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Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

ANNUNCIATION*

The angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she would bear a son by the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:26-38).

In spite of the misunderstanding and hardship Mary would have to endure because of her premarital pregnancy, Gabriel greeted her as one “highly favored” or “richly blessed” (Lk 1:28). With fear characteristic of a human being confronted by a heavenly being, Mary “considered . . . what sort of greeting this might be” (Lk 1:29, rsv). Reassuring her, Gabriel said the Lord had chosen her to bring forth a son to be named Jesus.

“Jesus” is the Greek form of the Hebrew name “Joshua,” which means “the Lord is salvation.” Matthew described an angel’s appearance to Joseph also to announce that Mary was pregnant with a child conceived by the Holy Spirit, who would be called Jesus, “for he will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:18-21, NLT).

Using figures of speech drawn from the OT, Gabriel prophesied concerning the child that Mary would bear (Lk 1:32-33). Like John the Baptist, Jesus would be great, but Jesus’ greatness would be of a different kind, for John was to be “great in the sight of the Lord” (Lk 1:15, nasb), but Jesus would be great and be “called the Son of the Most High” (Lk 1:32, NLT).

Jesus would be given the throne of his father David (Lk 1:32). He would receive the sovereignty promised in the OT to the Messiah-King of David’s line, but unlike David, Jesus would reign forever (2 Sm 7:12-16; Pss 2:7; 89:26-29).

Mary’s question, “How can this be, since I have no husband?” (Lk 1:34, rsv) did not express doubt, but curiosity as to the manner in which the event should take place. Gabriel explained that “the power of the Most High,” the Holy Spirit, would “overshadow” Mary, and her child would be conceived by God’s power, like no child before it. Gabriel’s observation to Mary, “For with God nothing will be impossible” echoes the Lord’s word to Sarah when he announced Isaac’s birth (Gn 18:10-14). Because Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, he would be called “holy” and would be recognized as “the Son of God” (Lk 1:35, NLT).

It required courage for Mary to reply to Gabriel, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants” (Lk 1:38, NLT). As a handmaid, or slave, Mary could not but do the will of her master. However, as an unmarried pregnant woman, she faced the possibility of disgrace (Mt 1:19) and even the death penalty (Dt 22:20-24; see Jn 8:3-5). Still Mary realized that because of the mighty thing God would do in her, “generation after generation will call me blessed” (Lk 1:48, NLT).

Since December 25 is celebrated as the traditional date of Christ’s birth, liturgical churches celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation (Incarnation) nine months earlier, on March 25.