Luke 1:26-35

Context

Chapter 1 of the Gospel of Luke sets two birth announcements side by side. First, Gabriel announces the birth of John the Baptist to the priest Zacharias in the temple (Luke 1:5-25). The present passage then describes how, "in the sixth month," the same angel came to Mary in Nazareth of Galilee. "The sixth month" refers to the sixth month of Elisabeth's pregnancy. Mary was betrothed (pledged to be married) to Joseph, of the house of David. The scene is commonly called the Annunciation (the announcement of the conception beforehand). In the following verse, verse 38, Mary answers, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word."

Interpretation

• Testimony to the virgin birth: Most denominations read verses 34-35 as testimony that Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit without relations with a man. The passage serves as a basis for the line in the Apostles' Creed, "conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary." Some interpreters hear in the word "overshadow" an echo of the scene in Exodus in which the cloud covered the tabernacle.
• The promise of messianic kingship: The phrases "the throne of his father David" and "of his kingdom there shall be no end" in verses 32-33 are read as continuing 2 Samuel 7, where David is promised an everlasting throne. In this reading, Jesus is presented as the promised king.
• Son of God: Verse 35 links the title "Son of God" to the manner of Jesus' conception. For this reason the verse is often cited in discussions of the Incarnation (God becoming man).

Debates and Issues

• Mary's status: The Catholic Church follows the Latin Vulgate's rendering of verse 28, "full of grace," and uses it as the opening of the Hail Mary. It also cites the verse as one of the biblical foundations for the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, proclaimed in 1854. Protestantism reads the same expression as describing one who has received God's grace. Protestants honor Mary as an example of faith and obedience but do not regard her as an object of veneration or intercession.
• Verse 34, "I know not a man": Some in the Catholic tradition have read these words as expressing an intention to remain a virgin for life. Protestants generally take them as describing her present state of not yet being married.
• Historicity: Some strands of twentieth-century liberal theology interpreted the virgin birth as a confessional or symbolic expression. Fundamentalism, by contrast, counted it among the essential doctrines that could not be conceded. The major Korean denominations generally accept it as historical fact in keeping with the confession of the Apostles' Creed.
• Translation: The Greek greeting chaire in verse 28 is an everyday salutation that also carries the sense of "rejoice." Accordingly, the Korean Revised Version tradition renders it as "be at peace," while some other translations lean toward "rejoice."

In the Korean Church

The passage is frequently used as a sermon text during Advent and Christmas. The Annunciation scene is also commonly reenacted in Sunday school Christmas pageants. Paired with Mary's response in verse 38, it is often used in sermons emphasizing obedience and dedication.

Related Passages

• Matthew 1:22-23
• Isaiah 7:14
• 2 Samuel 7:12-16
• Exodus 40:34-35
• Galatians 4:4