Luke 1:30 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

NIV: But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.

NASB: And the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

CSB: Then the angel told her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

NLT: Don’t be afraid, Mary,' the angel told her, 'for you have found favor with God!

KJV: And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

NKJV: Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

Gabriel's reassurance to Mary (Luke 1:26–27) addresses the natural fear a person might suffer when confronted with a powerful angel (Luke 2:10; Matthew 28:4; Acts 10:3–4). It also repeats part of his initial greeting (Luke 1:28) and eases her anxiety about what God is about to expect of her (Luke 1:29). Her role will be relatively passive, but incredibly important. Being chosen for this function in God's plan is a great honor and blessing: Mary is "highly favored," indeed.

Mary's role will fulfill prophecy. The Child she bears will be Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and the Son of God (Luke 1:31–33). Mary is a virgin, who has never been intimate with any man (Luke 1:34), matching predictions that the Promised One would be virgin-born (Isaiah 7:14). Both Mary (Luke 3:23–38) and her husband (Matthew 1:1–17) are part of the house of David. This is the family from which the Lord said the Savior would come (2 Samuel 7:12–16; Isaiah 9:6–7).

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.

Accessed 5/11/2024 2:30:59 PM