The content discusses an angel’s announcement to Mary about the birth of Jesus, highlighting her faith and praise. It also introduces John the Baptist, who would herald Jesus as the Messiah.
The message encourages listeners to rethink their idea of greatness from God’s perspective. This teaching, part of a series on Luke’s Gospel by Skip Heitzig from Calvary Albuquerque, offers deep reflections on these biblical events and their implications for modern faith.
Birth of Jesus Foretold
Luke 1:26-38
Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary.
28 Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favoured one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!”
29 But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be.
30 The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. 31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and give birth to a son, and will call his name ‘Jesus.’ 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom.”
34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God. 36 Behold, Elizabeth, your relative, also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing spoken by God is impossible.”
38 Mary said, “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” The angel departed from her.
Mary Visits Elizabeth
Luke 1:39-45
Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah, 40 and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
42 She called out with a loud voice, and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 Why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy! 45 Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfilment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”
Mary’s Song of Praise: The Magnificat
Luke 1:46-56
Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord. 47 My spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour, 48 for he has looked at the humble state of his servant. For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed.
49 ”For he who is mighty has done great things for me. Holy is his name. 50 His mercy is for generations of generations on those who fear him.
51 ”He has shown strength with his arm. He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He has put down princes from their thrones. And has exalted the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things. He has sent the rich away empty.
54 ”He has given help to Israel, his servant, that he might remember mercy, 55 As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring forever.”
56 Mary stayed with her for about three months, and then returned to her house.
Elizabeth Gives Birth to a Son
Luke 1:57-66
Now the time that Elizabeth should give birth was fulfilled, and she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbours and her relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 On the eighth day, they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. 60 His mother answered, “Not so; but he will be called John.”
61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”
62 They made signs to his father, what he would have him called. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and wrote, “His name is John.” They all marvelled.
64 His mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue freed, and he spoke, blessing God. 65 Fear came on all who lived around them, and all these sayings were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea.
66 All who heard them laid them up in their heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” The hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah’s Prophecy
Luke 1:67-80
His father, Zacharias, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying,
68 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people; 69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70 (as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets who have been from of old), 71 salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us; 72 to show mercy towards our fathers, to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath which he swore to Abraham, our father, 74 to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
76 “And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, 77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins, 78 because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dawn from on high will visit us, 79 to shine on those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 The child was growing, and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the desert until the day of his public appearance to Israel.