The passage
      v26-27. It is normally argued that the virgin birth was necessary so that Jesus would not be tainted by original sin. This is mere speculation and is not found in scripture. God is quite capable of achieving human salvation through a perfect messiah without a virgin birth. Luke simply states the fact and draws from it the implication of Jesus' messianic authority. Luke sees Jesus' credentials confirmed in Joseph who is "a descendant of David" (of the house of David) - the Messiah is of David's linage. Jesus may not be of Joseph's blood line, but in typical Semitic fashion, he properly inherits his "adopting" father's linage. Note that following the custom of the time, an engagement is as good as a wedding.
      v28-30. Mary is greeted as the "highly favoured" one. Some manuscripts add "blessed are you", but this is not found in the oldest texts. She receives God's grace, but she is not the giver of grace. These words leave her highly perplexed. She is not troubled by the vision, but by the "words".
      v31. The angel tells Mary that she will have a son. Luke quotes Isaiah 7:14 with "Jesus" (The Lord is saviour) replacing "Immanuel" (God with us). Again, Luke doesn't make much of the fact of the virgin birth; he doesn't develop the idea. Interestingly, neither is the virgin birth taken up in the Epistles, nor in the writings of the early Church Fathers. Jewish sensibilities may be behind this gentle treatment of what is an amazing event. Only later, against the Docetists (those who deny the humanity of Jesus) and the Adoptionists (those who deny the divinity of Jesus), is the virgin birth emphasized.
      v32-33. The angel declares Jesus' messianic qualifications. Luke alludes to 2Sam.7:10-16, the messiah's kingship, which unlike popular opinion, will have no end - his kingship is everlasting.
      v34. Mary is confused. She probably thinks the angel is saying that the conception is to take place immediately, but she is not yet married. So, "How will this be?"
      v35. Mary's conception is not described in the terms of her "mating" with the Holy Spirit, rather, the Spirit gives life to her barren womb. The Spirit is the agency of new creation and of resurrection life. So, God's Shekinah glory will "overshadow" her, will tabernacle with her. Note that the title "Son of God" is still messianic in character. Luke is not suggesting a filial relationship between Jesus and the Father.
      v36. Elizabeth's conception will serve as a sign to Mary, validating this word from God, and she will serve as a confidant in Mary's lonely journey.
      v37. "No word from God is devoid of power". This verse, wrongly used, can cause no end of troubles. God will do what he says he will do, not what I think he should do.
      v38. Mary accepts that she is the Lord's "handmaid", cf. 1Sam.1:11. "So let it be with your word to me." She submits to the Lord's will and so places herself in the center of God's eternal plan for humanity.

God's impossible
      The annunciation is a wonderful source of artistic inspiration. Depictions of joy and wonder abound. Yet, some years ago, Margaret Ackland, a Christian artist who has gained great acclaim in Australia, exhibited a beautiful painting of the annunciation. The painting depicted the shock and horror of Mary as she received the revelation from the angel. Here was this young teenager, probably not yet fourteen, confronted with a future that would totally overturn her life.
      It was not so much the vision that shocked her, but rather the word. She was "highly favoured" of the Lord, and when the Lord favours you, your life will never be the same. Many a prophet had wished the Lord had not favoured them. Even Moses tried to slip out from under God's favour. The trouble is, you can't walk away from the Lord's favour, for if you do you are outside his wondrous plan. Best to be inside the center of his will.
      Mary's perplexity increased as God's plan was revealed to her. The conception of the child would be a creative act of God's Spirit. She would bare a child who would fulfill the messianic hopes of Israel. She could rest on this promise, for "No word from God is devoid of power". She answered as a true woman of faith, "May it be to me as you have said."
      Like Mary, we stand under God's favour. This entails promises from God which affect, not just our life in these present shadows, but life in the brilliance of eternity. Life under our God is wondrous, even troubling. To survive we must rest on the truth that "No word from God is devoid of power." What he says, he will do. His promises are sure. To stand under his favour, we must first understand his promise to us, his promise of life. We then need to affirm that he empowers his word to achieve its intended end. God's favour is in God's hands, not ours. Then, like Mary, we must give ourselves to his favour. "May it be to me as you have said."

v27
      parqenon (oV) "virgin" - Mary's virginity is noted by Luke, not because virginity is worthy in itself, nor that she is highly spiritual, but to emphasize the miracle. Elizabeth was barren, but Mary was a virgin.
      emnhsteumenhn (mnhsteuw) perf. pas. part. "pledged to be married" - having been betrothed. The participle is adjectival, modifying "virgin". The normal custom was a betrothal at 13 and marriage at 14.
      Mariam "Mary" - The name means "excellence".

v28
      eiselqwn (eisercomai) aor. part. "went [to her]" - having entered, gone into. Attendant circumstance participle, "entering said", so "went in and said". The verb is used mainly of entering into an area, rather than approaching, as in entering a room. "He went in to her", Barclay.
      caire (a) voc. "Greetings" - joy, delight. Often just a greeting, but here the sense of "rejoice" must be included. Possibly even an imperative, a call to rejoice.
      kacaritwmenh (caritow) perf. pas. part. "you who are highly favoured" - having been favoured. The participle as a substantive, "the one having been favoured." She is favoured in that she is the recipient of God's free and unmerited grace.
      oJ kurioV meta sou "the Lord is with you" - the Lord with you. The verb "to be" has to be supplied. As an ellipsis, the action of the verb has to be assumed, eg. "may the Lord be with you", subj. expressing a wish.
      meta + gen. "with" - As in "stand beside"

v29
      dietaracqh (diatarassw) aor. pas. "was greatly troubled" - was disturbed, confused, perplexed. The prefix strengthens the disturbance, so "greatly disturbed" by the angel's words, rather than his presence.
      dielogizeto (dialogizomai) imperf. "wondered" - considered, reasoned, debated. The imperfect carries a durative sense, so an ongoing, continued pondering. She considered the meaning of the angel's words; "she mulled over what the angel had said."
      potapoV pro. "what kind of" - what sort of. "Sort of" = "meaning; "wondered what the greeting could mean", REB.
      oJ aspasmoV (oV) "greeting" - the salutation.

v30
      mh fobou (fobeomai) pres. imp. "do not be afraid" - do not fear. The sense is "stop being anxious." Fear is a normal response in the face of a divine visitation. As with much in this passage, this is again an Old Testament allusion, eg. Jud.6:24.
      gar "-" - for. This conjunction serves to introduce a purpose clause giving the reason way Mary should stop being afraid.
      euJreV (euJiskw) aor. "found" - Mary found, in the sense of received divine grace. Again the idea is of the bestowal of favours from a superior to an inferior, apart from any worthiness in the inferior to receive the favour. Such does not seek to denigrate Mary whom we rightly affirm, but rather to emphasize the kindness of God.

v31
      sullhmyh/ en gastri "you will be with child" - you will conceive in the womb. Possibly an allusion to Isa.7:14, but the language does not imply something abnormal which is in line with Luke's playing down of the virgin birth. "You will become pregnant", or something softer, "you are going to be the mother of a son", Phillips.
      kaleseiV (kalew) fut. "you are to give" - you will call [the name of him Jesus]. Obviously an imperatival (volitive) future tense.
      Ihsoun "Jesus" - Joshua (Yahweh is saviour).

v32
      ouJtoV demonstrative pro. "he" - this, that. This one = he.
      estai megaV "he will be great" - possibly just "he will grow up", while at the other extreme, some commentators suggest the usage here is absolute and therefore an expression of Christ's divinity, "the Great One."
      uJyistou adj. "Most High" - superlative/absolute "highest", used of God when masculine, therefore "the Most High", or sometimes of God's place of dwelling ("high above") when neuter, "heaven". The context indicates that here it refers to God and as a proper noun, is without the article. Therefore "Son of the Most High" = "Son of God", which here is probably only a messianic title and does not imply a filial relationship. So "Son of God" = "son of David." Jesus is the Davidic king who will rule the dawning kingdom.
      klhqhsetai (kalew) fut. pas. "will be called" - "Will be recognized to be" rather than someone actually calling him / naming him, Son of God.
      dwsei (didwmi) fut. "will give" - He will grant to him....... the throne of David [to sit upon]

v33
      basileusei (basileuw) fut. "he will reign" - serve as a king, reign. Jesus will reign over the tribes of Israel and this reign will be eternal, "forever". Again, Luke is employing Old Testament Davidic messianic imagery to underline prophetic fulfilment. Of course, Luke understands that Christ's kingdom transcends Jewish nationalism.
      thV basileiaV (a) gen. "kingdom" - of the kingdom [of him]. The genitive serves to tie this clause into the preceding clause and thus its central idea of the kingship of Christ. Therefore, although the word rightly refers to the domain of Christ's reign, his reign is the focus; "his reign shall never end", REB.
      eiV touV aiwnaV "forever" - into the ages. The plural serves to underline the eternal aspect of forever. Christ's reign is eternal; "there will be no end", JB.

v34
      andra ou ginwskw "I am a virgin" - a man I do not know. "I have not had sexual intercourse with a man." This usage of the word "know" is both Semitic and Hellenistic. Mary's response raises a problem. Why would she stress her present virginity given that the promised conception is future? Some commentators suggest it is simply a Luken literary device to emphasize her virginity, but it is quite possible that she has misunderstood the time frame, or more likely understood her conception to be an immediate occurrence.

v35
      epeleusetai epi "will come upon" - The idea from Isaiah 32:15 of the Spirit coming upon the wilderness, such that the desert blooms.
      episkiasei (episkiazw) fut. "will overshadow" - will envelop, overshadow. There is a sexual image here, but it may not be intended. It is more likely that the presence and power of God will tabernacle with Mary. Here the Spirit is depicted as life-giving. "He will draw his shadow over you."
      dio "so" - therefore, for this reason [also].
      klhqhsetai (kalew) fut. pas. "will be called" - Again "will be recognized to be" is better. The NIV, as with most translations, has "Son of God" as the predicate of the verb "called", but it is possibly a secondary predicate, with the primary predicate being the adjective "holy", even forming the substantive "holy one." So, Jesus will be recognized as "holy one" and "Son of God" ie. the messiah. "For that reason your child will be called holy, and the Son of God", Goodspeed.

v36
      h suggeniV (iV idoV) "relative" - the relative [of you]. "Your kinswoman", Barclay; "your cousin Elizabeth", Phillips.
      auth/ th/ kaloumenh/ steira/ "she who was said to be barren" - for/to her the one being called barren. Usually treated as a relative clause, so NIV. Mary has not asked for a sign, but she is given one. "They said she could never have a child", Barclay.

v37
      oJti "for" - since, because. Here the conjunction is explanatory (epexegetic). Elizabeth's pregnancy was possible "because" nothing is impossible to God.
      ouk adunathsei (adunatew) fut. "nothing is impossible" - will not be impossible. Possibly a quote from Gen.18:14, but more likely Jer.32:17. The words probably relate directly to Elizabeth's pregnancy, rather than Mary's intended conception, but obviously they do apply to Mary as well. This statement should not be used to imply that God will do the impossible things of our imagination. Best to translate the phrase as "no word from God is devoid of power" to avoid the "anything is possible" danger.