VI.
ANNUNCIATION OF THE BIRTH OF JESUS.
(At Nazareth, B. C. 5.)
cLUKE I. 26-38.
c26 Now in the sixth month
[this is the passage from which we learn that John was six months older
than Jesus] the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee,
named Nazareth [Luke alone tells us where Mary lived before the birth
of Jesus. That Nazareth was an unimportant town is shown by the fact that
it is mentioned nowhere in the Old Testament, nor in the Talmud, nor in
Josephus, who mentions two hundred four towns and cities of Galilee. The
way in which Luke introduces Galilee and Nazareth shows that he wrote to
those unfamiliar with Palestine. Compare the conversation at John i. 45,
46. Galilee comprised the lands of Zebulun, Naphtali, Issachar and Asher.
It was rich in trees and pastures. Its people were hardy and warlike],
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man [In the East, the betrothal or engagement
was entered into with much ceremony, and usually took place a year before
the marriage. It was so sacred that the parties entering into it could
not be separated save by a bill of divorcement--Matt. i. 19] to a man
whose name was Joseph, of the house of David [that is, Joseph was of
the house of David]; and the virgin's name was Mary. [The
same as Miriam--Ex. xv. 20.] 28 And
he came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favored, the
Lord is with thee. 29 But she was
greatly troubled at the saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation
this might be. [Whether it meant a present sorrow or joy, for God's
salutations all [14] mean joy, but usually is
in the distant future--Heb. xii. 11; II. Cor. iv. 17, 18.]
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not [the gospel is full of "Fear
nots"; it teaches us that perfect love which casts out fear--I. John iv.
18], for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son,
and shalt call his name JESUS. [The same as Hoshea (Num. xiii. 8),
Joshua, and Jeshua (Zech. iii. 1). It means the "salvation of Jehovah."
It was one of the most common Jewish names, but was given to Jesus by divine
direction because of its fitness--Matt. i. 21.]
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High
[A common Hebrew way of saying "He shall be." Even the evil spirits called
Jesus by this name--Mark v. 7]: and the Lord God shall give unto
him [he shall not receive his kingdom as a bribe from Satan (Matt.
iv. 9), nor win it by force of arms (John xviii. 10, 11, 36; Matt. xxvi.
53), but as the gift of God--Acts ii. 32-36; Phil. ii. 9-11; Matt. xxviii.
18] the throne [see Ps. cxxxii. 11] of his father David [this
must refer to Mary's descent from David, for she is expressly told in verse
35 that her son would have no earthly father]:
33 and he shall reign over the house of Jacob [That is, over the family
or descendants of Jacob; but the expression includes his spiritual, rather
than his carnal, descendants (Gal. iii. 7, 28, 29). This name therefore
includes the Gentiles as the name of a river includes the rivers which
flow into it] forever [Dan. ii. 44; vii. 13, 14, 27; Mic. iv. 7;
Ps. xlv. 6; Heb. i. 8; Rev. xi. 15]; and of his kingdom there
shall be no end. [Isa. vii. 9. Christ shall resign his mediatorial
kingdom to the Father at the close of this dispensation (I. Cor. xv. 24-28);
but as being one with his Father he shall rule forever.]
34 And Mary unto the angel, How shall this be [Her question indicates
surprise, not disbelief. Unlike Zacharias, she asked no sign. The youthful
village maiden, amid her humble daily duties, shows a more ready faith
in the far more startling message than the aged priest in the holy place
of the temple in the atmosphere [15] of the sacred
incense], seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come
upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow [the Spirit
of God is thus spoken of as "brooding over" or overshadowing creation to
develop it--Gen. i. 2] thee [This indicates that the Holy Spirit
himself created the body of Christ (Heb. x. 5). The spirit, or divine nature,
of Christ was from the beginning, and was unbegotten--that is, in the sense
of being created]: wherefore also the holy thing. [the body
of Jesus--Heb. vii. 26; I. Pet. ii. 22] which is begotten [Gal.
iv. 4] shall be called the Son of God. [As the Evangelist is here
talking about the bodily and human nature of Jesus, it is possible that
he may here speak of Jesus as the Son of God in the same sense in which
he called Adam the son of God (ch. iii. 38); that is, his body and human
nature were the direct and miraculous production of the divine power. If
so, we find Jesus called the Son of God in three several senses: 1. Here,
because he was born into the world in a supernatural manner. 2. Elsewhere,
because by his resurrection he was begotten from the dead (Rom. i. 4; Acts
xiii. 33; Ps. ii. 7). 3. Also elsewhere, because of the eternal, immutable,
and unparalleled relationship which he sustains to the Father--John i.
1, 14, 18.] 36 And behold, Elisabeth
thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old age. [The angel
tells of Elisabeth's condition, that it may encourage the faith of Mary,
and lead her to trust in Him with whom nothing is impossible--Jer. xxxii.
17, 27; Gen. xviii. 14; Matt. xix. 26.]
37 For no word from God shall be void of power. [Isa. lv. 11.]
38 And Mary said, Behold, the handmaid [Literally, "slave" or "bondservant."
It is the feminine form of the word which Paul so often applies to himself
(Rom. i. 1; Tit. i. 1). Mary uses it to indicate her submissive and obedient
spirit] of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. [In great
faith she not only believes the promise, but prays for its fulfillment.
She bowed to the will of God like [16] Eli (I.
Sam. iii. 18), and became the mother of Him who prayed, "Not my will, but
thine, be done"--Luke xxii. 42.] And the angel departed from her.
[FFG 14-17]
