The Announcement – God’s Voice Heard
Luke 1:26-38 (Week Two of Advent)
- God manifested His work in Mary so that Jesus Christ would be manifested to the World. (Luke 1:26-29)
- Mary encountered a crisis of fact and faith that only the truth of Jesus could resolve. (Luke 1:34)
- The Holy Spirit made the Purpose of Christ reality. (Luke 1:35)
- The reality of Christ caused worshipful obedience (Luke 1:36-38)
Questions for Further Discussion:
- When was an occasion that you received an unexpected honor?
- How do you tend to react when you receive unexpected good news?
- Who greeted Mary? Why? (Luke 1:26-28)
- How did Mary learn of her role in Jesus’ birth? (Luke 1:26-28)
- How did Mary feel when the angel appeared to her? (Luke 1:29-30)
- How did Gabriel describe the child that would be born to Mary? (Luke 1:31-33)
- What title would Jesus have? (Luke 1:32)
- What Old Testament personalities were part of Jesus’ royal line? (Luke 1:32-33)
- Why wasn’t Mary struck dumb by the angel as Zechariah was? (Luke 1:34)
- How did Mary’s response to the angel differ from Zechariah’s? (Luke 1:34, 38)
- Why did Gabriel mention Elizabeth’s pregnancy to Mary? (Luke 1:36-37)
- What kind of attitude was apparent in Mary’s response to the angel’s visit? (Luke 1:38)
- What did Mary’s final statement to Gabriel show about her relationship with God? (Luke 1:38)
- What do Mary’s responses to Gabriel tell us about the kind of people through whom God works?
- In what different ways do people respond to the story of Christ’s birth?
- What difference does it make whether or not a person believes that the child born to Mary was really the Son of God?
- How has the fact that “with God, nothing is impossible” taken root in your life?
- In what ways would you say Mary’s responses to Gabriel summarize what our relationship with God ought to be like?
- What “impossibilities” in your life do you want to thank God for this week?
- What can you do to maintain a servant’s attitude as you live from day to day?
- In what ways can you develop the kind of humble spirit that Mary had?