Luke 1:26-45; Isaiah
7:10-14
In the Name of the Father and of the
+ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
The angelic
Annunciation to Mary that she would conceive and bear the Son of God is set in
stark contrast to the angelic annunciation to Zechariah that his wife Elizabeth
would conceive and bear a son who would be the forerunner of the coming Son of
God. Both Elizabeth and Mary were unable to conceive, but for very different
reasons: Elizabeth was elderly and was barren, while Mary was young, unmarried,
and was a virgin, perhaps even pre-pubescent. While Mary received the angel’s
announcement immediately and believed, Zechariah did not believe that such a
thing could be possible. This difference is only exacerbated when one considers
that Zechariah was a respected religious leader of the Jewish people, a priest
from the tribe of Levi, who knew the Scriptures and the prophecies of the
coming of the Messiah very well. In comparison, Mary was but a lowly Jewish
girl whom, though she was of David’s lineage, no one would consider special by
any count. Additionally, both Zechariah and Mary were given a sign to confirm
the truth of the angelic message given them. Because he did not believe, and
actually required a sign in order to believe, Zechariah received that sign in
his very own body and was stricken mute, unable to speak, until the promise was
fulfilled. But, because Mary did believe, she did not seek or require a sign.
Nevertheless, a sign was given her: Her cousin Elizabeth, the wife of
Zechariah, who was known to be aged and barren, nevertheless was already in her
sixth month of pregnancy. For, nothing will be impossible with God.
Signs are
funny things. Jesus chastised the Pharisees, specifically, and the Jews in
general, for demanding signs and for refusing to believe without signs. And
yet, the LORD commanded King Ahaz to ask for a sign, and Ahaz refused!
Ironically, to those who believe without the aid of signs, signs are often
granted and given. But, for those who demand signs and refuse to believe
without signs, they are not granted and given. Nevertheless, the LORD gave
Ahaz, and all of Israel, a sign: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a
son, and shall call His Name Immanuel.”
The sign of
the Incarnation and Virgin Birth is a sign that hearkens back to Creation
itself. This is no coincidence. For, as all three persons of the Holy Trinity
were present and active in creation – The Father created. The Son was the
Creative Word that was spoken. And, the Holy Spirit brooded over the waters. – so
too were all three persons of the Holy Trinity present and active in the
Incarnation and Virgin Birth – “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and
the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to
be born will be called holy – the Son of God.”
However, the
presence and work of the Holy Triune God is not the only similarity between Creation
and the Incarnation and Virgin Birth. Both Creation and the Incarnation were
accomplished by the spoken Word of God without any cooperation, decision, or
merit of anyone or anything but God alone. Indeed, Mary confessed this herself
in the Magnificat saying, “He who is mighty has done great things for me, and
holy is His Name.” Indeed, the Incarnation and the Virgin Birth are not so
unlike creatio ex nihilo, creation
out of nothing. For, as the LORD once spoke His creative Word into the
nothingness and created the heavens and earth, light, sun, moon, and stars, and
all things, so did He speak His creative Word into the nothingness of Mary’s
virgin womb, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen
His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
In contrast to
the conception and birth of John, the conception and Incarnation of Jesus did
not involve the seed of a human father, but the heavenly Father spoke His Word
into Mary’s womb. Indeed, Martin Luther famously stated that the organ of
conception in the Incarnation was Mary’s ear. That is to say that, as she heard
the Word of God spoken by the angel Gabriel, she conceived the Christ-child in
her virgin womb. Indeed, the Holy Spirit of God brooded over the virgin waters
of Mary’s womb as the Word was spoken, just as in the beginning. Thus, the
re-creation of this fallen world, broken by sin, was in the manner of its first
creation – by the creative power of God and His Word alone.
Whereas John
the Baptist had a human father and, thus, the inherited corruption of original
sin, Jesus’ Father was God, and His mother a virgin. God was beginning anew, in
His own way, in a way in which no man could claim any credit, in a way which
was simply impossible by any human understanding. Whereas Elizabeth was merely
aged and thought to be barren, stranger things have happened than a woman
becoming pregnant who believed that she couldn’t. However, never has a virgin
become pregnant. Such a thing is impossible, except by God, for whom nothing is
impossible.
When Mary
traveled to visit her cousin Elizabeth, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leapt for
joy at the sound of Mary’s greeting. Indeed, this the angel Gabriel promised to
Zechariah saying, “he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from His
mother’s womb.” Moreover, however, Elizabeth recognized and confessed that her
cousin Mary carried the Son of God within her womb saying, “Blessed are you among
women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me
that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of
your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed
is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her
from the Lord.”
The LORD
commanded King Ahaz, “Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol
or high as heaven.” This was an invitation to ask for the most amazing sign
Ahaz could think of. But, he refused to ask for a sign at all. Though he
feigned piety, Ahaz refused to ask because he lacked faith. He did not love or
trust the LORD, but believed Him to be a malicious trickster attempting to trap
him. Thus, he feared the LORD, but for sinful reasons. In contrast to Ahaz, and
Zechariah, and, too often, ourselves, Mary believed the Word of the LORD and
replied, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to
Your Word.” Thus, Mary is blessed among women, and all generations call her
blessed, for she simply believed, trusted, and received the Word of the LORD.
For this reason, Mary is the perfect icon of Christian faith, which we are to
be thankful for and to emulate in our own lives. Indeed, the Holy Christian
Church is Mary, faithfully receiving
and trusting in the Word of the LORD, and bearing its fruit in our confession
of faith and in works of love.
The child Mary
conceived, the Son she bore, was truly Immanuel, God with us. And, God is with
Mary still, His Mother, His Bride, the Church. The Holy Spirit still broods
over the waters of the Church’s virgin womb, the baptismal font, as the
Father’s Word is spoken and new sons and daughters of God are conceived and are
born again in Christ. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.
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