Author: Bill Hall

Luke 1:39 “Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,”

   We don’t​ know exactly what city Mary went to when visiting Elizabeth. But the hill country of Judah was just south of Jerusalem. So, this would have been quite a trip for Mary. Nazareth was far north and Mary may have traveled with others since it was a long way. In any case, she does so in a hurry.

Heavenly Father, thank You for protecting us as we travel. We think little of it in this day and time, but travel can be dangerous. Your watch-care is special to us. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:38 “Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.”

   Luke may have interviewed Mary. In any case it seems likely this account came straight from her mouth. And it is a great testimony to her faith.

Heavenly Father, thank You for working in our lives. Sometimes, as with Mary, You ask us to do something big. May we have the faith she had! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:37 “For with God nothing will be impossible.”

   What is the significance of this being in future tense? Why doesn’t Gabriel just say, “Nothing is impossible with God,” and leave it at that? Well the construction of this verse is difficult to explain in English. English doesn’t allow for a double negative. Greek does.
   So, here is my attempt to explain what Gabriel means here. He is saying that every matter that God says in His Word that He will do will be possible. Every matter that He tells us He will handle He will handle. What Gabriel is telling Mary is two-fold. He is telling Mary nothing is impossible for God. But he is also Telling her that God will do what He says He will do.
   It makes me think of the old Listerine commercial. God says what He does, and does what He says!

Heavenly Father, thank You for establishing Your Word. Never have I found Your Word to be incorrect. It is accurate to the highest degree. I can bank on it. I can build a life on it. I can trust my soul to the Truth I find in it. Thank You for Jesus! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:36 “Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.”

   Gabriel tells Mary this to illustrate that the Lord can do anything. But, much more, he told her so that she would be aware of the fact. Her Child and Elizabeth’s son would have a special connection.
   This puts John at least six months older than Jesus.

Heavenly Father, thank You for helping us have faith. And thank You for giving us truth. We will praise You for all of Your remarkable works. Your ways are amazing to us. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:35 “And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”

   By the power of the Father, the process of the Spirit, and the person of the Son, Mary would concieve Divinity in human form. Sublime miracle! We cannot fully comprehend such an event. Yet it is upon this very thing that all of our hopes rest. Without that Holy One which was to be born, we have nothing.

Heavenly Father, never can we ever thank You or praise You enough! Your Son is and was the most wonderful present we could ask for. Grace greater than or sin is the only hope for our future. We praise You for Your love and wisdom. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:34 “Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

   In many cases when people in the Bible asked how something could happen they received rebuke. Zacharias is a perfect case in point. However, Mary is not derided for her question here. Why the difference? Well if ever there were a case that took faith, this was it.
   Zacharias knew that God had given children to the aged before. This was nothing new. His lack of faith illustrated doubt in connection with the story of Abraham and Sarah for example. But Mary’s case, this was something altogether unique. Never before had such a thing occurred, and never again will it. The incarnation stands by itself among miracles. Mary’s confusion was to be expected.
   However, that said, Mary quickly believed when the means was explained to her. Had she doubted after this, we would see a similar rebuke as what we saw with Zacharias.

Heavenly Father, Your Word tells us many wonderful things. But, if we believe this miracle, believing the rest is an easy thing. The incarnation is the most wonderous thing we could concieve. Yet, we know it is just as true as any other part of Your Word. Help us as we proclaim this great truth to others. We will praise You for Your great truth! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:33 “And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

   The claim made here is often dismissed out of hand. Big issues are made out of the incarnation doctrine. Whereas many more simply smudge out the meaning of this arguing that it is flowery or illustrative language.
   But, this is not meant to be taken as anything but literal. His kingdom shall not end. Literally. The reality of eternity is a doctrine of Scripture just as much as the virgin birth is. Jesus will reign forever over humanity as the Second Adam. His authority over mankind will be permanent.

Heavenly Father, help us to step outside of our own limitations of reality. We tend to put ourselves in a box of our own making, and we assume our world should fit there too. Keep us in Your Word, where we can learn to understand real life. Your wisdom extends to the endless future before us. And You alone can guide us into that great expanse. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:32 “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.”

   In commenting upon this passage we would generally focus on the idea of Jesus being the Son of the Highest or the giving of the throne of David to Him. But what about that first little phrase, He will be great? Many have claimed to be great. Many have called themselves great. Many have been said to be great. Yet, is anyone great as He is Great? No. The greatest among the great cannot be compared to Jesus Christ. In his Divinity, Jesus is Great. He is the Son of God, He is the Heir to all things.
   But, in His humanity He is also Great. The world is still trying to understand His wisdom. We are still realizing the depth of His compassion. We are still trying to fathom the great sacrifice of His cross work. The humanity and Divinity of Christ are both perfect, and He is the Great Man.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the Great Man, Jesus Christ. It is wonderful to always have someone to look to for everything in our lives. He reminds us that there is a right way to live. Christ in us gives us hope for each new day, and for an eternity of future. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.”

  We sometimes have trouble believing what God has said. Imagine the faith that Mary had to have! Here she was being told that she would have a child, when she knew that there was no physical way for that to happen without intercourse. Surely as soon as she heard Gabriel state the name that this Person was to have, she began to understand what was unfolding.

Heavenly Father, sometimes we have so much trouble believing You. Help us to remember that You have never broken a single promise, You have never lied even once. Nothing that You have said has been anything less than one hundred percent truth. Thank You for Your faithfulness! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 1:30 “Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”

   This is an interesting parallel to the verse we find back in Genesis regarding Noah. Genesis 6:8 tells us Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. The word here for favor is the same one translated grace in many other places in the New Testament. So the angel is telling Mary she has found grace with God.
   The story of Noah is an important parallel. For just as Noah’s ark was the only hope for the world that then was, Jesus is the only hope for this present world.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the beauty and seamlessness of Your Word. History is one long testimony to Your mighty wisdom. All praise to You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.