The Annunciation is the event described in the Bible where the angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary that she will conceive and become the mother of Jesus, the Son of God. This event is described in Luke 1:26-38:
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 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, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
So in summary, the key points about the Annunciation are:
- It occurred when the angel Gabriel visited Mary in Nazareth to tell her she would give birth to Jesus.
- This happened while Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they came to live together as husband and wife.
- Gabriel told Mary she had found favor with God and would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit.
- Mary was initially afraid and questioned how this could happen since she was a virgin.
- Gabriel explained that the child would be the Son of God and nothing is impossible with God.
- Mary humbly submitted to God’s will despite her confusion about how it would happen.
- This marks the moment when God became incarnate as Jesus in Mary’s womb through the Holy Spirit, not through relations with her betrothed husband.
Background on Mary
Mary was a young woman, likely in her teens, engaged to be married to Joseph of Nazareth. They both belonged to the tribe of Judah and the lineage of David. Nazareth was a small, obscure village in the region of Galilee, to the north of Jerusalem. Mary is referred to as a “virgin” which means she had not had sexual relations with any man, including her fiance Joseph.
She came from a humble family and pledged to remain a virgin devoted to God. But now God had chosen her for the amazing purpose of bearing the Savior of the world. This would require her willing participation and great personal sacrifice. Though confused and afraid, Mary courageously trusted God and surrendered to His plan for her life.
Why Gabriel’s Announcement Troubled Mary
Gabriel greeted Mary with the words “Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But instead of being immediately excited, Luke 1:29 says she was “greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.” Why was she so unsettled rather than thrilled at this news?
First, it was likely shocking and frightening to have an angel suddenly appear and speak to her. Second, his greeting indicated she had found unusual favor with God, which was perplexing to her. Third, she knew the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 foretelling a virgin would bear a son called Immanuel, meaning “God with us.” So perhaps she feared Gabriel meant she would soon lose her virginity and become pregnant.
Gabriel had to reassure her not to be afraid. God had chosen her to carry out His amazing plan, not for any wrong reason, but simply because she was His favored one. Once Gabriel explained she would conceive through the power of the Holy Spirit rather than natural means, she felt comforted to proceed with God’s will.
The Significance of Gabriel’s Message
This annunciation marked a major turning point in redemptive history. God was now launching His long-awaited plan to rescue sinners and restore His broken creation. After thousands of years of waiting and prophesying, the promise of Genesis 3:15 that a Savior would come was finally being fulfilled.
Gabriel’s announcement contained several key revelations about Jesus Christ, the coming Messiah:
- He would be called Jesus, meaning “Yahweh saves” because He would save His people from their sins.
- He would be the Son of God, not just in a royal sense but actually God in human flesh – Immanuel.
- He would be given the throne of His ancestor David and establish an eternal messianic kingdom.
- Despite His exalted identity, He would identify with mankind as Mary’s own child.
This incarnation of God into humble human form is central to the gospel. Only if Jesus was fully God could His life and death provide infinite atonement for sin. And only as fully human could He represent mankind and be our substitutionary sacrifice for sin. The Annunciation marks the start of the mind-blowing supernatural mystery of the incarnation.
Mary’s Response of Faith and Submission
Despite her natural hesitation, Mary did not ultimately doubt Gabriel’s shocking announcement, but received it with faith. Her response, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38), is a model of humble surrender to God’s calling. She referred to herself as God’s “servant,” echoing Isaiah’s prophecies of the Servant of the LORD (Isaiah 42:1). Her attitude is like that commended by Jesus: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28).
Mary believed God’s word through Gabriel and submitted to His plan for her life, despite her unanswered questions. Though the journey ahead would be lonely and painful, she trusted that what God had said would come to pass. With the attitude of a servant, she courageously yielded her life to God’s purposes.
Joseph’s Initial Reaction of Confusion
After the angel’s visit, Mary eagerly went to stay with her relative Elizabeth who was also pregnant by God’s supernatural intervention. When Mary returned from this three month visit, she was carrying the child Jesus conceived by the Holy Spirit. But her fiance Joseph didn’t know what had happened. Matthew 1:18-19 tells us:
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
Betrothal in Jewish culture was a binding legal agreement like marriage except the couple did not yet live together. So when Joseph saw Mary was pregnant, he naturally assumed the worst – that she had been unfaithful. But being a gracious man, he planned to divorce her quietly rather than put her to public shame.
Then an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, explaining, “that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20). Comforted with the truth, Joseph took Mary to be his wife and accepted the responsibility of raising Jesus as his own son.
The Importance of the Virgin Birth
The Annunciation and Virgin Birth teach that Jesus had no human biological father. This doctrine is foundational because it proves Jesus’ full deity and sinless humanity. Had Jesus been conceived naturally, He would have inherited original sin from an earthly father’s line. But instead, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in Mary’s womb and born without any inherited sin.
Both Matthew and Luke provide historical evidence of the virgin birth, including:
- Luke’s account of Gabriel’s announcement to Mary before conception.
- Matthew’s account of Joseph’s crisis over Mary’s pregnancy.
- Their quotation of Isaiah 7:14’s prophecy that the Messiah would be born of a virgin.
- The Gospels’ portrayal of Jesus as sinless, which implies a miraculous birth.
In addition, the rest of Scripture confirms the accuracy and importance of the virgin birth:
- Multiple prophecies depict the Messiah as both God and man (Isaiah 9:6-7).
- The doctrine of original sin necessitates a sinless Savior conceived supernaturally.
- Statements about Jesus’ unique sonship point to a special birth (John 3:16).
- The angel told Joseph “that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20).
- Luke records Mary’s confusion about how she could get pregnant while a virgin (Luke 1:34).
So Scripture unambiguously affirms that Jesus was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit when she was still a virgin. This miracle was necessary for Him to be the uniquely holy God-Man who could redeem sinners.
Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth
After Gabriel left, Mary went to visit her relative Elizabeth, who was six months pregnant with John the Baptist. Elizabeth greeted Mary saying, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!…And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:42-43). Elizabeth recognized that Mary was carrying the Messiah.
Mary responded with her famous Magnificat, a song of praise to God for choosing her for this holy calling (Luke 1:46-55). Despite being from a humble background, she would be remembered as the mother of the Lord. This visit confirmed Elizabeth’s own miraculous pregnancy and must have greatly encouraged Mary.
The Purpose and Outcome of Christ’s Birth
Gabriel explained the grand purpose of Jesus’ birth to both Mary and Joseph. He reminded them of Old Testament prophecies that had foretold the Messiah’s coming for centuries. His birth fulfilled all the anticipations and promises about a coming Deliverer who would defeat Satan, save sinners, establish God’s kingdom, and gloriously reign forever.
Looking back in light of Christ’s finished work, we now understand the full meaning behind Gabriel’s announcement. The outcome of this miraculous conception was the incarnation of God Himself in human flesh. Jesus lived a perfect life, died sacrificially for sin, rose victoriously over death, and offers forgiveness and eternal life to all who repent and believe in Him as Lord and Savior.
The humble circumstances of Jesus’ birth were just the quiet start of a life that would turn the world upside down. The Annunciation marked the pivotal beginning of the most important event human history has ever witnessed – the arrival of the divine-human Savior of the world.