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.

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?

Key Points

• In the womb of Mary, Jesus, the Son of God, became a man so that we sinful people might become adopted children of God and share in the inheritance of heaven.
• Law: I am sinful at birth, sinful from the time of my conception, and thus spiritually dead. We don’t grow into being sinners any more than we grow into being humans. From the second we are alive, we are also dead spiritually. We join David in his lament: “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”
• Gospel: God’s Son, Jesus, as born sinless in order to take my sin upon Himself and redeem me. The Son of God leaves no part of our lives unredeemed. He crosses every t and dots every i in the human experience. Even as a tiny fetus, a near-microscopic baby, God—Jesus—is our Savior. Holy from the time His mother conceived Him, He makes us holy from the womb to the tomb.

Context

Half a year before Gabriel appeared to Mary, he visited the aged priest Zecharaiah and informed him he would soon become a daddy (Luke 1:5–25). Zecharaiah and his equally old wife, Elizabeth, though childless, would soon cuddle their own diapered bundle of joy. Therefore, this story about Mary begins “In the sizth month…” that is, a half a year after John the Baptist was conceived. The forerunner of Jesus had to be “fore.” He would be born first, the old before the new.

Mary, probably in her early to late teens, lived in Nazareth, a most un-royal city in northern Israel. The Messiah would not be conceived and born in the Israelite equivalent of Hollywood or DC, but to a humble home and family.

Discussion Points and Questions

1. Read Luke 1:26–38. How does Gabriel address Mary? What “title” does he give her? Does Gabriel give any indication why he calls her this?
2. What is Mary’s reaction to this greeting?
3. Read Isaiah 7:14. Compare this with what Gabriel says to Mary in Luke 1:31. What are the similarities and differences you see in these accounts?
4. Let’s look at Gabriel’s description of the rule of Jesus (Luke 1:32–33) in light of words from two Old Testament prophets. Of whom do the prophets speak in these Old Testament passages? How does Jesus fulfill all these things that are promised to David? Read 2 Samuel 7:12–16 and Isaiah 9:6–7.
5. How will Mary conceive and bear a son while she is still a virgin? What is the significance of Jesus being born without an earthly father?
6. Read Romans 5:12–21 and John 3:6. How is this an example of faith? What are some ways that we can express this faith in our own vocations?
7. How are these truths taught in this passage from Luke? What does it mean for us that Jesus is both true God and true man? How is this confession a comfort to us today?
8. What does it mean for us in our daily responsibilities and activities and in those difficult and trying times of illness, sorrow, or conflict? Does God really care about them?

For next week, we will discuss a different visit: the angel’s visit to Joseph. Read Matthew 1:18–25. Compare and contrast this visit with the visit to Mary. How is Joseph’s response similar to Mary’s? How is it different?

Additional CPH Resources

	LifeLight: Luke, Part 1 Enrichment Magazine (20-3655) LifeLight: Luke, Part 1 Leader’s Guide (20-3654) This 9-session study is part of the LifeLight Bible study series of in-depth studies of Bible books. The goal of LifeLight is that through a regular program of in-depth personal and group study of Scripture, more and more Christian adults may grow in their personal faith in Jesus Christ.
	God’s Word for Today: Luke (20-3556) (12 sessions) Luke’s carefully written Gospel, compiled from both oral and written accounts, points to God’s gracious salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.  The peace that Christ has brought to the world enables us to break out in a liturgy of praise.  The salvation story did not end with Christ’s ascension, however; Christ’s Church is called to go to “all nations”-men, women, children, the poor, the sick, and the disenfranchised-proclaiming the victory found only in Jesus Christ.
	People’s Bible Commentary: Luke (12-8228) Christ-centered Bible truths unfold as you read this complete series of commentaries designed for spiritual growth and reading enjoyment. These trustworthy commentaries help you comprehend what you’ve read in Scripture as well as apply it to your life.
	Concordia Commentary Series: Luke 1:1—9:50 (15-6019) This is the first of two volumes that look at the Book of Luke. In these two volumes, the author explores the third Gospel in light of four central themes: Christology sacramentology ecclesiology eschatology. The author recognizes and unfolds Luke’s catechetical purpose in the story of Jesus and helps modern readers to appreciate the rich tapestry of the Gospel of Luke.