Annunciation of the Birth of Jesus.

  32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High [A common Hebrew way of saying "He shall be." Even the evil spirits called Jesus by this name-- Mark 5:7 ]: and the Lord God shall give unto him [he shall not receive his kingdom as a bribe from Satan ( Matthew 4:9 ), nor win it by force of arms ( John 18:10 John 18:11 John 18:36 ; Matthew 26:53 ), but as the gift of God-- Acts 2:32-36 ; Philippians 2:9-11 ; Matthew 28:18 ] the throne [see Psalms 132:11 ] of his father David [this must refer to Mary's descent from David, for she is expressly told in verse 35 that her son would have no earthly father]:

  33 and he shall reign over the house of Jacob [That is, over the family or descendants of Jacob; but the expression includes his spiritual, rather than his carnal, descendants ( Galatians 3:7 Galatians 3:28 Galatians 3:29 ). This name therefore includes the Gentiles as the name of a river includes the rivers which flow into it] forever [ Daniel 2:44 ; Daniel 7:13 Daniel 7:14 Daniel 7:27 ; Micah 4:7 ; Psalms 45:6 ; Hebrews 1:8 ; Revelation 11:15 ]; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. [ Isaiah 7:9 . Christ shall resign his mediatorial kingdom to the Father at the close of this dispensation ( 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 ); but as being one with his Father he shall rule forever.]

  34 And Mary unto the angel, How shall this be [Her question indicates surprise, not disbelief. Unlike Zacharias, she asked no sign. The youthful village maiden, amid her humble daily duties, shows a more ready faith in the far more startling message than the aged priest in the holy place of of the sacred incense], seeing I know not a man?

  35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow

[the Spirit of God is thus spoken of as "brooding over" or overshadowing creation to develop it-- Genesis 1:2 ] thee [This indicates that the Holy Spirit himself created the body of Christ ( Hebrews 10:5 ). The spirit, or divine nature, of Christ was from the beginning, and was unbegotten--that is, in the sense of being created]: wherefore also the holy thing. [the body of Jesus-- Hebrews 7:26 ; 1 Peter 2:22 ] which is begotten [ Galatians 4:4 ] shall be called the Son of God. [As the Evangelist is here talking about the bodily and human nature of Jesus, it is possible that he may here speak of Jesus as the Son of God in the same sense in which he called Adam the son of God ( Luke 3:38 ); that is, his body and human nature were the direct and miraculous production of the divine power. If so, we find Jesus called the Son of God in three several senses: 1. Here, because he was born into the world in a supernatural manner. 2. Elsewhere, because by his resurrection he was begotten from the dead ( Romans 1:4 ; Acts 13:33 ; Psalms 2:7 ). 3. Also elsewhere, because of the eternal, immutable, and unparalleled relationship which he sustains to the Father-- John 1:1 John 1:14 John 1:18 .]

  35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow

  36 And behold, Elisabeth thy kinswoman, she also hath conceived a son in her old age. [The angel tells of Elisabeth's condition, that it may encourage the faith of Mary, and lead her to trust in Him with whom nothing is impossible-- Jeremiah 32:17 Jeremiah 32:27 ; Genesis 18:14 ; Matthew 19:26 .]

  37 For no word from God shall be void of power. [ Isaiah 55:11 .]

  38 And Mary said, Behold, the handmaid [Literally, "slave" or "bondservant." It is the feminine form of the word which Paul so often applies to himself ( Romans 1:1 ; Titus 1:1 ). Mary uses it to indicate her submissive and obedient spirit] of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. [In great faith she not only believes the promise, but prays for its Eli ( 1 Samuel 3:18 ), and became the mother of Him who prayed, "Not my will, but thine, be done"-- Luke 22:42 .] And the angel departed from her.