Page 19 - August 2025 - Truth & Tidings

t wasn’t long before Gabriel was com- and the virgin’s name was Mary” (v27).
missioned again. Only a few months From prophet to priest to peasant. Mary
Ihad passed since his appearance to was just a teenager, perhaps between 13
Zacharias in the temple, and now he was and 18 years old. She was a nobody from
needed once more. But Gabriel wasn’t the a nothing town in the middle of nowhere.
only one busy. In addition to her daily Truly, God’s ways are not our ways (Isa
routine of work, Mary was getting ready 55:8).
for the big day. She had been betrothed to Other than her location in Nazareth,
a carpenter named Joseph and was antici- we do not know exactly where Mary was
pating with joy being together with him at when the annunciation began. “And the
last. There would be plenty of work to do angel came in unto her, and said, Hail,
as their wedding day approached, but it thou that art highly favored, the Lord
was delightful preparation. And then an is with thee: blessed art thou among
extraordinary visit transformed her very women” (Luk 1:28). Interestingly, Mary
ordinary life. did not seem rattled by Gabriel’s appear-
ance, as Zacharias had been (v12). She
Mission to Nowhere (1:26-29) was troubled more by what he said: “And
It was time to send Gabriel again. His when she saw him, she was troubled at his
previous visits had been to rather notable saying, and cast in her mind what manner
places: beautiful Babylon and the recently of salutation this should be” (v29). The
enhanced temple in Jerusalem. What greeting was certainly pleasant, but a bit
would be next? “The angel Gabriel was confusing to her. How was Mary highly
sent from God unto a city of Galilee, favored? In what way was the Lord with
named Nazareth” (Luk 1:26). Nazareth? her? Had Gabriel appeared to the wrong
1
A town of maybe 500 people in the middle person? As the narrative unfolds, it be-
of nowhere? Nazareth is never mentioned comes clear just how “highly favored” and
in the Old Testament. The Jewish histo- “blessed” Mary was. Out of the billions of
rian, Flavius Josephus, never referred to women who have lived upon this earth,
it in his writings nor did any other early Mary would be the only one to carry in
Jewish writers. Nathanael would later ask her womb the holy Son of God.
Philip, “Can there any good thing come Reign in the Forecast (1:30-33)
out of Nazareth?” (Joh 1:46). It was a
nothing town. Yet God sent Gabriel there. Gabriel went on to describe to Mary in
Gabriel’s past appearances had been what way she had “found favor with God”
to rather notable people: the respected ad- (v31). “And, behold, thou shalt conceive
ministrator and prophet Daniel, and the in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and
venerated priest Zacharias. A prophet and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be
a priest. Would a king be next? No. He was great, and shall be called the Son of the
sent “to a virgin espoused to a man whose Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto
name was Joseph, of the house of David; him the throne of his father David: And
he shall reign over the house of Jacob for
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the KJV ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no
unless otherwise noted. end” (vv31-33). This is a staggering list of
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