would establish it by His counsels, which never change, and by His power, which never fails. Christ will exercise a royal rule that nothing can dispute. He will hand it over to God when all things are fulfilled, but nothing will ever tarnish its royal glory in His hands.

Even at its lowest level, how far His Kingdom is from being a mere human dominion!

And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" She does not doubt; she asks with confidence. So there is no striking dumb and no sign of unbelief, as with Zacharias, who asked, "How shall I know this?" There may be a question in the spirit that needs an answer but shows no lack of faith. There might be another not so different in form which really sprang from unbelief. God does not judge by appearance, but by the heart.

Zacharias had constantly asked for a son. It was only a question of God's goodness and power to grant his request, and God's clear declaration brought him to a point where he had only to trust it. He did not trust God's promise. It was only the exercise of God's extraordinary power within the natural order of things. Mary asks, with holy confidence, since God has so favoured her, how the thing is to be accomplished, outside the natural order. Of its accomplishment she has no doubt.

When the angel Gabriel announced the honour about to be given to her in the great work of incarnation, she asked, not in a spirit of scepticism but of honest ignorance, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?" Clearly she thought that the birth of this glorious Person, who was about to appear, would follow the ordinary principles of generation. In God's great goodness, her thought becomes the occasion for developing much valuable light on the central truth of incarnation.

The coming Child was to have David as His ancestor and yet be the Son of the Highest! She did not ask for a sign, since she accepted the angel's words, but she did ask for an explanation.

Mary replied to the angel, "How will this be?" What was promised had to happen outside the order of nature. Even so, distrust did not prompt her question. We see this because God allowed Gabriel to give a full and complete answer to her question. That answer reveals two things: the miraculous conception of our blessed Lord, and that the Child so born should be called the Son of God.

The Old Testament was carefully translated into Greek in the version commonly called the Septuagint, and our Lord quoted from it again and again. That translation plainly understood the word "virgin" as Mary herself shows in Luke 1:34. It rendered the word parthenos, which does mean "virgin."

Schanz abandons his usually sensible interpretation by taking Mary's words as a vow of virginity, which verse 27 rules out.

Sinful men have sinful children… Does it matter, then, or does it not, how the Lord was born into this world? Had He come by natural generation, would He not have been like every other man? To deny the virgin birth is to deny His pre-existence in the Godhead. It also denies the holiness of His Manhood. Without these two great truths about His glorious Person, He could not have been the Saviour.

She does not doubt; she asks in trust. So she is not struck silent, and there is no sign of unbelief — unlike Zechariah, who asked, "How shall I know this?" A question may rise in the spirit and need an answer, yet show no lack of faith. Another question, close to it in wording, might spring from unbelief. God does not judge by appearance, but by the heart.

"The Holy Spirit will come upon you" means that the Holy Spirit produced the human nature of our Lord in the virgin by a creative act. And so He had a completely holy nature. "And the power of the Most High will overshadow you." This is not a repetition of the first statement. It means that the Son of God, who is the Most High, overshadowed the virgin. He united Himself with the human nature the Spirit had prepared. He is called "that holy thing" in His very being, because He fits into no class.

There is no taint at all in that "Son of Man." It does not say "that innocent thing," but "that holy thing." The first man before the fall was innocent and guiltless. But that condition was only negative, and it was unstable. He was of the earth, earthy — made of dust; with a spirit, but a creature, and nothing more. The second Man is out of heaven. He was "holy," and had a positive, inherent, lasting character, utterly incapable of sin. His positive holiness came from the direct, divine work of the Spirit in His incarnation, apart from fallen nature.

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman (Gal. 4:4), yet conceived under the direct action of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). That is why, although the Deliverer came by the woman, He was not an ordinary son of Adam at all. The virgin birth means that the Lord Jesus, while truly Man, was yet a Man of a new order.

"Therefore the child to be born will be called holy — the Son of God," and not just Son of Man. This is very important. "Son of God" is a title that belongs to our Lord in His divine glory before He became a man, and here too. When He became a man, He did not stop being the Son of God. As incarnate He was still the Son of God. And the same was true when He rose from the dead. So the title belongs to Him in all three conditions in which Scripture shows our Lord: Son of God as a divine Person; Son of God when He became a man; Son of God risen from the dead and gone to heaven.

It is not here the doctrine of the eternal relationship of Son with the Father. The Gospel of John, the letter to the Hebrews and the letter to the Colossians establish this precious truth and show how important it is. But here it is the One born by the miraculous conception who, on that ground, is called the Son of God.

The power of the Holy Spirit did what would otherwise have been impossible. "That holy thing" born of the virgin was the "Son of God," even as to His humanity. This does not by itself declare what John declares. It is not the same as the Word becoming flesh. Luke's is the Gospel of the Manhood, as John's is of the Deity of the Lord. Both sides are essential to His proper glory.

God sends the angel Gabriel in the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy with a more important message. After the long silence of centuries, heaven speaks again. In Luke it speaks in a closer way than in Matthew, where Joseph receives the messages, and receives them in a dream. Here we have open, face-to-face speech, and the most important message comes not in the temple but in a private home. God is coming near in His grace; and the nearer He comes, the more fully He reveals Himself.

The less wonderful birth is set before her to strengthen her faith to believe in the more wonderful birth. "For nothing will be impossible with God" (Luke 1:37).

What God promised had to be outside the order of nature. Even so, unlike Sarah and Zacharias, it was not distrust that prompted her question. We see this because God let Gabriel give her a full and complete answer… But to strengthen the faith God had already given her, He also sent Gabriel to tell her of His grace to her relative Elizabeth. "For," he said, giving the unchanging basis of all belief, "nothing will be impossible with God."

John comes as a child of promise. A special gift of God renewed a natural power in his mother. But Jesus comes as Son of God, born by no natural power at all, but by the Holy Spirit, beyond nature altogether. One is the child of a barren wife, the other the child of a virgin… Elizabeth was the mother of the saved, Mary the mother of the Saviour. Elizabeth's child was the sanctified, Mary's the Sanctifier.

Gabriel's visit then ended. But first he told Mary that her relative Elizabeth was expecting a child, news she was clearly hearing for the first time. The barren woman was to become fruitful. The virgin was to bear a son. Both were miracles.

He needed to add nothing more about John. This was enough to move Mary to visit Elizabeth, which was what God intended. Mary's simple faith is beautiful. She gladly took the place of a servant and accepted Gabriel's word, unlike Zacharias, who did not believe (v.38).

John the Baptist and our Lord were not first cousins, though people often say so by mistake. Mary and Elizabeth were the cousins, as we read in Luke 1:36… God did not send him to identify a relative, but to identify the Son of God, and to bear witness of this to Israel.

This last statement from the angel "who stands in the presence of God" needs no comment. It drives away all doubt for those who will believe. The birth of the Saviour was miraculous, it was by God's power, it was God's work. No man had any part in it; the Son of Mary was holy and undefiled. He was the Son of God... Unbelief says it is against every law of nature, and impossible. Faith answers in the words of Gabriel, who knew God's power well: "nothing will be impossible with God."

She already had God-given faith. To strengthen it, God sent Gabriel to tell her of His grace to her cousin Elizabeth. "For," he said, giving the unchanging basis of all belief, "nothing will be impossible with God." God would not be God if this were not so; and, as the Lord Himself taught, "All things are possible for one who believes." Mary had learned this deep in her soul. Her answer shows it: "Behold, I am the servant" (the bondservant) "of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word."

In verse 37 there is a bold change of reading in the Greek, which gives the wording "no word from God shall be without power."

Admit superhuman power, and all difficulty vanishes. "Nothing," we read, "will be impossible with God" — "no thing," neither the virgin birth, nor the raising of the dead!

On the eighth day after the child's birth the father could speak again. He praised God, and prophecy through a human voice returned. It had been silent for ages. Now it burst out afresh as Zacharias blessed God for visiting and redeeming His people... His unbelief had vanished. Nothing will be impossible with God, Gabriel had said, and to that Zacharias added his Amen.

So faith links the believer to the almighty power of God and puts that power to work. We could even say it brings God Himself in to act for His people. That is why, in the words of our Lord, nothing is impossible to them. But never forget that faith is a real thing. It is a divine plant, and it only grows out of the soil of a broken will. First we must come to the end of ourselves and our resources. We must learn how helpless we are. Only then do we throw ourselves on God and depend fully on Him and His power.

In Scripture these words often mean a female slave, as with Hagar the Egyptian, Genesis 25:12. But women also used them of themselves as a term of humility. Hannah spoke this way to the Lord and to Eli, 1 Samuel 1:11, 16, 18. Abigail spoke this way to David, 1 Samuel 25:24-41. And Mary and Elizabeth used it as handmaids of the Lord, Luke 1:38, 48.

The angel tells her of the blessing God's almighty power has given to Elizabeth. Mary bows to the will of her God, the submissive vessel of His purpose. In her piety she sees a height and greatness in these purposes. They left her one place only: subjection to the will of God, as their passive instrument. This was her glory, through the favour of her God.

"But Mary said to the angel, How will this be, since I am a virgin?" She does not doubt. She asks with confidence. So God does not strike her dumb, and there is no sign of unbelief, as there was with Zacharias, who asked, "How shall I know this?" A question may rise in the spirit and need an answer, yet show no lack of faith. Another question could look much the same and still spring from unbelief. God does not judge by appearance. He judges the heart.

In all the range of Scripture there is no instance of a more exalted faith nor of a more complete submission. She could not be blind to what this might cost her in this world. Matthew tells us that she became an object of suspicion and inner trouble even to Joseph. But faith never reasons and is never confused. It counts on God. If He calls us to any service, or to walk in any path, He will both guide and sustain us, whatever the trial or persecution. The calm of a soul which rests in the will of God is beyond words, and this was Mary's inheritance at this moment.

To Mary the whole thing was supernatural. Her faith marks her as a true-hearted and dependent saint. She could only say, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word" (v. 38); and the angel departed from her. She places herself completely in the hands of God, to be His honoured vessel for the incarnation — the coming in flesh of "that holy thing," "Son of the Highest" and "Son of God."

This is the last time Scripture shows Mary the mother of Jesus. She simply takes her place with the rest, humbled by God's grace towards her, not exalted by it. What a grief it would have been to her to know the place a church that had fallen away from the truth would later give her! No one prays to her, and she does not even lead in prayer. She remains what she was at the beginning, "the handmaid of the Lord," and with this she passes out of the history.

And Mary understood it, saying to the servants, Whatever He says to you, do it. She was still the meek bond-servant of the Lord... He, not she, is the One above all to be heard... She herself could not save others, nor plead for them as He does. She needed to pray herself, since she was a sinner like others, to be saved by faith.

Mary then travels to Judea in haste to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Notice that her haste here is good, because it rested on the word of God given to her. The Lord had planned this visit to strengthen and encourage faith in both of these favoured women.

Mary had asked for no sign to be given her. Yet she "drinks from the brook by the way," and goes "with haste," as one who feels the weight of what God had told her. She goes to find refreshment with her relative, who is joined to her in faith, and now joined to her by this new work of God as well — the work that is starting to bring in the blessing they had long waited for.

Whenever God's grace works in people's souls, it draws them together in the bonds of divine love. That is how it was with Mary and Elizabeth. Gabriel had revealed to Mary that God had also visited her cousin Elizabeth. Mary sensed what God was going to do through her — whether or not she grasped the full meaning of the message she had received. She came to feel that there was one friend to whom she could pour out her soul.

She was carrying news that weighed on her — news of God's faithfulness to His word, and of His unquenchable love for His people. She could not do anything but go "in haste." What thoughts must have filled her adoring heart as she hurried on her errand! She was one of the holy women of Judah, and she knew well the scriptures that spoke of the coming King and the glory of His kingdom. Scriptures such as these: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns'" (Isaiah 52:7); or again, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you" (Zechariah 9:9).

There is nothing more beautiful of its kind than this picture of the fellowship between these devout women. The world did not know them, yet God used them as instruments of His grace to carry out His purpose, and the results are glorious and endless. They keep out of sight, moving in a scene where nothing enters but piety and grace. But God is there, as little known to the world as these poor women were, preparing and carrying out the very thing that angels long to understand in its depths. This takes place in the hill country, where these devout relatives lived.

These devoted women are away from the world, in "a town in Judah," high ground that pictures a high moral level. There they share a precious secret that God Himself has given them. Humility and contented lowliness run through their whole conversation.

Now Elizabeth and Mary come together. I know of no more beautiful example in Scripture of communion in the Holy Spirit than this. Elizabeth was the wife of the high priest; Mary was engaged to a carpenter. Perhaps they would never have met but for this. Now they meet not just in the flesh, but in the spirit... Communion arises when people forget the flesh and act only in the spirit. Elizabeth did not grudge, and Mary was not proud. Elizabeth kept a meek place, and Mary a humble one. There is plenty of social contact today, but too little communion, even among the people of God.

Mary's meek acceptance points to that acceptance of faith which marks her out for all time as blessed among women in her unique position. It also makes her the example for everyone who receives the testimony of God and bows to it. The announcement itself took place between Mary and the angel alone. Now we see the fellowship of these two holy women.

Whenever there is a work of grace in souls they are drawn together in the bonds of divine love. So it was with Mary and Elizabeth. Gabriel had revealed to Mary that God had also visited her cousin Elizabeth. Mary carried a sense of what God would accomplish through her — whether or not she understood the full meaning of the message she had received. It made her feel that there was one friend to whom she could pour out her soul.

Before leaving, however, he had pointed her to Elizabeth as a sign of the power of God at work, to which nothing is impossible. Mary had asked for no sign. Still she "drinks from the brook by the way," and goes "with haste," as one feeling the weight of what had been told her. She goes to seek refreshment with her relative — a woman linked to her in faith, and now also by this new work of God which was beginning to bring about the long-awaited blessing.

Elizabeth had surely learned from her husband Zechariah that her son John was to be the forerunner of the Messiah, the messenger of the Lord promised by Malachi (Mal. 3:1). But of whom, and when, was the Messiah to be born? These questions were still unsolved for her and her husband. Then, suddenly, they were answered. Mary crossed the threshold of her house, greeted her cousin, and the expectant mother of John learned who was to be the mother of her Lord... She knew both Mary's expectations and Mary's faith. When and how did she learn all this? Mary had not had time to speak of it. No whisper of it carried by human means had reached the hill country of Judea. Mary evidently, as Matthew teaches us, had not even told Joseph, to whom she was betrothed (Matt. 1:18-19). How did Elizabeth know? She told it, as only she could: "For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy" (Luke 1:44). The mother of her Lord was there.

Mary then arises, enters the house of Zechariah and greets her relative Elizabeth. This gives occasion to the wonderful homage paid even by the unborn babe, Elizabeth's child, to her who was the predestined mother of the Messiah — homage in honour of the Messiah Himself. As a result, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She breaks out in acknowledgment of the place God had given Mary: "And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" It is remarkable how her words own that even the child not yet born was the Lord. We find just the same thing with Mary herself. She has no notion of being taken out of the place of a needy sinner.

The message of the angel was not without fruit in the heart of Mary; and by her visit to Elizabeth she goes to acknowledge the wonderful dealings of God. The piety of the virgin shows itself here in a touching way. God's marvellous intervention humbled her, instead of lifting her up. She saw God in what had taken place, and not herself. The greatness of these wonders brought God so near to her that she lost sight of herself.

Nothing of its kind is more beautiful than this picture of these godly women together. The world did not know them. Yet they were the instruments of God's grace for carrying out His purpose, and the results are glorious and endless. They keep out of sight, in a scene where nothing enters but godliness and grace. But God is there. The world knew Him as little as it knew these poor women. And He was preparing and accomplishing what the angels long to explore in its depths.

Mary stepped into her house and greeted her cousin. So the expectant mother of John learned who was to be the mother of her Lord... She knew both Mary's expectations and Mary's faith. When and how did she learn all this? Mary had not had time to speak of it. No whisper of it carried by human means had reached the hill country of Judea. It seems Mary had not even told Joseph, her fiancé, as Matthew teaches us.

What was it that made her address her young relative like that? We are not told that she had heard of the angel's visit to Mary, so how did she know what lay before her? The answer is that she "was filled with the Holy Spirit" (v. 41), and she spoke by divine inspiration.

Here again we have filling with the Spirit before Pentecost, showing how distinct it is from sealing and baptism. With Elizabeth and Zacharias it was clearly like prophecy. Scripture even says that Zacharias prophesied. It was a special visit of the Spirit. For that time it gave them the power to speak their joy and praise in inspired words.

"Full of the Holy Spirit" seems to tell us what usually marked a person's life... "Filled with the Spirit" is different. Scripture uses it of people God takes up for His service, whether for a longer or a shorter time. You can see examples in Elisabeth and Zacharias (Luke 1:41, 67), in the company at Pentecost, and in Peter and Paul.

And earlier still, while yet unborn, He was worshipped, I may say, by the leaping of the child in the womb of Elizabeth, at the greeting of Mary.

Already in his mother's womb he gives his first testimony to the presence of Him who was to come. Then he is kept in the desert until the day he appears publicly to Israel.

Here the living power of the Spirit of God comes with a lowly, humble spirit. It finds delight in the blessing of another, and recognises that Mary is to be the mother of the Lord.

She knew both Mary's expectations and Mary's faith. When and how did she learn all this? Mary had not had time to speak of it. No whisper of it carried by human messenger had reached the hill country of Judea. Mary evidently, as Matthew teaches us, had not even told Joseph, to whom she was betrothed.

The Spirit filled her so that she could speak the inspired words she said to Mary: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb."

We see at once that Elizabeth, as one "filled with the Holy Spirit," is in complete agreement with the mind of God about Mary. Gabriel had said to her, "Blessed are you among women," and Elizabeth now says, "Blessed are you among women," adding, "and blessed is the fruit of your womb." God's power opened her eyes, so she saw as God saw. She declares His own estimate of the one He had chosen for this singular favour.

It is remarkable how beautifully Elizabeth owns that even the child not yet born was the Lord. We find just the same thing with Mary herself. She has no notion of being taken out of the place of a needy sinner. And the miraculous birth of John does not lessen Elizabeth's sense of the Messiah. It adds to it.

Herself the object of God's favour, she still took the lowest place before the one who was to become the mother of her Lord. Let this instruction sink deep into our hearts: when the Spirit of God is working in souls, He banishes all envy, strife, and jealousy. Love then flows out freely, and humility is the fruit of love. Then she described the effect Mary's greeting had on her, and proclaimed a third kind of blessedness. Mary was blessed as the object of God's sovereign favour. She was blessed as the vessel for the incarnation of our Lord. And she was blessed because of her faith.

The angel tells her she is "highly favoured" (Luke 1:28). Could any woman have a higher favour than to be the mother of our Lord according to the flesh? "Blessed are you among women" is the angel's greeting. "Blessed" she certainly was. Note, it does not say "Most blessed." The language is restrained.

Though the mother of our Saviour, she herself found her Saviour in God.

A woman, alive to the joy of having a son like Jesus, declares aloud the value of such a natural family tie to Him. The Lord puts this blessing, as He did in the case of Mary, on those who heard and kept His word.

Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, breaks out into an acknowledgment of the place God had given Mary. "And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" It is remarkable how beautifully she acknowledges that even the child not yet born was the Lord.

The One these women spoke of, the Babe of Bethlehem, will soon be acknowledged as supreme in the universe. But before His birth, before He came into this world in lowly Manhood, Elizabeth's words already bore testimony to His supremacy — "my Lord."

These words are usually translated "lord." People use them as a term of respect between one person and another… Scripture gives the title "Lord" to God (Ps. 90:1, Adonai). In the New Testament it gives the same title to the Lord Jesus, not only as a term of respect, but as owning His constituted lordship (Acts 2:36; Phil. 2:11). For the Christian He is the Lord above all, eclipsing every other, and the Christian delights to claim Him as "My Lord."

How beautiful the language of the older woman calling the Virgin "the mother of my Lord." Surely this was a great revelation she received. With holy reverence we also should use that worthy Name. It has been well said, "Let us remember the deep meaning of the words 'the Lord' and beware of using them lightly and carelessly."

Mary crossed the threshold of Elizabeth's house and greeted her cousin. The expectant mother of John then learned who was to be the mother of her Lord… She knew both Mary's expectations and Mary's faith. Mary had not had time to speak of it. No whisper of it had reached the hill country of Judea by any human means. Mary clearly, as Matthew teaches us, had not even told Joseph, to whom she was betrothed (Matt. 1:18-19). How did Elizabeth know?

What was it that made her address her young relative like that? We are not told that she had heard of the angel's visit to Mary, so how did she know what lay ahead of her? The answer is that she "was filled with the Holy Spirit" (v. 41), and she spoke by divine inspiration.

With her eyes opened by the power of God, she saw as God saw. She speaks God's own estimate of the one He had chosen for this singular favour. Filled with the Spirit, she also acknowledged with meekness and humility that the grace of God had lifted Mary high… She was herself an object of God's favour. Yet she took the lowest place before the one who was to become the mother of her Lord.

Mary had no thought of exaltation. She says, "all generations will call me blessed," but not a blesser. She was the object of blessing, not the giver or mediator of it. "He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name" — not a word of her own. "And His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation" — not for those who pray to or worship me.

Humility and contented lowliness mark their whole conversation… He was the One who filled their vision… Mary herself is content to take the "humble estate" of a "servant." God's mighty thoughts were not to reach their completion in Mary. Someone else has well said of her — "she lost her place if she made anything of herself, but in truth she did not," a helpful word for today!

Mary crossed the threshold of Elizabeth's house, greeted her cousin, and the expectant mother of John learned who was to be the mother of her Lord. We do not know what words Mary used, but we have her answer. It came from a woman filled with the Holy Spirit. She lifted up her voice with a loud cry. She knew both Mary's expectations and Mary's faith. When and how did she learn all this? Mary had not had time to speak of it. No whisper of it carried by human means had reached the hill country of Judea. How did Elizabeth know? She told it, as she alone could declare it: "For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy." The mother of her Lord was there.

Mary then arises, enters the house of Zacharias and greets her relative Elizabeth. This gives occasion to the wonderful homage paid even by the unborn child, Elizabeth's son. He paid it to Mary, the chosen mother of the Messiah, in honour of the Messiah Himself. The result was that Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, breaks out into an acknowledgment of the place God had given Mary. "And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" It is remarkable how beautifully she owns that even the child not yet born was the Lord.

On the Lord's approaching John to be baptized, John at once acknowledged Him — acknowledged Him without any introduction. There seems to have been in his soul some consciousness that this was He. He had, indeed, acknowledged Him even before He was born (Luke 1:44). The world knew Him not, but John knows Him, and so condemns the world.

He deprived himself of wine — the sign of joy to the heart of the natural man in the company of his equals. ... This passage shows him as set apart in a special way from everything that makes up the joy of a sociable man. The world, on seeing him, would no doubt have said, "He is a sad and gloomy man who hates people." What a mistake! The world knows only this natural joy. In the prophet's heart another joy took its place — the joy that communion with the Saviour gives.

As Mary entered the house and spoke, the baby in Elizabeth's womb leaped. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, broke out in a short but beautiful prophecy. Here the living power of the Spirit of God goes together with a lowly humility. She finds delight in the blessing of another, and she recognizes that Mary is to be the mother of the Lord.

The greeting Mary received shows that her visit to Elizabeth was of the Lord. That greeting must have confirmed her faith in a remarkable way. As soon as Elizabeth heard her relative's greeting, it reminded her of her own condition. At the same moment the Holy Spirit filled her and moved her to proclaim the blessedness of the one whom the Lord had so honoured by His grace.

Notice at once that Elizabeth, "filled with the Holy Spirit," shares God's own mind about Mary. Gabriel had said to her, "Blessed are you among women." Elizabeth now says the same, and adds, "and blessed is the fruit of your womb." God had opened her eyes. She saw as God saw, and she spoke His own verdict on the woman He had chosen for this rare honour.

Mary was blessed as the object of God's sovereign favour. She was blessed as the one through whom our Lord came into the world as a man. And she was blessed because of her faith — a faith that rose above every obstacle and rested on the almighty power of God. Like Abraham, she did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but "found strength in faith," giving glory to God. She had taken a firm hold of God's word. She had no doubt that He would do what He had promised. She honoured God in this way, and now God gave her, through Elizabeth's lips, the assurance that the Lord's word to her would come true.

God had shown Mary such favour that she asks with holy confidence how this would happen, since it lay outside the natural order. She has no doubt that it would happen — Elizabeth calls her the one who believed.

At the same time she acknowledges that God has shown special favour to Mary's soul. "Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." Elizabeth knew that unbelief was what had struck her husband. She sets his failure against Mary's humble, believing heart.

She calls Mary the mother of her Lord — the One at whose voice her own baby had leaped for joy. She declares her blessed as well for the faith that received God's message. And what the Lord had spoken to her would surely happen.

Mary was the mother of our Lord as a man. She was "blessed among women," chosen for the highest honour a woman could have. Yet in her song of praise she says, "my spirit rejoices in God my Savior" (Luke 1:47). If Mary had been sinless, she would have had no need of a Savior. But she did need one, just like the rest of us.

Gabriel brought Mary a message from heaven, and she answered, "let it be to me according to Your word" (Luke 1:38). That answer is the language of everyone who rests on what God has said. How simple! How beautiful! Faith never makes itself an object. It looks up to the Lord and says, "I want no better guarantee of certain blessing than the one 'Your word' gives me."

What freshness and joy the person of Christ brings into the fellowship of these saints! Souls overflow. Conversation turns into adoration. Those who talk with one another are bound to learn what worship is.

Her soul (the center of her emotions and affections) magnified the Lord, Jehovah. Her spirit (the center of her understanding and intelligence) rejoiced in God her Savior. In verse 46 the title Lord shows her submission to His authority. In verse 47 she worships the supreme God who in grace became her Savior. She knew she was a sinner who needed His salvation, just as we all do.

She acknowledges God as her Saviour in the grace that has filled her with joy. She also owns her own low place — a picture of the condition of the remnant of Israel. That low place gave God's greatness its opening to act, with full testimony that everything came from Him. Whatever godliness suited the instrument He used — and Mary did have it — she was great only so far as she hid herself. For then God was everything... She would have lost her place by making something of herself, but she did not.

May we all take this blessed lesson to heart. Grace cannot have its full sway in our souls unless we take our true place of nothingness before God.

It is remarkable how simply Scripture answered in advance the monstrous unbelief that lowers God as much as it lifts up a human being. Mary had no thought of exaltation. She says, "All generations shall call me blessed," but not a blesser. She was the object of blessing, not the giver or mediator of it. "For the Mighty One has done to me great things; and holy is His name" — not a word of her own. "And His mercy is to generations and generations to them that fear Him" — not to those who pray to or worship me.

The wonderful burst of praise from Mary's lips beautifully echoes the Old Testament Scriptures. This devout woman knew the Word of God. It filled her heart, and the Holy Spirit used that Word to shape her praise. Her song touches many Psalms, but it reminds us above all of Hannah's inspired song (1 Samuel 2). Notice also Mary's deep humility and her acknowledgment of the need of a Saviour.

Where the Spirit of God does a real work in the souls of His people, their hearts rise to the source their blessing came from. So with Mary. Her first thought is the Lord who had visited her with such indescribable grace... The mighty action of the Holy Spirit merged her individuality into Israel for the moment, so she rejoices in Israel's God and Saviour. She does speak of herself in the next verse, but even then only as the chosen instrument of the blessing that was coming on Israel.

Mary, on the other hand, sees the deliverance as already accomplished — accomplished in the One who was about to be born.

Her soul (the center of her emotions and affections) magnified the Lord, Jehovah. Her spirit (the center of her understanding and intelligence) rejoiced in God her Saviour. In verse 46 she uses the title Lord, which shows her submission to His authority. In verse 47 she worships the supreme God, who in grace became her Saviour. She knew herself to be a sinner who needed His salvation, just as we all do.

Do we not see how soul and spirit act in unison in connection with a saint of God, and the aspirations and emotions Godward, lofty and pure?

We must not omit to notice that Mary spoke of "God my Saviour." Though the mother of our Saviour, she herself found her Saviour in God.

Like all who are taught of God, she recognised her sinful state. She needed a Saviour, and she had found One in God Himself. The immaculate conception is the teaching that the Virgin Mary was born sinless. How can anyone hold it when she herself confessed she was a sinner in finding God as Saviour?

She acknowledges God her Saviour in the grace that has filled her with such joy. At the same time she owns her utter littleness. The instrument God uses may be holy, and Mary was. Even so, she was great only as long as she hid herself, for then God was everything. If she had made something of herself, she would have lost her place. But she did not. God kept her there so that His grace would be fully shown.

Mary had no thought of exaltation. She says, "All generations shall call me blessed," but not a blesser. She was the object of blessing, not the giver of it… "And His mercy is to generations and generations to those who fear Him" — not to those who pray to or worship me.

The wonderful outburst of praise from Mary's lips is a beautiful echo of the Old Testament Scriptures. The devout Virgin knew the Word of God. Her heart was full of it, and the Holy Spirit used the Word to express her praise. Her song touches many Psalms, and above all it reminds us of Hannah's inspired song (1 Samuel 2).

Hannah begins: "My heart rejoices in the Lord." Mary says: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." The heart is tied more to earth and the body. The soul and spirit have closer links with heaven and eternity. But this makes the song of Hannah none the less perfect or profitable to us.

She owns her own low estate — a figure of the condition of the remnant of Israel. That low estate gave occasion for God's greatness to step in, with a full testimony that everything came from Himself.

In the mercy shown to her she saw a pledge. God will finally lift up those who fear Him and scatter the proud and mighty of this world… She had no thought of Israel deserving anything under the covenant of law. Everything depended on the covenant of promise. God was filling the hungry and sending the rich away empty. This is always God's way.

According to the reviewer, the Greek word tapeinosis must be translated in Luke 1:48 as "humiliation." But those who may be supposed to know the language translate it "low estate," as the reader may see in the Revised Version and in the translations of Alford, Wordsworth, Darby, and others. It is plain, too, that Mary was speaking of her outward condition, not of the state of her soul, when she poured out her heart to God.

These words often refer in scripture to a female slave, as applied to Hagar the Egyptian, Gen. 25:12; but were also used by women themselves as a term of humility, as when Hannah spoke to Jehovah and to Eli, 1 Sam. 1:11, 16, 18; as Abigail to David, 1 Sam. 25:24-41; and by Mary and Elizabeth as handmaids of the Lord. Luke 1:38, 48.

Her song is thankfulness for the grace and favour given to her, the lowly one, and it is tied to the hopes and blessing of Israel. I repeat it: Mary is great because she is nothing. Yet God has favoured her in a way that has no parallel, and all generations will call her blessed.

She herself is content to take the "low estate" of a "handmaiden." God's mighty thoughts were not going to be fulfilled in Mary. "Jehovah's Christ" was in view, and in Him alone would God's eternal purpose and the establishing of universal blessing and glory be fulfilled. It has been well said of Mary by another — "she lost her place if she made anything of herself, but in truth she did not," a helpful word in the present day!

It is remarkable how simply Scripture has answered in advance the monstrous unbelief of man, which lowers God as much as it exalts a human being. Mary had no thought of exaltation. She says, "All generations will call me blessed," but not a blesser. She was the object of blessing, not the giver or mediator of it. "He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name" [not a word of her own]. "And His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation" [not that pray to or worship me].

It is true that she speaks of herself here. She says that God has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden (bondsmaid), and that from now on all generations will call her blessed. But even so, this is only as the chosen instrument of the blessing that was coming upon Israel. It was the thought of Israel's salvation out of their low estate that filled her soul.

In verse 48 she recognizes His tender mercy and care for her in her low estate. Hers was an honour that would never fail to draw the respect of all generations. While the great and mighty of this world are forgotten, this lowly, humble woman has an honour that will never be forgotten.

Christ once corrected a woman who called His mother blessed. At first sight His words might seem to clash with Mary's own inspired song. Did she not say that from now on all generations would call her blessed? … Mary was most highly favoured in the flesh, singled out by a supreme distinction. It is even possible that, in a proper desire to steer clear of Roman error, Protestants may have overlooked the remarkable honour given to the Virgin.

The way the overshadowing power of the Highest worked upon Mary is not described. She herself declared, "He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name" (Luke 1:49). The Holy Spirit's work here is secret and beyond our searching. Even so, divine power made certain that the child born of Mary was called the Son of God.

To God she also ascribes infinite power, the mighty One who dealt with her in such power as with no other. But she hurries to add, "and holy is His name." In the world, power knows nothing of holiness. God's power is different: it is sanctified — set apart — from every corrupting element. There too is the gentle, tender side of His character, showing mercy without ceasing to those who fear Him.

It is remarkable how simply Scripture met man's monstrous unbelief in advance. That unbelief lowers God as much as it exalts a human being. Mary had no thought of exaltation. She says, "All generations shall call me blessed," but not a blesser. She was the object of blessing, not the giver or mediator of it. "For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name" [not a word of her own]. "And His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation" [not that pray to or worship me].

The marvellous intervention of God humbled her, instead of lifting her up. She saw God in what had taken place, not herself. The greatness of these marvels brought God so near her that she was hidden from herself. She yields herself to His holy will. But God fills too much of her thinking here to leave any room for self-importance.

The thought of Israel's salvation out of their low condition filled her soul when she said, "He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name." She adds at once, "And His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation." That shows it was God's chosen Israel that filled her mind.

So when at last the Christ of God became a man, there were those who were in harmony with heaven. They recognised that God had stepped in, and they could rejoice over the birth of the long promised heir. With joy Mary delights to own, "He who is mighty has done great things for me."

The marvellous outburst of praise which comes from Mary's lips is a beautiful echo of the Old Testament Scriptures. She knew the Word of God; her heart was filled with it, and the Holy Spirit used the Word in the expression of her praise. Her words touch many Psalms, and above all they recall Hannah's inspired song (1 Samuel 2). Notice also Mary's deep humility and her acknowledgment of the need of a Saviour.

Mary had no thought of exaltation. She says, "All generations will call me blessed," but not a blesser. She was the object of blessing, not the giver of it. "For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name" — not a word of her own. "And His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation" — not to those who pray to or worship me.

From verse 46 to 49 she speaks of God Himself: "the Lord," "God my Saviour," "He who is mighty," "holy is His name." But from verse 50 to 55 the stress falls on what He has done. Mercy comes first, then strength (verse 51), by which He humbles the pride of the proud... In verse 52 we see His rule, putting down the mighty of this world and exalting the lowly... Verse 54 tells of His help to His suffering servant Israel, remembering mercy after long years of captivity — and this according to His promise to Abraham and his descendants, not according to the covenant of law.

The natural man is said to lack this quality completely. In the believer it stands out as the ruling principle of action. Whether a person has it or not is the real difference between a true believer and someone who is a hypocrite or is fooling himself. An idea of grace held only in the head, without the fear of God, produces lawlessness... The grace of God is never separable from His fear... Those who hate God dread Him and would run from Him, when they think of Him at all: His fear is the treasure of His children.

The next three verses set out how God acts in grace, and the state of soul needed to receive it. The proud in their own thoughts cannot stand before a holy God in judgment. Neither can the mighty on their thrones, nor the rich and self-sufficient. The gospel is always preached to the poor. God exalts those of low degree, and fills the hungry with good things.

In a genealogy such as Matthew 1, or where the context calls for it as in Luke 1:50, the word "generation" no doubt means a lifetime.

For the moment the mighty action of the Holy Spirit merged her as an individual into Israel, and so she rejoices in Israel's God and Saviour... She adds at once, "And His mercy is for those who fear Him from generation to generation," which shows that God's chosen Israel filled her mind.

She acknowledges God her Saviour in the grace that has filled her with such joy. At the same time she admits her utter littleness. God might use a holy instrument — and Mary truly was one — yet she was only great so long as she hid herself. Then God was everything. By making something of herself she would have lost her place; but this she did not. God kept her, so that His grace might be fully shown.

Mary had no thought of exaltation. She says, "All generations shall call me blessed," but not a blesser. She was the object of blessing, not the giver or mediator of it. "For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name" — not a word of her own. "And His mercy is to generations and generations to those who fear Him" — not who pray to or worship me.

Notice that in verses 46 to 49 she speaks of God Himself — "the Lord," "God my Savior," "He that is mighty," and "Holy is His name." But verses 50 to 55 stress what He has done. She names His mercy first, then His strength (verse 51). By that strength He humbles the pride of the ungodly, showing judgment along with strength. He brings down to dust the imaginations and high things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God.

Pride. There are several words translated this way in the Greek Testament. The one used here (hyperephania) carries the sense of a spirit of self-exaltation in a man, joined with looking down on others. The Pharisees are glaring examples. They trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others (Luke 18:9). But the Gentiles are no more free from guilt in this than the Jews (Rom. 1:30). This arrogance shows itself in boastful words and empty deeds. But its origin is within the heart. That line from Mary's song shows it: "he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts." This form of haughtiness is offensive to God and open to His swift judgment. Both James and Peter write that "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).

These next three verses set out how God acts in grace. They also show what a soul must be like to receive it. The proud in the imagination of their hearts cannot stand before a holy God in judgment. Neither can the mighty on their thrones, nor the rich, the self-sufficient. It is the poor who always hear the gospel preached. And so it is the lowly whom God exalts, and the hungry whom He fills with good things.

Mary regards the deliverance as already accomplished — accomplished in the One who was about to be born.

Her sense of the extraordinary mercy God showed her in her humble circumstances called out this song. She was descended from David, yet she was only engaged to the humble carpenter of Nazareth. In the mercy shown to her she saw the pledge of the final exaltation of those who fear God, and the scattering of the proud and mighty of this world.

dynastēs, "powerful one." Jehovah is the only Sovereign — 1 Timothy 6:15. The word also occurs in Luke 1:52: Jehovah "has brought down 'the mighty' from their thrones." And in Acts 8:27 the eunuch was a man "of great authority": such men at times had more power than the kings.

In verses 46 to 49 she speaks of God Himself — "the Lord," "God my Saviour," "He that is mighty," and "Holy is His name." But verses 50 to 55 emphasise what He has done. She mentions His mercy first, then His strength (verse 51), which humbles the pride of the ungodly… Verse 52 shows His rule: He puts down the mighty of this world and exalts the lowly. Verse 53 deals with His administration: He fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich away empty. He reverses the cruel order of the world.

Such honours were not given to many who were "wise according to worldly standards"; "not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth" (1 Cor. 1:26). There have been some from these exalted ranks, but they have been the first and most ready to own that they had no claim at all to such distinction. There is a grand song in the Old Testament, sung by a Spirit-inspired woman who knew something about the ways and grace of God. She sang, "He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honour" (1 Sam. 2:8). Mary, the mother of our Lord, had learnt the same great truth… This is God's way and it magnifies His grace; it is such as these that He blesses.

Mary had no thought of exaltation. She says, "all generations will call me blessed," but not a blesser. She was the object of blessing, not the giver or mediator of it… "He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate" — this alludes to her own place as well as Elizabeth's.

She acknowledges God her Saviour in the grace that has filled her with such joy, while at the same time she owns her utter littleness… she was only great so long as she hid herself, for then God was everything. By making something of herself she would have lost her place; but this she did not.

The parables found only in Luke set before us for the most part the tender compassions of God, and that grace of His which flows out without measure wherever there is need. But notice that this grace only reaches those whose need is clear. The parables, like the whole Gospel, illustrate the words of Mary: "He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty" (1:52-53). These words may be taken as a key to the Gospel.

The world as we see it today is a barren wilderness. In it the lowly are oppressed, the proud are exalted, and unrighteousness prevails… When the glory of the LORD is revealed, He will deliver His downtrodden people. He will exalt "those of humble estate" — "every valley shall be lifted up." He will humble all the pride of man — He will bring down "the mighty from their thrones" — "every mountain and hill be made low"… The pride and unrighteousness of man are not going to triumph for ever, and the godly will not always be a downtrodden and suffering people. Humility ends in exaltation, and suffering leads to glory.

Verse 53 deals with His administration. He fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich away empty. He reverses the cruel order of the world. The law is left entirely out of Mary's prophecy, for here the glory of God and the person of Christ is the theme. What she says applied at the time, and it will apply again at the end of the Tribulation.

In the mercy shown to her she saw a pledge: God will finally exalt those who fear Him and scatter the proud and mighty of this world... She had no thought of Israel having deserved anything under the covenant of law. All depended upon the covenant of promise. The hungry were being filled and the rich dismissed empty. This is ever God's way.

The proud in the imagination of their hearts cannot stand before a holy God in judgment. Neither can the mighty on their thrones, nor the rich, the self-sufficient. God always preaches the gospel to the poor. So it is those of low degree whom He exalts, and the hungry whom He fills with good things. The Lord Himself taught the same lesson: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied." Then, turning to the other side, He said, "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry." (Luke 6:20-26.)

But if the rich man had no desire and so went away empty, He fills the hungry with good things: He preaches the gospel to the poor (Luke 1:53; 4:18). It was the common people who heard Jesus gladly... The search went through the streets and the lanes of the city, and gathered in all the despised of men — "the poor and crippled and blind and lame." This did not exhaust divine grace. The servant said, "Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room."

Matthew Henry: "None are sent away empty from Christ, but those that come to Him full of themselves."

It is need that brings us to Him first, and makes us to know Him; and in His presence the sense of need, need met by Him, is ever maintained. "I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing," is what no soul in the presence of Christ can say. Rich He is; and for us those riches are available; but the richer He is in our eyes, the poorer we are in our own.

The parables found only in Luke are very different from those in Matthew. For the most part they set before us the tender compassions of God, and that grace of His which flows out without measure wherever there is need. But notice that this grace only reaches those whose need is plain. In the parables, as in the whole Gospel, we see the words of Mary, most blessed of women, illustrated. We may take those words as a key to the Gospel.

Mary had no thought of exaltation. She says, "All generations shall call me blessed," but not a blesser. She was the object of blessing, not the giver of it.

The gathering "every morning" speaks of spiritual diligence. It speaks of an ever-present desire for the spiritual growth that only feeding on the manna can give. But the desire must be there on our part... How sad when the things of this world spoil our taste, so that in our hearts we treat this "bread of the mighty" as "light food."

God never bids us seek Him in vain... "He satisfies the longing soul" (Ps. 107:9). God will not let us lose our longing.

pais, 'a child,' regardless of age, and so used for servant. Matthew 8:6, 8, 13; Matthew 14:2; Luke 7:7; Luke 12:45; Luke 15:26; Acts 4:25. The word is applied to Christ in Matthew 12:18; Acts 3:13, 26 (translated 'Son'); Acts 4:27, 30 (translated 'child'); and to Israel and to David in Luke 1:54, 69.

God has remembered His promises to the fathers, which seemed forgotten for so long. They are mercies only, for Israel's complete failure could allow no claim at all. That made them witness all the more to what was in Him, so they could not fail. The help that came to Israel was only the wrapping around a wider purpose of blessing, which the promise to Abraham declared without any conditions.

Notice carefully how mercy is laid as the ground of Israel here. We know the Psalms, so this will be familiar to us. Paul leaves them on this: "In order that they also may be objects of mercy." All this is the true and full ground of Israel's restoration in the latter day, and casts great light on it. It rests on Abraham alone — not on Sinai, not even on Jacob or Israel. It is a present fulfilment of the promise and covenant made to Abraham by mercy, and that mercy comes from on high.

Verse 54 tells of His help to His suffering servant Israel. He remembers mercy after long years of Israel's captivity. This is according to His promise to Abraham and his seed — not according to the covenant of law. Mary's prophecy leaves the law out completely, for here the glory of God and the person of Christ is the theme. What she speaks had direct application at the time and will also have application at the end of the Tribulation.

Mary regards the deliverance as already done — done in the One who was about to be born. So she says that "God has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy; as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever."

Faith gives substance to the things we hope for. The stretches Israel would have to cross before these words came true were dreary. Yet at this moment Mary looked over the accomplishment of all God's purposes of grace for His earthly people.

The character of the thoughts that fill the heart of Mary is Jewish. It reminds us of Hannah's song in 1 Samuel 2, which speaks prophetically of this same blessed intervention of God. But Mary goes back to the promises made to the fathers, and takes in the whole of Israel.

Verses 69-74 recall both the promises to the fathers and the promise to David's house: "He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David… to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to our father Abraham." It is almost needless to say that the earthly blessings were deferred, because the nation rejected Christ.

God has remembered His promises to the fathers, which had seemed forgotten for so long. They are mercies only, for Israel's complete failure could allow no claim at all. All the more did they point to what was in Him, and so they could not fail. The help that came to Israel in fact held within it a purpose of wider blessing, which the promise to Abraham declared without conditions. For in fact the Christ of Israel is the Son of man. The Seed of the woman crushes the serpent's head. Life, righteousness and sanctification are in Him. Crucified in weakness, He is the wisdom of God and the power of God, by grace through faith, alike for all.

She also saw that the coming of her Child would fulfil the promise God made to Abraham — God's unconditional promise. She had no thought of Israel having deserved anything under the covenant of law. All depended upon the covenant of promise. God was filling the hungry and sending the rich away empty. This is always God's way.

"To Abraham" certainly seems to hang upon "to remember mercy," and the "for ever" appears to confirm this. Still, the whole sentence holds together as one idea, for His mercy was much in the promise.

Mary closes her song with the words already mentioned: "He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever." Faith gives substance to what is hoped for. At this moment Mary surveyed the accomplishment of all God's purposes of grace for His earthly people, however bleak the road Israel still had to travel before these words came true. Indeed, everything was both secured and established in the person of Him who was about to be born into this world.

Mary, on the other hand, regards the deliverance as already accomplished — accomplished in the One who was about to be born.

The character of the thoughts that fill Mary's heart is Jewish. It reminds us of Hannah's song in 1 Samuel 2, which speaks prophetically of this same blessed intervention of God. But Mary goes back to the promises made to the fathers, and takes in the whole of Israel.

Again, when Christ came: "as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever" (Luke 1:54-55). Verses 69-74 recall both the promises to the fathers and the promises to David's house: "He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David … to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham." It hardly needs saying that the earthly blessings were put off, because the nation rejected Christ.

What she sang then came from the Holy Spirit, whose power had filled her virgin womb with the Lord's incarnate Christ. Those joyful hopes will come true at the appointed time. For the blessings her song has in view are all secured in Him who was raised from the dead.

With the last notes of her song, the record of all that passed between those two ends for us. Yet for about three months those holy women enjoyed each other's company. Then Mary retraced her steps northward to Nazareth, and Elizabeth's full time drew near for the birth of her son.

Wherever there is a work of grace in souls, they are drawn together in the bonds of divine love. So it was with Mary and Elizabeth. Gabriel had revealed to Mary that God had also visited her cousin Elizabeth. She had a sense of what God would accomplish through her, whether or not she understood the full meaning of what she had been told. And she was made to feel that there was one friend to whom she could pour out her soul.

For three months Mary stayed with her elderly relative, and then returned to her own house. Scripture draws a veil over the conversations of these holy women. But we may be sure they helped one another's faith and joy in the Lord. The visit ended, and Mary went back to her home... Meanwhile, that home was the one spot on earth that drew and held the attention of heaven.

After three months with Elizabeth, she returns to her house. She humbly follows her own path, so that God's ways may be accomplished.

They hide themselves. Nothing enters the scene they move in but piety and grace. But God is there, as little known to the world as these poor women were. He is preparing and accomplishing what the angels long to explore in its depths... They hid themselves. But God had visited their hearts and touched them with His grace, and they answered these wonderful visits from above with their shared piety. The grace of God was truly reflected in the calm of a heart that knew His hand and His greatness, trusting His goodness and bowing to His will. We are favoured: we are let into a scene the world shut itself out of by its unbelief and its distance from God, and in which God was at work.

Notice the character of the remnant God had reserved for Himself. Zacharias and Elizabeth were obedient, keeping all the Lord's commandments blamelessly. Simeon was just and devout. He was in step with God's thoughts, waiting for the consolation of Israel... There was Anna at her prayers, serving God with fasting and prayer night and day. There were Joseph and Mary, simple and devout, governed by the mind of heaven. There was nothing of human greatness in any of these. There was nothing to draw the world's attention. But how highly favoured of God they were!