Mk
2P 3"
astonishment (Lk 7"", Mt 1 Jn 3>).
In his second address Gabriel calms the Virgin's fears and explains the purpose of his mission. ' Thou hast found grace with God ' is another Old Testament expression (Gn 6« 18^ 19'^ 39S Ex 33'-- '■'• "*• '"). This ' grace ' is manifested in making her the mother of the longed-for Messiah, an un- speakalilo joy to a Jewish mother. In the promise
ANNUNCIATION, THE
ANNUNCIATION, THE
which follows there are allusions to two prophecies. ' Son of the Most High ' recalls Ps 2', and ' the throne of his father David' recalls the great Messianic prediction in Is 9"-'.
By the second utterance of Gahriel, wliich con- tains the sul)stance of the Annunciation, Mary is astounded. Yet she does not, like Zacharias, ask for proof (1"). Nor is her 'How?' a request for an explanation. Rather it is an exclamation of amazement. She is not married : how can she have a son ? And how can a humble maiden like herself have such a son? This seems to be the natural import of her words. It is unlikely that ' I know not a man ' means that she has already taken, or there and then takes, or intends to take, a vow of perpetual virginity. And can Mt 1-*, with its Imperfect tense (not Aorist, as in Gn 19*), be reconciled with any such vow? Mary's dvSpa ov yiviia-Ku is a confession of conscious purity, drawn from her by the surprising promise that she is to have a son before she is married (see Sadler, ad loc).
Although Mary does not ask for an explanation or a sign, Gabriel gives both in a tliird utterance. As to the explanation, it is an influence that is spiritual and not carnal, that is holy and not sinful, that is to come upon her and enable her to become a mother, and the mother of the Messiali. ' Wherefore also the holy thing which shall be born Shall be called the Son of God.' 'Son of God' was a recognized title of the Messiah. Both in the Book of Enoch and fre- quently in 4 Ezra the Almighty speaks of the Messiah as His Son. Jesus rarely uses this title of Himself (Mt 21^, Jn 10**). But we have it in the voices from heaven (Lk 3-- 9^^) and in the devil's challenge (4*- "), in St. Peter's confession (Mt 16"*), in the cries of the demoniacs (Mk 3" 5'), and in the centurion's exclamation (15^*). The primitive Church adopted it as a concise statement of the Divinity of Jesus Christ (Swete, Apostles' Creed, p. 24). It is worth notin", in connexion with the part assigned to the Holy Spirit in the virgin birth, that in a fragment of the Gospel according to the Hebrews quoted by Origen (Com. in Johan. iii. § 63) the words, ' My mother, the Holy Spirit, took Me,' are put into the mouth of Christ.
As to the sign, which was granted unasked, Mary receives one which is as convincing as the one given to Zacharias, but much more gracious. Another wonderful birth is about to take place, and by the mention of ' the sixth month ' the angel assures Mary that all is known to him. Mary can verify his words respecting Elisabeth, and thereby know that this message to herself is true. He intimates that there is to be close relationship between Elisabeth's son and her own, and directs her to her kinswoman for confirmation and sym- pathy.
Mary's final response to the angel is not a prayer that what he has jiromised may be fulfilled, but an expression of absolute submission. She fore- sees the diliiculty with Joseph and with all who know her. But she accepts, without reserve, God's decree respecting her, as made known to her by His messenger, and leaves the issue in His hands. She is the Lord's bondmaid, and His will must be done.
There is perhaps more irreverence than wisdom in speculating whether God could have redeemed mankind by one who was produced without human parent ; or, again, by one who had a human father as well as a human mother. But suggestions of this kind have been made, and perhaps call for comment. It may be pointed out that a new act of creation would have left no nexus between the Redeemer and those to be redeemed. He would
not have belonged to the same race as those whom He came to save. He would not have taken their flesh, and His life would have had little relation to theirs. It is diflicult to see how the death and resurrection of such a being would have aided the human race. But the virgin birth avoided all violent breach with humanity. Just as the pro- phet (John the Baptist) who was to renovate Israel was taken from the old priesthood, so the Christ who was to redeem the whole of mankind was not created out [of nothing, but ' born of a woman.'
Again, if the Christ had had two human parents, it is diflicult to see how the hereditary contamina- tion of the race could have been excluded. It may be said that such contamination remains even with only one human parent, and that the choice lies between admitting the contamination and sever- ing the nexus with the human race altogether. But, in truth, there is no such dilemma. The choice is not between creation on the one hand and human parentage (whether with one or two parents) on the other. There is also the possi- bility of the substitution of Divine agency for the human father. It is conceivable that the presence of this Divine element would entirely exclude the possibility of contamination from the human mother. Indeed it is difficult to conceive that the Divine element could in any way receive con- tamination. But it is wiser to accept with reverent thankfulness what has been revealed to us respecting this mystery than to speculate need- lesslj', and perhaps fruitlessly, about what has not been revealed.