Lanse Evangelical Free Church
December 21, 2025 :: Luke 1:26-55
There is a theological word that we all need to know and understand to properly respond to this passage of holy Scripture.
You ready?
Here’s the word. It’s three letters: W-O-W.
Wow!
Are you familiar with that word? Wow! Go ahead and practice it. We’re going to be using it a lot this morning. Wow! Wow! Wow!
Because this story is sort of familiar, we can lost sight of how WOW it really is.
This story is the announcement by an angel (wow!) to that humble young Jewish woman named Mary that the first Christmas was coming, that the Christ was coming, not just someday but now, and not just to her house, but to her very womb. Wow!
In this story, Mary is going to find out that she is going to be pregnant with a very special child. In fact, she’s going to be told that her son is going to be called “The Son of the Most High.” Wow!
Let’s see it for ourselves in the Bible. Luke chapter 1.
Luke has already told the story of another angelic visit to a man named Zechariah to announce the coming birth of his special son, John the Baptist. Zechariah was doing temple duty at the altar of incense when the angel appeared and told him that his very old wife Elizabeth was going to bear him a son. Zech didn't really believe the angel and was made unable to speak until John was born. But Elizabeth then did become pregnant as predicted and lived in seclusion for five months. And then our story for today begins. V.26
“In the sixth month [of Elizabeth’s pregnancy], God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.”
God is up to something special. And He announces it to this precious young woman. Probably 12 or 13 years old? Her name is Mary. She’s pledged to be married. That’s more than an engagement and less than a marriage. She and Joseph are betrothed–exclusively promised to one another–but have not yet come together physically as husband and wife. She is a virgin.
And she lives in a little backwoods dot on the map called Nazareth. It’s Nowheresville.
And it’s to that young virgin in that tiny place that God sends an angel named Gabriel.
Now we’ve already met Gabriel in our studies this year. Where did we meet Gabriel earlier this year? Anybody remember? Only two angels are named in the Bible. Michael and Gabriel. And where did meet Gabriel?
Back in the book of Daniel! Chapter 8 and chapter 9 and perhaps chapter 10.
In Daniel chapter 8, Daniel had a vision that he was not in Babylon but in Susa where Esther and Mordecai were to live, and he had this vision of a ram and a goat. Remember that? And then God sent Gabriel to explain the vision to Daniel. And when Daniel (who saw so many amazing things in his life) saw the angel Gabriel, he was terrified and fell flat on his face! Wow! He hit the dirt. Gabriel had to pick him up.
Imagine if one of the two angels named in the Bible showed up at your house, what would you think? What would you do? Verse 28.
“The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.’”
Wow! This angelic being shows up and says, “Hi there!” And He says, “You are highly favored.” The Greek word there is “charitoo” which comes from the word for grace, which is a gift.
Gabriel is basically saying, “God has such a gift for you, Mary!”
In fact, the word translated “Greetings” is also derived from that same word for grace, and it’s often translated “rejoice” because you’ve been so graced, so gifted by God.
“Grace to you, O graced one!”
Here’s how gifted you are, “The Lord is with you.”
And Gabriel means that in a special way for Mary that has never been true for another person and never will be again. “The Lord is with you.” Wow!
Can you imagine what Mary must have felt?
I think she was wigged out. Look at verse 29.
“Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. [What is going on here?!] But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God [God has a gift for you. Here’s what it is...]. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 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, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end’” (30-33).
Say it with me, now! Wow! Just wow. If you don’t think that is WOW then there’s something wrong with you.
An angel has shown up and told this young woman that she’s going to have a baby. And she’s supposed to name him, “Jesus,” which means “Yahweh saves,” “The LORD saves.” And He’s going to be great. In fact, He’s going to be a king! He’s going to inherit the throne of his ancestor King David.
In chapter 3, the gospelwriter Luke is going to lay out Jesus’ genealogical claim to the throne.
This is the throne that was promised a thousand years before this moment by God to King David in 2 Samuel 7. The throne of Jacob, also known as Israel.
He’s going to be king over Israel even though his mother is from Nazareth?
And not just any king, but a forever king! Gabriel says (v.33), “his kingdom will never end.”
And that’s not hyperbole. That’s not an exaggeration! Gabriel expects this son of Mary’s to rule forever and ever and ever and ever and ever. Wow!
This Son is going to be the fulfillment Daniel 7:14. Our memory verse from earlier this year. Joe just led us in reciting it once more.
Remember Daniel had this frightening vision of all of these terrible beasts attacking the people of God. But then He saw the Ancient of Days seated on His throne, untroubled by any beast. Sovereignly ruling over everything.
And then Daniel saw somebody else enter his vision. He said, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” (Dan. 7:13-14).
Gabriel says, “That Son of Man is going to be in your womb, Mary.”
And “His kingdom will never end.”
In fact, He’s not just the Son of Man. He’s the (v.32) “Son of the Most High.” In other words, He’s the Son of God!
That name, “The Most High,” is one that Luke uses several times to refer to God. And it shows up several places in the Old Testament, as well, including one of those names for God...in the Book of Daniel, especially Daniel chapter 7.
It’s a great name for God because it places God where He belong, where He truly is. He is the Most High! He is above all other beings in the universe.
Think about Who God is! What do we mean when we say, “God?” We mean the ultimate Being who is above and beyond all things! “Holy, infinitely perfect...limitless knowledge and sovereign power” (see the EFCA SOF Article #1).
That is Most High! Worthy of all of our worship forever and ever.
And He has a Son? And His Son is going to come and be born from the body of this young woman, Mary. Mary sees a possible problem with this. A potential snag. Look at verse 34.
“‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’ [I know how this works. This is not how this normally works. Gabriel says, “I know. No problem. It’s going to be a miracle.” Verse 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. 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. For nothing is impossible with God’” (vv.34-37).
That’s mysterious. Gabriel doesn’t really explain how it’s going to happen except that God’s power is going to do it.
“The power of the Most High.”
A virgin will conceive! That’s just WOW. Right?! Wow!
And God can do that, right?! He’s all powerful. He’s the Most High. He made the world. He made the rules for how babies are made. He can break those rules if He wants to.
Want proof? If He can open the womb of ancient Elizabeth who is 6 months pregnant even though she’s a member of the AARP, He can also put a baby inside of you Mary through His mysterious power from on high.
A baby that is like any other because He’s fully human. He comes from Mary. He will be everything that it means to be a human. But at the same time He is holy. He is unlike every other human being because He is also (v.35) the Son of God. “The Son of the Most High.”
We call that the mystery of the incarnation. God in flesh. And theologians call it the hypostatic union. Two natures in One Person. Wow!
This year we’ve been celebrating the 1700 anniversary of the Nicene Creed. First written in 325 AD and improved in 381, it’s been 1700 years since the church produced it. We’ve been saying it together every Sunday this month because it so beautifully captures the biblical truth that Jesus is fully human and fully divine at the same time.
Let’s say it together now. I’ll ask whom we believe in, and we’ll all answer with all three of the Persons of the Trinity, but the Nicene Creed says the most about the Son of the Most High.
LEADER:
Christians, in Whom do we believe?
CHURCH:
WE BELIEVE in one God–
the Father Who rules over all,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
of all things seen and unseen.
AND WE BELIEVE in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only begotten Son of God,
eternally begotten from the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one essence with the Father.
Through Him all things were made.
[And this next part is what our story is all about...]
For us humans and for our salvation
He came down from heaven and became incarnate
by the Holy Spirit and through the Virgin Mary
and became human.
For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered death and was buried,
and on the third day He rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
AND WE BELIEVE in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of Life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son He is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
AND WE BELIEVE in one holy, whole, and apostolic Church.
We recognize one baptism symbolizing the forgiveness of sins.
We look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the age to come.
Amen.
We believe in the Son of the Most High!
“Wow” just doesn’t do it, does it?
Mary has just been told the most fabulous news that anyone has ever heard. And look at how she responds. Look at verse 38.
“‘I am the Lord's servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’”
What do you say to that? Except, “Wow.”
What a response of humble faith! What an example for all of us today!
Some Christians have made too much of Mary over the years. They have treated Mary almost like a fourth member of the Trinity. That’s a mistake. She was just a human like you and me.
But we can make the opposite mistake of missing how great her faith was and what we can learn from Mary’s example. “May it be to me as you have said.”
“I’m not sure how this can be. But it sounds wonderful. All of that grace. All of that promise. All of that power. Count me in. I will be the mother of the Son of the Most High.”
And then she went go see her relative Elizabeth. Verse 39.
“Then the angel left her. At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored [graced], that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!’” (vv.38b-45).
Wow! What a moment that must have been. These two women. And baby John the Baptist leaps for joy in his mother’s womb. And Elizabeth can see just how blessed Mary. Not just because she’s carrying the special baby but because she believes.
The blessing is tied to the believing.
“Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”
The blessing is tied to the believing.
And Mary is showing us how. Mary is teaching a masterclass for all who want to be blessed by believing and receiving what God has said.
Do you believe all of this? Do you believe that Jesus was born of a virgin? Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of Mary and the Son of the Most High? Do you believe that an angel named Gabriel came to Mary and told her that all of this was going to happen?
I do. I believe that this is one of the greatest miracles of all of time, and it’s all true.
I’ve staked my happiness on it.
I’ve staked my life on it.
I’ve staked my eternal life on it.
I have my moments. I have my doubts. I have my questions.
But I believe. And I want to be like Mary, believing and receiving and trusting and hoping and being blessed.
How did Mary do it? How did she get to where she could receive this incredible announcement like this?
I think that her song tells us a lot. Verses 46 through 55 are Mary’s song. It has often been called “The Magnificat” from the Latin for “Magnify,” because some translations say, “My soul magnifies the Lord.”
I just call it, “Mary’s Song.”
And it’s a wonderful song full of rich theology.
Mary was one of the greatest theologians of the ancient world. She had read her Bible again and again and meditated on it day and night. So that she knew God. She was steeped in Holy Scripture and Who God was and what God was all about. Mary knew the Most High!
So that when the Most High sent His messenger to tell her something almost impossible to believe, she believed it anyway. And she wrote this song.
I don’t think this like a musical theater sort of thing where she just broke out in song right there. Maybe? What I think is that she meditated on everything she had heard and learned and was told and then crafted this song to capture how she felt and what she believed for those who came after.
I think she probably sang it as a lullaby to the baby Jesus. Contrary to “Away in a Manger,” I think the baby Jesus cried a lot. It’s not sinful to cry. It’s just human, especially for baby humans. And I can see her singing this song to Jesus as she rocked him back to sleep. Verse 46.
“And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me–holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers’” (vv.46-55).
Wow! What a beautiful expression of worship and theology that is!
This time of year there is often a debate online about the song “Mary Did You Know?” about whether it’s a good one or not. Do you know which song I mean? Some of you are rolling your eyes and some are like, “Yeah!” Some people like it. It’s pretty and poetical. And focused on the Person of Jesus. Other people don’t like it so much because they think the songwriter assumes Mary’s ignorance. Or it’s just not their kind of music.
I don’t have a problem with the song because I know it’s poetry. But I think it is obvious from Mary’s own song that she knew an awful lot about what Her Son was going to be. And she definitely knew the Most High.
Here are three things she knew about the Most High:
#1. THE MOST HIGH IS MIGHTY OVER ALL.
Look at verse 46.
“And Mary said: ‘My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me–holy is his name.”
She sings from her heart. And Her heart is full of joy and gratitude. She glorifies, magnifies, the Lord. Not making Him bigger than He is but elevating Him in her heart and song to His right place above all! He is Most High! And He does great things. She calls Him, “The Mighty One.”
This God does miracles! "Nothing is impossible with this God!" He is omnipotent. He is all-powerful. He is all-mighty.
WE BELIEVE in one God–
the Father [Almighty] Who rules over all,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
of all things seen and unseen.
Mary would say, “Yes, yes, yes,” to the first line of the Nicene Creed.
And He has blessed me. In fact, He has saved me. Notice that she calls him, “God my Savior.” She needed saving. Don’t believe anyone who tells you that Mary was sinless. There has only been one sinless human, and He was her son. But He was also her Savior. And He has done great things for Mary. Great things! He has gifted her with a child even though she is a virgin.
And what a child?! This God is WOW! And Mary knows it. And she knows that God has been gracious to her not because she is great but because He is great. Mary knows that she is not great. She is humble. But God is great and He loves to grace those people who know that they are not great but needy. That’s point number two. Mary knows...
#2. THE MOST HIGH IS MERCIFUL TO THE HUMBLE.
You hear it in verse 50.
“His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty” (vv.50-53).
God has reversed the order of the world. The world normally gives great things to great people. If you have wealth, power, or prestige then you get more wealth, more power, and more prestige. If you are great you get great things. Our celebrity culture is built on that principle. But this says that God has turned it all upside down. God gives great things to not-so-great people who recognize their bankruptcy and fear Him alone.
James puts it this way, “God opposes the proud but give grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
You know what story Mary might have been thinking about? I know that her song is a lot like Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel chapter 2. But as I was reading Mary’s song this week, I kept thinking about the Tale of Queen Esther that we’ve been reading the last two months.
Put Esther’s story in there. Wicked old Haman with all of his pride and power, and wealth? And what did it get him? Reversal!
The Most High has “brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” The Lord has turned everything right-side-up.
Mary’s Son would soon say, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).
The Most High is merciful to the humble.
Are you humble? Or is everything all about you? We must humble ourselves to receive the grace of God. Mary knew that! And she exulted in it.
You know, that’s how we are saved. We are not saved by being good or doing good or being strong!
We need rescued from trying to be strong. We need rescued from our sins. We need the Most High to be strong and to rescue us from ourselves.
We need Mary’s Son to take our place on the Cross and to come back to life by the Power of the High to give us live forevermore.
For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered death and was buried,
and on the third day He rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
Just as He promised. That’s the last thing that Mary knew about God. He always keeps His promises.
#3. THE MOST HIGH IS MINDFUL OF HIS PROMISES.
Look at verse 54 of Mary’s song:
“He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers’” (vv.54-55).
God has made some big promises. He made them to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (also called Israel), the patriarchs, the fathers. And He has not forgotten any of these promises. And He has not failed at keeping any of them either.
We still have to wait for some of them. Like the promise of His Son’s return.
But Mary knew, and we know, that God is faithful always keeps His promises.
So we can trust in Him and sing. Like Mary did! We can glorify the Lord and rejoice in God our Savior. We can say, “Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow!”
And we can humbly say, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”
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