Seeds of Faith Podcast

The text for this lesson is Luke 1:26–38.

Key Points

• God favored Mary because of Christ, choosing her to be the mother of the Savior. God favors me because of Christ, choosing me to be His child.
• Law: Like Mary, I deserve nothing from God because of my sinfulness. God grants me unmerited grace and favor because of His Son. God must punish sin.
• Gospel: In His mercy, God sends His Son to take my punishment upon Himself. Because of my sin, I was separated from God. Because of God’s grace and favor, the Lord is with me. On my own, I am sinful and not blessed. Christ blesses me with His presence, just as He did Mary and Elizabeth.

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Discussion Questions

1. Why is it absolutely essential that we maintain that Jesus was conceived without a human father while Mary was a virgin?
2. Gabriel says to Mary in Luke 1:37 that “nothing will be impossible with God.” How could this verse be misused by Christians today? How should we apply it?
3. Is it appropriate to call Mary “the mother of God”?
4. What is the traditional date for observation of the annunciation (Gabriel’s announcement to Mary of Jesus’ conception)? Does your congregation celebrate the annunciation?
5. The angel Gabriel came to both Zechariah and Mary with prophecies of extraordinary births. Compare Zechariah’s response in Luke 1:18 with Mary’s responses in 1:34, 38. How are they different? What could account for the differences between their responses? What can we learn from this comparison?
6. In Luke 1:28, Mary is called “favored one,” and in 1:30 she is told that she has “found favor with God.” What does favor mean? See Genesis 6:5–8 for the first instance of the word favor in the Bible. What caused God to favor Noah? What caused God to favor Mary? How does this shed light that we are justified by grace?
7. Joshua was the successor of Moses and led the children of Israel triumphantly into the Promised Land. His name means “the Lord helps” or “the Lord saves.” In a way, Joshua was a savior of Israel. Jesus is the Greek form of the name Joshua. In Luke 1:31, Gabriel tells Mary that she will call her son Jesus. How does Jesus’ name reveal who He is? See Matthew 1:21. How does Matthew define what kind of Savior Jesus is?
8. Read 2 Samuel 7:11b–16 and Isaiah 9:6–7. The first is a prophecy from the Lord given through the prophet Nathan to King David that there would come after him a King (Messiah or Christ) whose throne would endure forever. The second is a prophecy from Isaiah concerning the Messiah. Compare these prophecies to Luke 1:27, 32–33, 35, and note similar phrases. How does Luke emphasize that Jesus will fulfill the Jewish hope for the long-awaited Messiah? How does he reveal that Jesus is not a mere earthly king but is actually God Himself?
9. The liturgy and confessions that we use in the Church help connect us historically to God’s people of all times. Much of our liturgy is derived from the Psalms, the prayer book of the Old Testament. The Sanctus is from Isaiah 6, the Aaronic Benediction is from Numbers 6, and more Old Testament examples could be given. Of course, New Testament phrases and songs also appear in the liturgy. We also confess our faith through the Apostles’ or Nicene Creeds, which declare what we believe about the God who created the world, redeemed us by the cross of Jesus, and sanctifies us through the Holy Spirit’s continuing work. As we read the Old and New Testaments, we learn that they are truly part of the story of our lives as Christians. Christian doctrines are not just abstract statements disconnected from reality but are living descriptions of God’s gracious dealings with His people of all times. We see an example of this in Mary. Where do we find her in our creeds and liturgy? How does the Church properly remember Mary?
10. In Luke 1:35, Gabriel says to Mary that “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.” Though Jesus is uniquely the Son of God, in what way can all Christians be called “holy” and “sons of God” through the work of the Holy Spirit? See 1 Corinthians 6:11; John 3:5; Galatians 3:26–27; and Romans 8:14–17.
11. A literal translation of Luke 1:28 from the Greek would be “Rejoice, favored woman, the Lord is with you.” Gabriel indicates that the Lord’s favor toward and presence with Mary are cause for rejoicing. In what unique sense was the Lord with Mary? See Matthew 1:23. Where do we find Immanuel today?