Summary
The angel Gabriel goes to Nazareth and tells a young unmarried woman named Mary that God has chosen her to become pregnant and give birth to the Son of God. Although Mary is initially confused and has questions, she eventually consents to what the angel has told her.
Analysis
This passage, commonly called the Annunciation, establishes JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God's saving act for humanity. More as holyHoly is a term that originally meant set apart for the worship or service of God. While the term may refer to people, objects, time, or places, holiness in Judaism and Christianity primarily denotes the realm of the divine More, or set apart, even from his conception. It contributes to the ideas that would in time form the basis of the Christian doctrine of the IncarnationIncarnation literally means "embodied in flesh." It is a Christian doctrine, based on the witness in John's Gospel, that God's Word was made flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. The Apostles' and Nicene Creeds confess the central importance of the incarnation of Jesus. More, the belief that Jesus is fully divine and fully human at the same time.
We learn very little about Mary, such as her age or details about her own family. Given norms around betrothal in her culture, she could be between 12 and 15 years old in this episode. The narrative does reveal that she is in the town of Nazareth, is engaged to Joseph, has “found favor with God,” and has not yet had sexual relations with a man. Her sexual history becomes significant in her conversation with Gabriel, not as a criterion for establishing her holiness or good character, but to make it clear that there is no way she can be or could become pregnant. LukeThe "beloved physician" and companion of Paul. More emphasizes that what happens with her is miraculous, an act of God.
Mary’s final words in this passage underscore her willingness to participate in God’s plan. She is hardly a passive vessel through which the MessiahThe Messiah was the one who, it was believed, would come to free the people of Israel from bondage and exile. In Jewish thought the Messiah is the anticipated one who will come, as prophesied by Isaiah. In Christian thought Jesus of Nazareth is identified... More will enter the world; she consents to be his mother, in all that such a relationship entails.
