Luke 1:38
"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it happen to me according to your word." Then the angel left her.
I am the Lord’s servant
The phrase "I am the Lord’s servant" reflects Mary's humble submission and willingness to serve God. The Greek word for "servant" here is "doulē," which implies a bondservant or slave, indicating complete devotion and obedience. In the historical context, a servant had no rights of their own and was entirely at the disposal of their master. Mary's declaration is a profound expression of her faith and trust in God's plan, echoing the Old Testament figures who identified themselves as servants of the Lord, such as Moses and David. This phrase sets a tone of humility and readiness to fulfill God's will, a model for Christian discipleship.

Mary answered
The act of Mary answering signifies her active participation in God's plan. Unlike other biblical figures who hesitated or doubted when called by God, Mary's response is immediate and affirmative. This highlights her unique role in salvation history and her exemplary faith. The historical context of a young Jewish woman in first-century Palestine responding with such courage and conviction is remarkable, given the societal norms and expectations of women at the time.

May it happen to me
This phrase is a powerful expression of consent and acceptance. The Greek word "genoito" is an optative mood verb, which conveys a wish or desire, often used in prayers. Mary's use of this word indicates her wholehearted agreement with God's plan, despite the personal cost and potential social repercussions. It reflects a deep trust in God's goodness and sovereignty, serving as an inspiration for believers to embrace God's will in their own lives.

according to your word
Mary's reference to "your word" underscores her faith in the message delivered by the angel Gabriel. The Greek term "rhema" refers to a spoken word or utterance, emphasizing the power and authority of God's promises. This phrase connects to the broader biblical theme of God's word as living and active, capable of bringing about His purposes. Mary's trust in God's word is a testament to her faith and an encouragement for believers to rely on the truth and reliability of Scripture.

Then the angel left her
The departure of the angel signifies the completion of the divine message and the beginning of its fulfillment. This moment marks a transition from divine revelation to human action, as Mary now carries the responsibility of bearing the Messiah. The angel's leaving also highlights the solitude and faith required of Mary as she embarks on this extraordinary journey. It serves as a reminder that while divine encounters may be brief, their impact and the call to faithfulness endure.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Mary
A young Jewish woman from Nazareth, chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus. Her response to the angel Gabriel demonstrates her faith and submission to God's will.

2. Angel Gabriel
A messenger of God who delivers the news to Mary that she will conceive and bear a son, Jesus, who will be the Savior of the world.

3. Nazareth
A small town in Galilee where Mary lived. It is significant as the humble setting for the announcement of the birth of the Messiah.

4. The Annunciation
The event where the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will conceive Jesus by the Holy Spirit, marking the beginning of the fulfillment of God's promise of salvation.
Teaching Points
Submission to God's Will
Mary’s response exemplifies complete trust and submission to God’s plan, even when it is beyond human understanding. We are called to trust God’s plans for our lives, even when they are not clear to us.

Faith in Action
Mary’s faith is not passive; it is active and obedient. Our faith should lead us to action, aligning our lives with God’s purposes.

Humility and Servanthood
Mary identifies herself as the Lord’s servant, highlighting the importance of humility in our walk with God. We should approach our relationship with God with a servant’s heart.

Courage in Faith
Accepting God’s will often requires courage, as it did for Mary. We are encouraged to be bold in our faith, trusting that God equips us for the tasks He calls us to.

God’s Sovereignty
The fulfillment of God’s promises through Mary’s life reminds us of His sovereignty and faithfulness. We can trust that God’s plans are perfect and will come to pass.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel challenge or inspire your own faith journey?

2. In what ways can you demonstrate a servant’s heart in your daily life, following Mary’s example?

3. Reflect on a time when you had to trust God’s plan without fully understanding it. How did that experience shape your faith?

4. How can the prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 and its fulfillment in Luke 1:38 strengthen your confidence in the reliability of Scripture?

5. What practical steps can you take to cultivate humility and submission to God’s will in your life, as Mary did?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Isaiah 7:14
This prophecy foretells the virgin birth of Immanuel, which is fulfilled in Mary’s conception of Jesus.

Genesis 22:18
The promise to Abraham that through his offspring all nations will be blessed, which is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus.

Philippians 2:7-8
Jesus' humility and obedience, paralleling Mary's submission to God's will.

1 Samuel 1:11
Hannah's vow and submission to God, similar to Mary's acceptance of God's plan.
Blessedness of ResignationDr. Chalmers.Luke 1:38
Mary's Answer ExhibitsVan Doren.Luke 1:38
Mary's Quiet Acceptance of GreatnessStopford A. Brooke, M. A.Luke 1:38
Ready Acquiescence in God's WillBishop Hall.Luke 1:38
Reasons for Submission to the Will of GodD. Beaumont.Luke 1:38
The Call of GodDean Church., Professor Warfield.Luke 1:38
The Handmaid of the LordJ. Slade, M. A.Luke 1:38
The Life of ConsecrationCanon Body.Luke 1:38
The Beginning of the Creation of GodR.M. Edgar Luke 1:26-38
People
Aaron, Abia, Abijah, David, Elias, Elijah, Elisabeth, Gabriel, Herod, Jacob, Jesus, John, Joseph, Mary, Theophilus, Zacharias, Zechariah
Places
Galilee, Jerusalem, Judea, Nazareth
Topics
Accordance, Angel, Behold, Bondmaid, Bondslave, Departed, Handmaid, Lord's, Maidservant, Maid-servant, Mary, Messenger, Replied, Saying, Servant
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Luke 1:38

     1418   miracles, responses
     5099   Mary, mother of Christ
     5522   servants, work conditions
     5720   mothers, examples
     5746   youth
     7160   servants of the Lord
     8305   meekness
     8604   prayer, response to God

Luke 1:5-38

     5658   boys

Luke 1:26-38

     2515   Christ, birth of
     4112   angels, messengers
     4145   archangels
     5548   speech, divine
     6710   privileges

Luke 1:26-56

     5745   women

Library
July 19 Morning
He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.--LUKE 1:49. Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?--Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.--Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy.--Hallowed be thy name. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people. Who is this
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

August 3 Morning
His mercy is on them that fear Him.--LUKE 1:50. Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. If ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.--The Lord
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

September 9 Morning
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.--LUKE 1:53. Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods and have need of nothing: and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.--When
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

March 24 Morning
Abraham believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.--GEN. 15:6. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him: but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

True Greatness
He shall be great in the sight of the Lord.'--LUKE i. 15. So spake the angel who foretold the birth of John the Baptist. 'In the sight of the Lord'--then men are not on a dead level in His eyes. Though He is so high and we are so low, the country beneath Him that He looks down upon is not flattened to Him, as it is to us from an elevation, but there are greater and smaller men in His sight, too. No epithet is more misused and misapplied than that of 'a great man.' It is flung about indiscriminately
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

The Magnificat
'And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48. For He hath regarded the low estate of His hand-maiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49. For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His name, 50. And His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation. 51. He hath shewed strength with His arm: He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52. He hath put down
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

Elijah Come Again
'There was, in the days of Herod the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren; and they both were now well stricken in years. 8. And it came to pass, that, while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

Zacharias's Hymn
'And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, 68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people, 69. And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David; 70. As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, which have been since the world began; 71. That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 72. To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

The Dayspring from on High
'The day-spring from on high hath visited us, 79. To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.'--LUKE i. 78, 79. As the dawn is ushered in by the notes of birds, so the rising of the Sun of Righteousness was heralded by song, Mary and Zacharias brought their praises and welcome to the unborn Christ, the angels hovered with heavenly music over His cradle, and Simeon took the child in his arms and blessed it. The human members of this
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

Fourteenth Day. The Holy one of God.
Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.'--Luke i. 35. 'We have believed and know that Thou art the Holy One of God.'--John vi. 69. 'The holy one of the Lord'--only once (Ps. cvi. 16) the expression is found in the Old Testament. It is spoken of Aaron, in whom holiness, as far as it could then be revealed, had found its most complete embodiment. The title waited for its fulfilment in Him who alone, in His own person, could perfectly show forth
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

The Angel's Greeting
THE ANGEL'S GREETING St Luke i. 28.--"Hail, thou that art highly favoured among women, the Lord is with thee." Here there are three things to understand: the first, the modesty of the angel; the second, that he thought himself unworthy to accost the Mother of God; the third, that he not only addressed her, but the great multitude of souls who long after God. I affirm that had the Virgin not first borne God spiritually He would never have been born from her in bodily fashion. A certain woman said
Johannes Eckhart—Meister Eckhart's Sermons

Jesus Born the Son of God.
(Christmas Sermon.) "Glory to God in" the Highest, on earth peace; goodwill towards men. Amen." TEXT: LUKE i. 31, 32. "Behold, . . . thou shalt bring forth a Son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High." THESE were the words of promise spoken by the angel to Mary, that Ho whom she should bear should be called the Son of the Highest; and as this promise is after wards brought into direct connection with the statement that the power of the Highest
Friedrich Schleiermacher—Selected Sermons of Schleiermacher

The Key-Note of a Choice Sonnet
But now, having introduced to you her magnificat, we will dwell upon these words, "My soul doth magnify the Lord," and I do earnestly hope that many of us can adopt the language without being guilty of falsehood: we can as truly say as Mary did, "My soul doth magnify the Lord." If there are any of you present to-night who cannot say it, get to your chambers, fall upon your knees, and cry to the Lord to help you to do so; for as long as a man cannot magnify God he is not fit for heaven, where the
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 26: 1880

"The Tender Mercy of Our God"
"His heart is made of tenderness, His bowels melt with love." The main point of this morning's sermon will be to bring out into prominence those few words, "the tender mercy of our God." To me they gleam with kindly light: I see in them a soft radiance, as of those matchless pearls whereof the gates of heaven are made. There is an exceeding melody to my ear as well as to my heart in that word "tender." "Mercy" is music, and "tender mercy" is the most exquisite form of it, especially to a broken heart.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 32: 1886

A Harp of Ten Strings
IT IS VERY CLEAR that Mary was not beginning a new thing; for she speaks in the present tense, and in a tense which seems to have been for a long time present: "My soul doth magnify the Lord." Ever since she had received the wonderful tidings of the choice which God had made of her for her high position, she had begun to magnify the Lord; and when once a soul has a deep sense of God's mercy, and begins magnifying him, there is no end to it. This grows by what it feeds upon: the more you magnify God,
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891

The Judgment Upon Zacharias
UNBELIEF is everywhere a great sin, and a grievous mistake. Unbelief has proved the ruin of those countless multitudes who, having heard the gospel, rejected it, died in their sins, have been consigned to the place of torment, and await the fiercer judgment of the last day. I might ask the question concerning this innumerable host, "Who slew all these?" The answer would be, "Unbelief." And when unbelief comes into the Christian's heart, as it does at times--for the truest believer has his times of
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 62: 1916

Of Fervent Love and Vehement Desire of Receiving Christ
The Voice of the Disciple With the deepest devotion and fervent love, with all affection and fervour of heart, I long to receive Thee, O Lord, even as many Saints and devout persons have desired Thee in communicating, who were altogether well pleasing to Thee by their sanctity of life, and dwelt in all ardent devotion. O my God, Eternal Love, my whole Good, Happiness without measure, I long to receive Thee with the most vehement desire and becoming reverence which any Saint ever had or could have.
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

Prayer and Consecration
"Eudamidas, a citizen of Corinth, died in poverty; but having two wealthy friends, Arctæus and Carixenus, left the following testament: In virtue of my last will, I bequeath to Arctæus my mother and to Carixenus my daughter to be taken home to their houses and supported for the remainder of their lives. This testament occasioned much mirth and laughter. The two legatees were pleased and affectionately executed the will. If heathens trusted each other, why should not I cherish a far greater
Edward M. Bounds—The Essentials of Prayer

Luke's Preface and Dedication.
^C Luke I. 1-4. [1] ^c 1 Forasmuch as many [of whom we know nothing and have even no tradition] have taken in hand to draw up a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled [completed, or accomplished according to the divine will] among us, 2 even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses [the apostles were necessarily such and there were some few others--Acts i. 21-23] and ministers of the word [the apostles were ministers, and not ecclesiastical
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Annunciation of the Birth of Jesus.
(at Nazareth, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke I. 26-38. ^c 26 Now in the sixth month [this is the passage from which we learn that John was six months older than Jesus] the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth [Luke alone tells us where Mary lived before the birth of Jesus. That Nazareth was an unimportant town is shown by the fact that it is mentioned nowhere in the Old Testament, nor in the Talmud, nor in Josephus, who mentions two hundred four towns and cities of Galilee. The
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Mary, Future Mother of Jesus, visits Elisabeth, Future Mother of John the Baptist.
(in the Hill Country of Judæa, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke I. 39-56. ^c 39 And Mary arose in these days [within a week or two after the angel appeared to her] and went into the hill country [the district of Judah lying south of Jerusalem, of which the city of Hebron was the center] with haste [she fled to those whom God had inspired, so that they could understand her condition and know her innocence--to those who were as Joseph needed to be inspired, that he might understand--Matt. i. 18-25], into a city
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Annunciation to Zacharias of the Birth of John the Baptist.
(at Jerusalem. Probably b.c. 6.) ^C Luke I. 5-25. ^c 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa [a Jewish proselyte, an Idumæan or Edomite by birth, founder of the Herodian family, king of Judæa from b.c. 40 to a.d. 4, made such by the Roman Senate on the recommendation of Mark Antony and Octavius Cæsar], a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course [David divided the priests into twenty-four bodies or courses, each course serving in rotation one week in the temple
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Birth and Early Life of John the Baptist.
(Hill Country of Judæa, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke I. 57-80. ^c 57 Now Elisabeth's time was fulfilled that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. 58 And her neighbors and her kinsfolk heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her [mercy in granting a child; great mercy in granting so illustrious a child] ; and they rejoiced with her. 59 And it came to pass on the eighth day [See Gen. xvii. 12; Lev. xii. 3; Phil. iii. 5. Male children were named at their circumcision, probably
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

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