Annunciation of Jesus to Mary Read Luke 1:26-38 Overview We all know that Mary was chosen by God to be the

mother of Jesus, but why Mary? What was so special about her that God would bless her so dearly? She didnt enter a contest or lobby for the role or do anything to earn it. Instead, as with us, God initiated the action; He chose Mary through His grace. But today's lesson also provides some insight into Mary's God-given faith by looking at how she responded to some very big news. The Story Background Jesus' birth is foretold in several places in the Old Testament, including Isaiah 7:14 which tells us this about His mother: "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel". We know that, at the time our story begins, Mary was engaged to Joseph and was a virgin. The laws in place at this time provided harsh penalties for adultery, including being stoned to death. So, being engaged and pregnant meant one of two things: either you and your fianc "jumped the gun" or you committed adultery. Knowing this helps us put ourselves in Mary's sandals as the story begins. The Annunciation Life takes many turns for each of us but can you imagine the one-two punch Mary received in today's lesson? First, she is visited by an angel, then the angel says, congratulations! You're going to have a baby! The Bible tells us that, "Mary was greatly troubled at his words" (Luke 1:29), though that sounds like quite an understatement! The angel, Gabriel, first has to calm Mary down, then tells her that she has, "found favor with God" (Luke 1:30) and fills in some of the details (Luke 1:31-33) of what is to come. Marys Two Responses Aside from her initial reaction at seeing an angel appear, Mary has two responses to what Gabriel tells her, and both provide an example for us to follow, even if our news is not quite as amazing as Mary's: At being told she will have a baby, Mary responded, "How will this besince I am a virgin?" (Luke 1:34) Notice that Mary's response was not one of unbelief. (Recall from last week's lesson that Zechariah's response to Gabriel was disbelief; he wanted a sign.) Mary didn't question God's word (voiced through Gabriel), she simple expressed an understandable confusion. Her heart was clearly right with God and trusted in Him, she just wanted some details. As noted above, Mary had every reason to see bad things coming from this, including the possibility of her being stoned to death. Yet, her response after hearing all Gabriel had to say was remarkable in both its simplicity and as a sign of her deep faith: "I am the Lord's servantMay it be to me as you have said". (Luke 1:38)

May all of our responses to life's challenges be as pure and strong as Mary's!

Discussion / Thoughts on the Lesson / Additional Information 1. What would you think if an angel visited you? Would you be afraid as Zechariah (from last week's lesson) and Mary were? Or would your reaction be, Cool!? 2. Marys life was about to become very difficult. She had to explain to Joseph why she was pregnant. (Read Matthew 1:18-25 to get Joseph's reaction at hearing the news.) Mary also faced the possibility of being stoned to death and she was given the task of raising the Son of God. Mary knew all of this but we saw her positive reaction in today's lesson. Can you think of a time when your life was difficult and you faced significant challenges? How did you respond? Was that response appropriate (like Marys) or could you have responded more appropriately than you did? 3. When Gabriel appears to Mary he says, "greetings". The Latin word for greetings is "ave" and that's where we get the phrase (and song title) "Ave Maria". 4. Mary's response to her big news is expanded in what has been termed, "The Magnificat". (Magnificat is Latin for "glorifies".) This is found in Luke 1:46-55.

Note about these lesson summaries: The purpose of the weekly Sunday School lesson summaries is to provide parents and others some broad information about the lesson that children (grades pre-Kindergarten thru 5th) learn that day. To keep these short, they do not cover all details of the "story". Instead, the applicable Bible passages are noted at the top of page one and it is strongly suggested that those verses be read first. Then, the information in this newsletter can help explore some of the "lessons" which the story offers in addition to providing a few things to consider. With this information, it is hoped that a parent can discuss the lesson better with their child/children.