Be It Unto Me – Mary, Mother of Jesus

Know the Setting

“In the sixth month” (Luke 1:26) of Elisabeth's pregnancy (see verse 36), Gabriel was sent to Nazareth, “a city of Galilee” (Luke 1:26).

Mary was “a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David” (Luke 1:27). Espoused means Mary was already Joseph's wife. Matthew calls Joseph “her husband” (Matthew 1:19) and the angel calls Mary “thy wife” (Matthew 1:20). They had not yet come together, so Mary was still a virgin (Luke 1:34).

Afterward Mary went “into the hill country with haste” (Luke 1:39) to Elisabeth's home and stayed “about three months” (Luke 1:56).

Who Speaks

• Gabriel
• Mary (verses 34, 38, and her song in 46–55)
• Elisabeth (verses 42–45)

Look Closer

• Mary was “troubled at his saying” (Luke 1:29) and asked, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34) Gabriel answered her question. Reflection: her words ask how it will happen, not whether God can do it.
• Notice “Fear not, Mary” (Luke 1:30). The same words come to Zacharias, Joseph, and the shepherds.
• Elisabeth called Mary “the mother of my Lord” (Luke 1:43) and said, “blessed is she that believed” (Luke 1:45).