The angel Gabriel (Noah) appearing to Mary and declaring to her that she would become the mother of Jesus Christ. Mary is depicted seated on a round stone ledge. The ledge borders a tree and flowers. The angel Gabriel is depicted wearing white robes. A stone wall and stairways are in the background. There are flowers in the foreground. Luke 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel came to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus Christ. He testified that “with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). Mary’s faithful response can help you learn how to respond to the Lord’s will with greater trust in Him.
Who would you say are the most influential women in your life?
In this lesson, you will learn more about Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.
Why do you think Mary should be considered one of the most influential women in the history of the world?
Mary’s life and mission were prophesied about many years before her birth. Study the following prophecies about Mary, looking for what they teach you about her.
What did you learn about Mary from these scriptures?
Introduction to the Gospel of Luke
The account of Mary learning that she would be the mother of Jesus Christ is recorded in the Gospel of Luke.
Luke was a physician (see Colossians 4:14) and “a messenger of Jesus Christ” (Joseph Smith Translation, Luke 1:1 [in Luke 1:1, footnote a]). Many events from the life of the Savior are found only in the Gospel of Luke, including the angel’s announcement to Mary that she would be the mother of the Son of God. This event is known as the Annunciation.
As you study this account and the faithful example of Mary, pay attention to what you learn and the spiritual promptings you receive.
The angel Gabriel appears to Mary
Read Luke 1:26–37, looking for details surrounding the angel’s announcement to Mary.
You may also want to watch the video “An Angel Foretells Christ’s Birth to Mary” (4:07), located on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, as you follow along in your scriptures.
Which details from the announcement stood out to you?
What questions do you have about what you read?
One truth you may have noticed from this account is that with God nothing shall be impossible. President Russell M. Nelson shared one of the ways this truth applies to you:
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Official portrait of President Russell M. Nelson taken January 2018
You will be asked to accept challenging assignments and become an instrument in the Lord’s hands. And He will enable you to accomplish the impossible.
(Russell M. Nelson, “Becoming True Millennials” [worldwide devotional for young adults, Jan. 10, 2016], broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org)
What might the Lord ask you to do that could seem impossible?
Why might these things sometimes feel impossible to accomplish?
Sometimes when we face tasks that feel impossible to accomplish, it can be helpful to look to the examples of others who have responded faithfully to their own difficult circumstances. Read Luke 1:38, and look for how Mary responded after learning that she would be the mother of Jesus.
What does Mary’s response help you understand about her?
What truths do you think would help a person to trust the Lord like Mary did, even when something the Lord asks may seem impossible?
Think about something the Lord has asked you to do that may feel impossible. As you read more from President Nelson’s statement, look for specific things you can do to help you accomplish the impossible:
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Official portrait of President Russell M. Nelson taken January 2018
How will you accomplish the impossible? By doing whatever it takes to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ by increasing your understanding of the doctrine taught in His restored Church and by relentlessly seeking truth. … When you are asked to do impossible things, you will be able to step forward with faith and dogged persistence and cheerfully do all that lies in your power to fulfill the purposes of the Lord.
You will have days when you will be thoroughly discouraged. So, pray for courage not to give up!
(Russell M. Nelson, “Becoming True Millennials” [worldwide devotional for young adults, Jan. 10, 2016], broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org)
1. Answer the following questions in your study journal:
What is one action from President Nelson’s statement that you would like to be better at?
How do you think improving in this area could help you to accomplish what seems impossible in your life?
Optional: Want to Learn More?
Why study the Gospel of Luke?
Some of the most well-known stories of Christendom are unique to the Gospel of Luke: the circumstances surrounding the birth of John the Baptist (see Luke 1:5–25, 57–80); the traditional Christmas narrative (see Luke 2:1–20); the story of Jesus as a 12-year-old boy in the temple (see Luke 2:41–52); parables such as the good Samaritan (see Luke 10:30–37), the prodigal son (see Luke 15:11–32), and the rich man and Lazarus (see Luke 16:19–31); the story of the ten lepers (see Luke 17:11–19); and the account of the resurrected Lord walking beside His disciples on the road to Emmaus (see Luke 24:13–32).
Other unique features are Luke’s inclusion of teachings of John the Baptist not found in the other Gospels (see Luke 3:10–14); his emphasis on the prayerfulness of Jesus Christ (see Luke 3:21; 5:16; 9:18, 28–29; 11:1); and his inclusion of the calling, training, and missionary labors of the Seventy (see Luke 10:1–22). Moreover, Luke is the only Gospel writer to record that the Savior shed His blood in Gethsemane and that an angel ministered to Him (see Luke 22:43–44).
The Prophet Joseph Smith (1805–44) taught about the identity of the angel Gabriel:
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Half-length frontal portrait of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. Joseph’s head is turned to the side in a three-quarter view, right hand on hip and his left hand holds sheets of papers. He is depicted wearing a dark brown suit and a white shirt and tie.
Noah … is Gabriel; he stands next in authority to Adam in the Priesthood; he was called of God to this office, and was the father of all living in his day, and to him was given the dominion.
(Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 104)
Luke 1:27. What does it mean that Mary was “espoused to … Joseph”?
In ancient Israel, once the marriage was agreed upon, a wedding consisted of two stages: betrothal (also called espousal; see Matthew 1:18) and a wedding ceremony. Though betrothed couples were legally regarded as husband and wife (see Deuteronomy 22:23–24), between the time of betrothal and the wedding ceremony, a strict code of chastity was enforced (see Matthew 1:18–25 ; see also New Testament Student Manual [2014], 13).
Luke 1:30–35. What do we know about Mary’s miraculous pregnancy?
When Mary asked how she could become the mother of Jesus, “seeing I know not a man” (Luke 1:34), Gabriel simply informed her that she would be overshadowed by the Holy Ghost and that her child would be the Son of God (see Luke 1:35). Other scriptures that refer to the conception of Jesus Christ likewise emphasize that He is the Son of God but do not reveal how this miracle took place (see Matthew 1:18–20; 1 Nephi 11:14–15, 18–21; Alma 7:10).
