The evangelist Luke describes how the angel Gabriel is sent by God to Mary in Nazareth. He is instructed to tell her that she will become pregnant. The Holy Spirit will impregnate the Virgin Mary and she will have a son to name Jesus. After some uncertainty, Mary accepts the angel’s message. She calls herself a servant of the Lord. This announcement of the birth of the son of God is called the annunciation. There are many artists who have made a painting of the Annunciation. The church feast day of the Annunciation or the Annunciation of Mary is on March 25.
The angel Gabriel is sent to Mary (Luke 1:26-27)
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to Mary. The sixth month refers to the sixth month of Elizabet’s pregnancy. When they are old, Elizabeth and Zacharias have a son who they have to name John. This is what the Angel Gabriel had said to Zacharias when he was on duty as a priest in the Temple.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee whose name was Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. and the virgin’s name was Mary. (Luke 1:26-27)
Nazareth in Galilee
The angel is sent to Nazareth in Galilee. It is the place where Jesus will later live. Gabriel being sent to Zacharias in the temple in Jerusalem was a logical choice by Jewish standards, but Gabriel being sent to Nazareth was an unimaginable thought. Nazareth and Galilee had a bad name and were known as wicked. Nazareth was a small, remote farming town. Just behind Nazareth was an important road for traveling salesmen. This way was known in the days of Isaiah as ‘the way of the sea’. This road went from the port in Acre (now known as Acre) to the city of Damascus. Caravans of merchandise traveled from Damascus to Judea and Egypt. They passed through Israel and passed the foot of the hill where the town of Nazareth is located. The evangelist Matthew sees in Nazareth the fulfillment of ancient prophecies (Matthew 4:14-16 refers to Isaiah 8:23 and 9:1).
The Virgin Mary
In Nazareth the angel is sent to the virgin Mary who was betrothed to Joseph. Rabbinical reports from that time speak of an age of 12 or 13 when girls were betrothed. Mary is twice called a virgin. Mary’s virginity is important to the evangelist Luke.
Hail Mary (Luke 1:28)
Maria is home alone when Gabriel comes to her and begins to speak. The angel greets her. This greeting consists of three parts. The first part is ‘Hail, favored one’. In the second part she is told that God is with her: ‘The Lord is with you’. And finally the angel says that she is blessed: ‘You are blessed among women’. A three-part greeting like this was common at the time. This greeting forms the beginning of the Roman Catholic prayer: ‘Hail, Mary, full of grace, The Lord is with you.’
And when the angel came in to her, he said, Hail, you that are favoured. The Lord is with you. You are blessed among women. (Luke 1:28)
The Annunciation by Philippe de Champaigne, 1644 / Source: Philippe de Champaigne, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Gabriel announces the birth of Jesus (Luke 1:29-33)
Mary is shocked by the angel who spoke to her. She is confused by his words. Gabriel reassures her: ‘Do not be afraid, Mary’. Then he tells her that she will become pregnant and have a son who she must name Jesus. The name Jesus means savior. The name Jesus is derived from the Hebrew name Joshua, which also means savior. He will be the long-awaited Messiah from the house of King David.
When she saw him, she was confused by his words, and wondered what the meaning of this greeting could be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, you shall conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end . (Luke 1:29-33)
Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:34-38)
Maria doesn’t understand much of it. She wonders in amazement how it is possible for her to become pregnant since she has no intercourse with a man. Gabriel answers that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and she will conceive by the power of God. Gabriel then reveals to Mary what she does not yet know, namely that Elizabet is pregnant despite her old age. In the same way Mary will also become pregnant. With God nothing is impossible, says Gabriel.
Mary said to the angel, How can this be, since I have not known man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. Therefore also the Holy One that will be born of you will be called the Son of God. And behold, your cousin Elisabeth is also with child a son in her old age. This is the sixth month for her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God. (Luke 1:34-37)
Mary accepts Gabriel’s word (Luke 1:38)
Mary accepts the angel’s words. She indicates that she wants to be a servant of God. She opens herself to the words of God. Mary is truly a believer here, who accepts the word of God with confidence. She makes herself dependent on God. Then the angel leaves.
Mary said, Behold, the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word. And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:38)
The angel Gabriel
In the New Testament, Gabriel is sent to tell the priest Zacharias that John the Baptist will be a forerunner of the Lord (Luke 1:17). A few months later he is sent to Mary to tell Mary that her son ‘the son of
the Most High’ will be born (Luke 1:32). The angel Gabriel is first mentioned in the Bible in the book of Daniel. There, Gabriel is instructed to explain his vision to Daniel.
It happened that when I saw the vision – I, Daniel – I tried to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one with the appearance of a man. And I heard a voice of a Man among the banks of the Ulai. He cried and said, Gabriel, let him there understand the vision! He came and stood next to where I was standing. When he came, I was overcome with fear, and I fell on my face to the ground. Then he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision concerns the time of the end.” (Daniel 8:15-17)
Mikhail Nesterov’s announcement / Source: Mikhail Nesterov, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
An angel with wings
In the story of the announcement of Jesus’ birth to Mary (Luke 1:26-38), no description of Gabriel’s appearance is given. We don’t know what he looked like. In popular art, the angel Gabriel is depicted with wings. This wing probably refers to Daniel 9:21. There Daniel writes: ‘While I was still praying, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, came flying and touched me, about the time of the evening sacrifice.’ The fact that Gabriel came flying suggests that he has wings.
A terrifying appearance
Gabriel’s appearance arouses fear. When Daniel sees the angel Gabriel, he falls on his face to the ground (Daniel 8:18). When the angel greets Zacharias, his first words are: “Do not be afraid” (Luke 1:13). And his greeting to Mary also arouses fear, because immediately afterwards Gabriel also tells her not to be afraid (Luke 1:30).
Similarity to the announcement of the birth of Isaac
Genesis 18 verses 1 to 15 tells how the Lord appears to Abraham at the oak of Mamre. In this story, the Lord tells Abraham that Sarah will become pregnant in her old age and have a son. It is told how Sarah listened from the tent what the Lord said to Abraham. When she heard that she would become pregnant, she laughed to herself, because both Abraham and she were old. The Lord asked Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Should I really give birth now that I am old?’ Is there anything too wonderful for the LORD?’ (Genesis 18:13-14a). As in the story of Gabriel’s visit to Mary, this story of Abraham and Sarah is also an announcement story of the birth of a son. In Luke 1 verse 37, Gabriel uses the same words that God used in Genesis 18 verse 14: Is there anything too wonderful for the LORD?
Both the story of Abraham and Sarah and the story of Mary are about a birth that is not possible from a human perspective . That was why Sara laughed and Maria asked her question. Both the Lord’s answer and the angel Gabriel’s answer is that with the Lord nothing is impossible.
The Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord (Annunciation of Mary)
On March 25, the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord, also called the Annunciation of Mary. It is a Solemnity, that is, an important festival of the Roman Catholic Church. It is celebrated when the angel Gabriel announces to the Virgin Mary the miraculous conception of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. Christians see Mary not only as a special chosen woman, but also as a representative of all humanity. God’s gracious regard for man and Mary’s faithful response are the reasons for this joyful celebration.
Place on the calendar of the party
From the fifth century onward, sermons are found reporting the date of March 25 as the feast day for the Annunciation of the Lord. In the centuries before, the date of the celebration was uncertain. It was celebrated on different dates depending on local customs. The most decisive reason for choosing March 25 is that the conception of Christ takes place exactly nine months before his birth.
‘The Annunciation to Mary’ Fra Angelico / Source: Fra Angelico, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-2.0)
The annunciation in art
The announcement of the birth of Jesus has inspired many artists. From the Middle Ages onwards, many painters depicted Mary and Gabriel. Mary is usually depicted in the house and the angel Gabriel, who can be recognized by his wings, stands by Mary to tell her the news. It was a popular subject to paint, especially for Roman Catholic artists. A well-known fresco with this image was made by Fra Angelico. This Italian painter from Florence made this fresco around 1440-1445. It was painted on the wall of a monastery. The soft and light colors of the fresco give it a serene atmosphere. The artist had a great eye for details. For example, Gabriel’s clothing is painted with great care given the intricate decorations of the cloak and the angel has multi-colored wings. The lightness of the image and the figures emphasizes the spirituality of the fresco. It is a painting about the communication of faith. This is how it worked for the monks of the monastery.
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