Luke 1:26
In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
In the sixth month
This phrase refers to the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy with John the Baptist, as indicated earlier in Luke 1:24-25. The timing is significant, as it sets the stage for the miraculous events that are about to unfold. The number six in biblical numerology often symbolizes human weakness and the imperfection of man, which contrasts with the divine intervention that is about to occur. This timing underscores God's perfect plan and His sovereignty over human history.

God sent
The Greek word for "sent" is "ἀπέστειλεν" (apesteilen), which is derived from "apostellō," meaning to send forth with a specific purpose. This highlights the divine initiative and intentionality behind the angel's mission. It is a reminder that God is actively involved in the world, orchestrating events according to His divine will. The sending of Gabriel is a direct act of God, emphasizing His authority and the importance of the message to be delivered.

the angel Gabriel
Gabriel, whose name means "God is my strength," is one of the few angels named in the Bible. He is a messenger of God, often associated with delivering important announcements. Gabriel's appearance here connects to his previous role in Daniel 8:16 and 9:21, where he interprets visions and delivers messages of hope and future redemption. His presence signifies the importance and divine nature of the message to Mary, as he is a trusted and powerful messenger of God.

to a town in Galilee
Galilee was a region in northern Israel, often looked down upon by those in Judea for its mixed population and distance from the religious center of Jerusalem. The choice of Galilee, and specifically Nazareth, highlights God's tendency to work through the humble and the unexpected. It serves as a reminder that God's plans often defy human expectations and that He values faithfulness over status or location.

called Nazareth
Nazareth was a small, seemingly insignificant town during the time of Jesus. Its mention here is crucial, as it fulfills the prophecy that the Messiah would be called a Nazarene (Matthew 2:23). The obscurity of Nazareth emphasizes the humble beginnings of Jesus and the way God often chooses the lowly and overlooked to accomplish His purposes. This choice of location underscores the theme of God's grace and the reversal of worldly values, where the last shall be first and the first shall be last.

Persons / Places / Events
1. God
The sovereign Creator who orchestrates the events of history and salvation. In this verse, God is the initiator of the divine message.

2. Angel Gabriel
A messenger of God, Gabriel is one of the few angels named in the Bible. He is known for delivering important messages from God, particularly those related to salvation history.

3. Nazareth
A small town in the region of Galilee. At the time of Jesus, Nazareth was a humble and seemingly insignificant place, yet it was chosen by God for the announcement of the Messiah's birth.

4. The Sixth Month
This refers to the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy with John the Baptist, setting the timeline for the events leading to the birth of Jesus.
Teaching Points
Divine Timing
God's plans unfold in His perfect timing. The "sixth month" signifies God's precise orchestration of events. Trust in God's timing in your own life.

God Uses the Humble
Nazareth, a seemingly insignificant town, was chosen for a significant event. God often uses humble beginnings for His greatest works. Reflect on how God might be using your current circumstances for His purposes.

The Role of Angels
Angels are messengers of God, serving His purposes. While we may not see angels, God still communicates with us through His Word and the Holy Spirit.

Faithfulness in the Ordinary
Gabriel's visit to Nazareth reminds us that God is present in our everyday lives. Be faithful in the ordinary, knowing God can bring about extraordinary outcomes.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding the role of Gabriel as a messenger of God enhance your perception of divine communication in your life?

2. In what ways can you see God's perfect timing in the events of your own life, and how does this encourage you to trust Him more?

3. Reflect on a time when God used a humble or unexpected situation in your life for His purposes. How did this experience shape your faith?

4. Considering the significance of Nazareth, how can you remain faithful and expectant in your current "Nazareth" situation?

5. How do the prophecies in the Old Testament, such as Isaiah 7:14, strengthen your faith in the reliability and truth of God's Word?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Daniel 8:16 and 9:21
These passages introduce Gabriel as a messenger who brings understanding and insight, establishing his role as a divine communicator.

Matthew 2:23
This verse connects Nazareth to the fulfillment of prophecy, indicating that Jesus would be called a Nazarene, highlighting the significance of this humble town in God's plan.

Isaiah 7:14
This prophecy of a virgin bearing a son named Immanuel is connected to the announcement Gabriel is about to make, emphasizing the fulfillment of God's promises.
Absence of Self-ConsciousnessStopford A. Brooke, M. A.Luke 1:26-30
Angelic VisitationsH. W. Beecher.Luke 1:26-30
Blessed Among WomenJ. H. McIlvaine, D. D.Luke 1:26-30
Blessed of GodWallin.Luke 1:26-30
Calmness of MaryHarriet B. Stowe.Luke 1:26-30
Encouragement to the HumbleH. Melvill, B. D.Luke 1:26-30
God's Presence with His PeopleHenry R. Burton.Luke 1:26-30
Mary a Typical JewessHarriet B. Stowe.Luke 1:26-30
Mary the Flower of a Selected RaceHarriet B. Stowe.Luke 1:26-30
Mary to be Held in HonourHorace Bushnell, D. D.Luke 1:26-30
Mary, the Mother of JesusHorace Bushnell, D. D.Luke 1:26-30
Mary's Home-LifeE. T. Marshall, M. A.Luke 1:26-30
Mary's PietyHorace Bushnell, D. D.Luke 1:26-30
Mary's True Place in Christian EsteemE. T. Marshall, M. A.Luke 1:26-30
The AnnunciationW. Burkitt, M. A.Luke 1:26-30
The AnnunciationDr. Parker.Luke 1:26-30
The Blessed Among WomenVan Oosterzee.Luke 1:26-30
The Glory of MaryHarriet B. Stowe.Luke 1:26-30
The Mother of Jesus -- a Woman's Sermon to WornMarianne Farningham.Luke 1:26-30
Thou Hast Found FavourRudolf Stier.Luke 1:26-30
The Beginning of the Creation of GodR.M. Edgar Luke 1:26-38
People
Aaron, Abia, Abijah, David, Elias, Elijah, Elisabeth, Gabriel, Herod, Jacob, Jesus, John, Joseph, Mary, Theophilus, Zacharias, Zechariah
Places
Galilee, Jerusalem, Judea, Nazareth
Topics
Angel, Gabriel, Galilee, Messenger, Month, Named, Nazareth, Sixth, Town
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Luke 1:26

     4111   angels, servants
     4951   month

Luke 1:5-38

     5658   boys

Luke 1:24-31

     5720   mothers, examples

Luke 1:26-27

     5099   Mary, mother of Christ

Luke 1:26-28

     4140   angel of the Lord
     5976   visiting

Luke 1:26-33

     5426   news
     5695   girls

Luke 1:26-38

     2515   Christ, birth of
     4112   angels, messengers
     4145   archangels
     5548   speech, divine
     5652   babies
     6710   privileges

Luke 1:26-56

     5745   women

Library
July 19 Morning
He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.--LUKE 1:49. Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?--Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.--Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy.--Hallowed be thy name. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people. Who is this
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

August 3 Morning
His mercy is on them that fear Him.--LUKE 1:50. Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. If ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.--The Lord
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

September 9 Morning
He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.--LUKE 1:53. Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods and have need of nothing: and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.--When
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

March 24 Morning
Abraham believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.--GEN. 15:6. He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him: but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the
Anonymous—Daily Light on the Daily Path

True Greatness
He shall be great in the sight of the Lord.'--LUKE i. 15. So spake the angel who foretold the birth of John the Baptist. 'In the sight of the Lord'--then men are not on a dead level in His eyes. Though He is so high and we are so low, the country beneath Him that He looks down upon is not flattened to Him, as it is to us from an elevation, but there are greater and smaller men in His sight, too. No epithet is more misused and misapplied than that of 'a great man.' It is flung about indiscriminately
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

The Magnificat
'And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48. For He hath regarded the low estate of His hand-maiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49. For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His name, 50. And His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation. 51. He hath shewed strength with His arm: He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52. He hath put down
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

Elijah Come Again
'There was, in the days of Herod the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 6. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren; and they both were now well stricken in years. 8. And it came to pass, that, while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

Zacharias's Hymn
'And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, 68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people, 69. And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David; 70. As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, which have been since the world began; 71. That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 72. To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His holy
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

The Dayspring from on High
'The day-spring from on high hath visited us, 79. To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.'--LUKE i. 78, 79. As the dawn is ushered in by the notes of birds, so the rising of the Sun of Righteousness was heralded by song, Mary and Zacharias brought their praises and welcome to the unborn Christ, the angels hovered with heavenly music over His cradle, and Simeon took the child in his arms and blessed it. The human members of this
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

Fourteenth Day. The Holy one of God.
Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.'--Luke i. 35. 'We have believed and know that Thou art the Holy One of God.'--John vi. 69. 'The holy one of the Lord'--only once (Ps. cvi. 16) the expression is found in the Old Testament. It is spoken of Aaron, in whom holiness, as far as it could then be revealed, had found its most complete embodiment. The title waited for its fulfilment in Him who alone, in His own person, could perfectly show forth
Andrew Murray—Holy in Christ

The Angel's Greeting
THE ANGEL'S GREETING St Luke i. 28.--"Hail, thou that art highly favoured among women, the Lord is with thee." Here there are three things to understand: the first, the modesty of the angel; the second, that he thought himself unworthy to accost the Mother of God; the third, that he not only addressed her, but the great multitude of souls who long after God. I affirm that had the Virgin not first borne God spiritually He would never have been born from her in bodily fashion. A certain woman said
Johannes Eckhart—Meister Eckhart's Sermons

Jesus Born the Son of God.
(Christmas Sermon.) "Glory to God in" the Highest, on earth peace; goodwill towards men. Amen." TEXT: LUKE i. 31, 32. "Behold, . . . thou shalt bring forth a Son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High." THESE were the words of promise spoken by the angel to Mary, that Ho whom she should bear should be called the Son of the Highest; and as this promise is after wards brought into direct connection with the statement that the power of the Highest
Friedrich Schleiermacher—Selected Sermons of Schleiermacher

The Key-Note of a Choice Sonnet
But now, having introduced to you her magnificat, we will dwell upon these words, "My soul doth magnify the Lord," and I do earnestly hope that many of us can adopt the language without being guilty of falsehood: we can as truly say as Mary did, "My soul doth magnify the Lord." If there are any of you present to-night who cannot say it, get to your chambers, fall upon your knees, and cry to the Lord to help you to do so; for as long as a man cannot magnify God he is not fit for heaven, where the
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 26: 1880

"The Tender Mercy of Our God"
"His heart is made of tenderness, His bowels melt with love." The main point of this morning's sermon will be to bring out into prominence those few words, "the tender mercy of our God." To me they gleam with kindly light: I see in them a soft radiance, as of those matchless pearls whereof the gates of heaven are made. There is an exceeding melody to my ear as well as to my heart in that word "tender." "Mercy" is music, and "tender mercy" is the most exquisite form of it, especially to a broken heart.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 32: 1886

A Harp of Ten Strings
IT IS VERY CLEAR that Mary was not beginning a new thing; for she speaks in the present tense, and in a tense which seems to have been for a long time present: "My soul doth magnify the Lord." Ever since she had received the wonderful tidings of the choice which God had made of her for her high position, she had begun to magnify the Lord; and when once a soul has a deep sense of God's mercy, and begins magnifying him, there is no end to it. This grows by what it feeds upon: the more you magnify God,
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891

The Judgment Upon Zacharias
UNBELIEF is everywhere a great sin, and a grievous mistake. Unbelief has proved the ruin of those countless multitudes who, having heard the gospel, rejected it, died in their sins, have been consigned to the place of torment, and await the fiercer judgment of the last day. I might ask the question concerning this innumerable host, "Who slew all these?" The answer would be, "Unbelief." And when unbelief comes into the Christian's heart, as it does at times--for the truest believer has his times of
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 62: 1916

Of Fervent Love and Vehement Desire of Receiving Christ
The Voice of the Disciple With the deepest devotion and fervent love, with all affection and fervour of heart, I long to receive Thee, O Lord, even as many Saints and devout persons have desired Thee in communicating, who were altogether well pleasing to Thee by their sanctity of life, and dwelt in all ardent devotion. O my God, Eternal Love, my whole Good, Happiness without measure, I long to receive Thee with the most vehement desire and becoming reverence which any Saint ever had or could have.
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

Prayer and Consecration
"Eudamidas, a citizen of Corinth, died in poverty; but having two wealthy friends, Arctæus and Carixenus, left the following testament: In virtue of my last will, I bequeath to Arctæus my mother and to Carixenus my daughter to be taken home to their houses and supported for the remainder of their lives. This testament occasioned much mirth and laughter. The two legatees were pleased and affectionately executed the will. If heathens trusted each other, why should not I cherish a far greater
Edward M. Bounds—The Essentials of Prayer

Luke's Preface and Dedication.
^C Luke I. 1-4. [1] ^c 1 Forasmuch as many [of whom we know nothing and have even no tradition] have taken in hand to draw up a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled [completed, or accomplished according to the divine will] among us, 2 even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses [the apostles were necessarily such and there were some few others--Acts i. 21-23] and ministers of the word [the apostles were ministers, and not ecclesiastical
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Annunciation of the Birth of Jesus.
(at Nazareth, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke I. 26-38. ^c 26 Now in the sixth month [this is the passage from which we learn that John was six months older than Jesus] the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth [Luke alone tells us where Mary lived before the birth of Jesus. That Nazareth was an unimportant town is shown by the fact that it is mentioned nowhere in the Old Testament, nor in the Talmud, nor in Josephus, who mentions two hundred four towns and cities of Galilee. The
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Mary, Future Mother of Jesus, visits Elisabeth, Future Mother of John the Baptist.
(in the Hill Country of Judæa, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke I. 39-56. ^c 39 And Mary arose in these days [within a week or two after the angel appeared to her] and went into the hill country [the district of Judah lying south of Jerusalem, of which the city of Hebron was the center] with haste [she fled to those whom God had inspired, so that they could understand her condition and know her innocence--to those who were as Joseph needed to be inspired, that he might understand--Matt. i. 18-25], into a city
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Annunciation to Zacharias of the Birth of John the Baptist.
(at Jerusalem. Probably b.c. 6.) ^C Luke I. 5-25. ^c 5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa [a Jewish proselyte, an Idumæan or Edomite by birth, founder of the Herodian family, king of Judæa from b.c. 40 to a.d. 4, made such by the Roman Senate on the recommendation of Mark Antony and Octavius Cæsar], a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course [David divided the priests into twenty-four bodies or courses, each course serving in rotation one week in the temple
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Birth and Early Life of John the Baptist.
(Hill Country of Judæa, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke I. 57-80. ^c 57 Now Elisabeth's time was fulfilled that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. 58 And her neighbors and her kinsfolk heard that the Lord had magnified his mercy towards her [mercy in granting a child; great mercy in granting so illustrious a child] ; and they rejoiced with her. 59 And it came to pass on the eighth day [See Gen. xvii. 12; Lev. xii. 3; Phil. iii. 5. Male children were named at their circumcision, probably
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

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