“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.” – Luke 1:27-28
God, in His perfect wisdom, ensured that Jesus was both legally and prophetically tied to the house of David, fulfilling the covenant promises and establishing Him as the rightful Messiah. Gabriel’s visit to Nazareth introduces us to Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin Mary. Joseph’s lineage was crucial because the Messiah was promised to come from David’s line (2 Samuel 7:13; 1 Chronicles 17:11–14). Yet questions arise—Jesus was begotten of the Holy Spirit, not Joseph, so how could He be in David’s line? Luke’s genealogy, traced through Nathan rather than Solomon, points to Mary’s line, showing that Jesus was both legally heir through Joseph and biologically heir through Mary. God’s plan was flawless, weaving together both genealogies to establish Jesus as the true King, avoiding Jeconiah’s curse (Jeremiah 22) and fulfilling prophecy with precision.
Mary herself was chosen not because she was above other women, but because she was a recipient of God’s divine grace. Gabriel’s words, “Rejoice, highly favored one” (Luke 1:28), reveal that she was accepted by God, much like all believers described in Ephesians 1:6: “to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” Her reaction was one of surprise, yet she listened as Gabriel announced that she would bear the promised Messiah, Jesus, whose name means “Jehovah is salvation.” The miracle of the virgin birth would be accomplished by the creative act of the Holy Spirit, ensuring that Jesus would be holy, without sin, and the perfect sacrifice for mankind (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22). Gabriel assured her, “The power of the Highest will overshadow you” (Luke 1:35), echoing the presence of God in the Holy of Holies, making her womb the dwelling place of the Son of God.
Mary faced the reality that she would be misunderstood, accused, and even endangered, yet her response was one of surrender: “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Her obedience opened the way for salvation to enter the world. Too often we try to reason away God’s miracles or demand explanations that fit our logic, but Mary shows us that faith means trusting God even when the path brings misunderstanding, risk, or pain. She believed the promise even when she did not understand the performance. The call to us today is to respond with the same surrender, trusting that nothing is impossible with God (Genesis 18:14). Like Mary, we must learn to say, “Let it be to me according to Your word,” believing that God’s promises never fail and His plan is always perfect.
“It was necessary that Christ should be of the seed of David, both to fulfill the promises made to David, and to satisfy the expectation of the Jews. The evangelists therefore are careful to show that He was so, both by Joseph’s and by Mary’s line, that He might be owned as the true Messiah.” – Matthew Poole
surrendered devotions 