The Birth of Jesus Foretold

Luke 1:28-47
28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored!
The Lord is with you."

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of
greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.

34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[b] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail."

38 "I am the Lord’s servant," Mary answered. "May your word to me be
fulfilled." Then the angel left her.

Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But
why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!"

Mary’s Song
46 And Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, …….


The angel appeared to Mary with troubling words that her life would never be the same from this point. A girl who became pregnant out of wedlock would have been terrified. The whole social structure was set up for children to be born within marriage. Genealogy and ownership of children was seen as very important. Girls who became pregnant outside marriage would probably have had to leave their homes and their families. I believe that young Mary’s last statement to the angel was ostensibly faithful concealing what must have been sheer terror. When we continually worship and walk with God daily, as I’m sure Mary did, our initial responses to life’s blows can become automatic and faithful.

If we condition ourselves to always respond in Christ we can be assured that we will eventually be comforted by Him. Besides it will drive the devil nuts when he sees that your first response to blows is not fear but faith. But as our faith grows and we begin developing that first faithful response to life’s challenges it is what Mary did next that has practical applicability to our lives, one we can implement immediately irrespective of our initial response. She sought fellowship with likeminded Godly people. Fellowship (prayer meetings, bible studies, Christian concerts etc) is the indispensable means of accomplishing the God given purpose of our lives and our church.


Did you ever wonder why Mary would "hurry" to Elizabeth after the encounter with the angel? To an old woman she hardly knew? Elizabeth is described as a kinswoman (distant relative) to Mary. They were related but they were not close. Mary needed to fellowship. The angel told Mary that Elizabeth too was in an "impossible" situation – she was with child in her old age. They were connected by the miracle works of God much like we Christians are with every other brother and sister in Christ. The miracle of Christ’s birth does the impossible for us – it frees us from the bondage of sin!

When we fellowship things inside of us "leaps’, we find rest and comfort– Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months – and our response to life’s challenges described like that of Mary’s eventual response the beautiful Magnificat :

"My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden,
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on
those who fear Him from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with His arm:
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and exalted those of low degree.
He has filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich He has sent empty away.
He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy;
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His posterity forever."


Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen