Who Is This?

When Jesus told a sinful woman that she was forgiven, the people around began to ask, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" (Luke 7:49). When Jesus gave a command to the storm and the wind stopped, his followers asked the same question: "Who is this?" In the final three lessons we will read passages from the Gospel which help us to see who Jesus really is. In this lesson we will look at Luke 1:26-38.

26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the 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; his kingdom will never end." 34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God." 38 "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

A Message To A Young Woman

God sent an angel with a message to a young woman named Mary. She was told that she would give birth to a child.

1. What name was Mary to give to her child?

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There were three things about the angel’s message which were probably hard for Mary to understand. First, Mary was a virgin (verse 34). Secondly, the angel said that her child would be called "the Son of the Most High" (verse 32). Thirdly, he would reign as a king forever (verse 33). After hearing the angel’s message Mary asked, "How can these things be?" Let us look closely at the angel’s reply in verses 35-37.

The first thing the angel said was, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you." The name "Holy Spirit" reminds us that God is Spirit and has no physical body. We must not forget this, because it shows us that the title "Son of God" does not refer to a physical relationship. Normally when we talk about a father and his son we mean that there is a blood relationship between the two. But that is certainly not what the Gospel means when Jesus is called the Son of God.

The second thing the angel said was, "God’s power will rest upon you." No other power is equal to God’s; nothing can block his will or limit his ability. As he said through the prophet Isaiah, "I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God." So Mary was told that by the power of God all that the angel had said would be true — even things she might not fully understand.

2. Before the angel left Mary he told her one final thing about God (verse 37). What was it?

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3. How would you describe Mary’s attitude as shown in verse 38?

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4. Do you think Mary’s attitude toward God gives a good example for you to follow?

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Go to Lesson 13