Verse 26 Mary lives in a remote town called Nazareth (a city in Galilee), known as “Galilee of Gentiles” because it’s a town with no reputation for religion at all. In fact, it borders heathen (sinful) nations. Jesus is from a town of Gentiles, which is important because remember the message He brings to earth is that He chooses ALL to believe and saves us all, not just the Jews.

Verse 28 Mary has favor with God and now she’s about to receive an amazing blessing.

Birth of Jesus Foretold

Verse 31-33 In describing Jesus, notice here that He will come from that other family line I mentioned at the beginning that was highly honored and blessed. John the Baptist is coming from Aaron’s family line and Jesus will come from David’s family line (don’t think that these family lines didn’t have any sin in them – David committed adultery and murder. But He also sought God like no one else.).

Verse 35  This is what it’s like to be blessed by God. The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Verse 37 For the Word of God will never fail. The ESV Bible says, “For nothing is impossible with God.”

Verse 38 And look at Mary’s response. I can’t believe she was as calm and collected in her mind to just accept the Son of God was going to grow in her virgin belly! She says, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” This changes how I want to respond to God’s promises to me. He promises so much in the Bible to us and it’s easy to dismiss it as a personal promise because we’re looking through our lens on earth of possibilities. We’re looking at how impossible that seems. I want to read those promises and believe those promises in my life like Mary did in her life.

Mary’s blessing fulfills a prophecy from the Old Testament book Isaiah. Isaiah said, “the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)

Mary Visits Elizabeth

Verse 41 This verse is saying Elizabeth fills up with the Holy Spirit as soon as Mary opened her mouth with a greeting and Elizabeth’s baby leaped inside her. Mary didn’t have to tell her cousin the news. The Holy Spirit filled up Elizabeth and made it known that Mary was carrying the Messiah everyone had long-awaited. The Holy Spirit will fill us up with knowledge or understanding of a thing that we could not know on our own. That is one of the Holy Spirit’s attributes.

Another thing I thought about. Elizabeth’s baby is a blessing from God and will do many mighty works for God and when that baby comes in contact with God’s other blessing, which is His Son as a baby boy, the Spirit of God reacts. So much we could talk about here, but it reminds me of when I get around other believers. When they open their mouths and God’s Word comes spilling out, it ignites the Spirit of God in my soul. My heart leaps with excitement because I am full of joy. That doesn’t come when I’m around people who do not have the Spirit of God in them. I might enjoy them as a person, but my heart is not on fire with joy.

Blessed are those who believe

Verse 45 Blessed is Mary because she believed the Lord would do what He said. That’s a totally different reaction than Zechariah (and Elizabeth). Blessed are we when we believe God at His Word, too. There’s a popular faith phrase that says this verse, “Blessed is she who believed.” Blessed souls are believing souls. Blessed are those who believe in God’s Word because the Word will not fail us. God will perform His Word. And the certainty of our belief or faith in God’s promise is clear in our happiness when we build our life on it and expect it.

Those that have experienced the performance of God’s promises themselves should encourage others to hope that he will be as good as his word to them as well. I will tell you what God has done for my soul.

Prayer

Thank you, Father, for the humble beginnings of Jesus, born in a small town with a big mission. Use us in Your mighty ways, God, to turn generations to You. May our children and grandchildren come to know You, Lord, regardless of where or how we grew up. We pray you would find our hearts honorable, like Mary’s. That Your Holy Spirit will come upon us, and the power of the Most High will overshadow us with Your Word and Your Will, God. Nothing is impossible with you, God. We are the Lord’s servant. May everything You will for our lives happen to us, Lord. Holy Spirit, fill us up with knowledge and understanding of things we cannot know on our own, that we may believe all that Your Word has told us. That we may walk in Your ways and carry out Your Will. Surround us with people who speak Your Word and fill us up with Your Spirit so that our hearts rejoice in the goodness we have found in others. Help our spirits be believing souls. We want to experience the blessings that come from living life believing. Fill us up with anticipation, excitement, joy, peace, and hope in all situations because we believe you, Jesus. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.