Luke 1:34-38
"Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her," Luke 1:34-38.
Mary has listened to all that the angel Gabriel has said in verses 28-33. She has taken in his words, and it is obvious she is analyzing them. In verse 34 she askes a logical question, "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" At an early age she would understand how someone became pregnant. Though she was espoused to Joseph, they had not yet had the official marriage ceremony, nor had they had any kind of sexual contact. Mary was pure; she was a virgin having never known a man. Notice the word "know" in verse 34. It means to lie with a person of another sex as spoken of a man, or woman. To be intimate as a husband and wife. Mary had never been involved in any sexual activities, so this makes her question a logical one. She knew that it was impossible for a woman to become pregnant without a man's involvement.
"And the angle answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God," Luke 1:35. "The Holy" in this verse is the Greek word "Hagios" and means Holy, hallowed, worthy of reverence and veneration. He is worthy of our worship. "Ghost" in verse 35 is the Greek word "Pneuma" and speaks of the Spirit of God. In the New Testament, referred to as "the Spirit of God", "the Holy Spirit," in an absolute sense as "the Spirit." The Holy Spirit is everywhere represented as being in intimate union with God the Father and God the Son. He is the Third Person of the Holy Trinity. He is Eternal; He has always been. He effectually calls all who have been and will be saved. He dwells in every Christian. He illuminates and empowers us, remains with us, imparts to us spiritual knowledge, aid, consolation, sanctification, and makes intercession with and for us. He gives to each Christian spiritual gifts according to His will to be used in and through the local church for our good and for God's glory. Every believe is covered, sealed, and secured by the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. It is impossible to live the Christian life apart from the Holy Spirit. In our text we see His role in the miraculous conception of the Lord Jesus Christ in the womb of the virgin Mary.
Angel Gabriel explains to Mary how this can be. "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee." This is speaking of the Holy Ghost descending upon Mary. He is hovering eagle-like over Mary. This is the same thing the Holy Spirit did during creation in Genesis 1:2. In Genesis 1:2, the Holy Spirit is making the earth into a habitation for human beings. This was His lifegiving role. The Holy Spirit "moved" upon Mary in the creating of the human body of Jesus Christ inside the womb of Mary. This can only be done by the power of the Highest. "Power" in this verse is the Greek word "dunamis" and means the great power of God, meaning His Almighty energy, force; specially miraculous power. "Of the Highest" is the Supreme God. This again is referring to the Hypostatic Union. Jesus Christ is truly God and truly man. The Eternal Son of God became flesh (John 1:1-3, 14). Why is this so important to understand? This is fulfillment of the prophecy given in Genesis 3:15 that One would come of the seed of the woman who would crush satan's kingdom. We know that satan is more powerful than any mere man, nor is satan scared of any mere man, so, the One Who was promised to come must be more than just a mere man. The One to come must be more than the One who will crush satan's kingdom, He must also be able to reconcile God and man. Only a perfect man can stand in the place of other men to reconcile them to Holy God.
The miracle conception of Jesus Christ is different from any other conception ever. The conception of John the Baptist was miraculous in that God gave Elisabeth the ability to conceive. God opened her womb. Her husband, Zechariah, came home from his priestly duties, they were intimate, she conceived. Man was involved in the conception. Not so with the conception of our Lord. John the Baptist, like everyone else, was conceived in sin. At conception he was in need of the Saviour. At conception, Jesus Christ was the Saviour.
Notice how Jesus Christ's humanity was in the womb, "that holy thing". This is the Greek word "Hagios" and means holy, hallowed, worthy of reverence and veneration. "The unique means of Christ's incarnation is related to His exemption from the guilt and defilement brought by Adam upon all his descendants by his violation of the covenant of works in Eden. Jesus' conception in a virgin's womb also attests to His unique person as the eternal divine Son, who now takes to Himself a real and full human nature." Again, the Hypostatic Union. Christ took upon Himself a sinless human nature. No one else who has ever been or will be born can claim this (Romans 5:12).
Mary's offspring shall be called the Son of God. Christ derives His human nature directly from God, and not by ordinary generation. God is the Supreme Divinity. Jesus Christ is the God man, Immanuel, God with us. The human nature of Jesus Christ is sinless because He is the only begotten Son of God. Though Christ was in the womb of Mary, He did not inherit anything sinful from her.
Verses 36-37 refer back to Mary's question in verse 34. God is able to do what He said He would do. Mary took God at His word. She did not request a sign; she did not lay out a fleece, she simply believed (verse 45). Notice her response in verse 38, "And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her." The word "handmaid" in this verse is the Greek word "doule" and simply means a female slave. Mary did not view herself as someone who deserved to carry the Son of God. From this point forward, her life would be radically different. Her life would be full of blessings, pain, and sufferings. Through her life we see the providence, protection, and provision of God.
No one will ever again carry the eternal Son of God in their womb. Christ does dwell in every believer by the person and power of the Holy Ghost. When He takes up residence inside of us, He radically transforms us. This change is a lasting change. This is accomplished by the power of God, with no man involved. There are human instruments that carry the message of Christ to others, but only God can quicken us. Mary may not have fully understood everything, but she knew Christ lived in her. Her trust was in the Promise of God. Have you trusted Christ alone to save your soul? If you have, then there will be undeniable evidences produced by your lifestyle (I Corinthians 6:9-11). Lord help us to be slaves for You.
Please send questions and comments to richardsonbaptistchurch@gmail.com. Soli Deo Gloria.
