28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” 29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
In verses 28 to 38, we have Gabriel’s announcement to Mary of the birth of Jesus.
1:28
And having come in [Mary’s house], the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored [graced] one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
Gabriel told Mary to “rejoice” because she was “highly favored” with grace in God’s eyes, and the Lord was “with her.” She had a special place of God’s blessing; she was in a unique place of standing, a privilege like no other. Mary was not the source of grace but the recipient of God’s blessing and provision. She was to receive a particular or special favor from God.
1:29
But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.
Mary became confused by the angel’s appearance and “his saying.” She knew she was unworthy to receive such a blessing but questioned why an angel would visit her directly.
1:30
Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor [grace] with God.
The angel assured Mary that she had found God’s “favor” or grace. Grace is what God gives or provides. God favored her, not because of her piety but out of His sheer and unadulterated grace. The thrust is on what God did for her, not what she did for God.
PRINCIPLE:
Grace is what we receive from God, not what we do for Him.
APPLICATION:
There is no indication that Mary was in any way unique. She was a sinner who needed a Savior as a recipient of God’s grace (Ro 3:23). Mary needed a Savior (Lu 1:47). However, Roman Catholics take the greeting “highly favored [graced]” as attributing to her extraordinary powers (the Ave Maria, or “Hail Mary”). They take “highly favored” as full of grace that Mary could bestow on others. She was the recipient of God’s grace, not its bestower. She was not an intermediary who could distribute grace to others. God has only “one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5).
