Luke 1:37 - Printer Friendly

This simple statement is a beautiful summary of the hope brought by faith in God. Changed lives, victory in hard circumstances, overcoming sin, even eternal salvation, are all possible through a relationship with Jesus Christ (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11; Philippians 4:12–13; Hebrews 5:9).

In its most immediate context, these words are a comfort to Mary, the soon-to-be-mother of Jesus Christ. The angel Gabriel has just explained her role in Messiah's earthly ministry (Luke 1:26–27; 31–33). He has also explained that though she is still a virgin, she will conceive this Child through a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). To emphasize the way God provides the means to fulfill His promises, Gabriel mentions that Mary's relative, Elizabeth, is expecting though she is very old (Luke 1:36). This, as well, was news carried by Gabriel earlier in this chapter (Luke 1:13).

Context, of course, also includes the rest of Scripture, reason, language, and so forth. God's omnipotence is real (Revelation 11:17). Anything which can be done is within His ability (Numbers 11:23). No force or being can override His strength (Job 42:2). His power alone created everything which is or will ever be (Genesis 1:1; Revelation 21:5). At the same time, Gabriel's statement is not meant in some shallow, irrational sense. God cannot contradict His own perfect nature—not because it would be too difficult, but because the concept is meaningless. Like a "square circle" or a "married bachelor," an "imperfect God" does not even reach the level of "impossible," because the idea itself is nonsense.

That "nothing" is impossible for God is true; all things which power can accomplish can be accomplished by God. Other than violating His own goodness, existence, and uniqueness, that includes every "actual" thing we could imagine.

Mary's response to this news will be faithful, trusting submission (Luke 1:38).

Luke 1:26–38 relates how a virgin learned she would miraculously bear the Son of God. The angel Gabriel comes to Mary, who is engaged to a man named Joseph. Gabriel tells Mary that she will bear a son, to be named Jesus. He will be the Promised One long awaited by the people of Israel. Since Mary has never been intimate with a man, God will miraculously conceive the child. Gabriel is the same angel who predicted the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:13), and he informs Mary about this happy occurrence for her relative, Elizabeth. Mary responds in submissive faith. A parallel account is found in Matthew 1:18–25.

The angel Gabriel predicts two miraculous births. The first is a son born to Zechariah and Elizabeth: an older, childless priest and his wife. Because Zechariah initially doubts this message, he is temporarily made unable to speak. Their child will be known as John the Baptist, a powerful herald of the Messiah. The Promised One whom John will proclaim is the second birth predicted by Gabriel. He tells an engaged virgin, Mary, that God will miraculously conceive His Son in her. The two women meet and rejoice over their blessings. John's arrival sets the stage for Luke's familiar account of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Luke was a travelling companion of the apostle Paul (Acts 16:10); his book of Acts is a direct "sequel" to the gospel of Luke (Acts 1:1–3). Those two books make up more than a quarter of the New Testament. Luke begins by explaining how his orderly approach is meant to inspire confidence in Christian faith. His work is based on eyewitness interviews and other evidence. The first chapter details the miraculous conceptions of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Chapter 2 continues with Jesus' birth.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.