Luke 1:37
For nothing will be impossible with God.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Luke 1:37
For nothing will be impossible with God.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse doesn't just state that God can do anything, but that every word from Him is backed by His power. This means that when God speaks a promise, like the one He made to Mary, that word itself carries the power to bring it to pass, leaving no room for impossibility. It's a reminder that God's declaration of intent is already a guarantee of action.
The angel Gabriel has just announced to Mary that she will conceive a son, Jesus, who will be the Son of God. Mary, understandably astonished, questions how this can be possible since she is a virgin. The angel then reassures her by explaining that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and that her relative Elizabeth, who was considered barren, is already six months pregnant in her old age.
Mary asked 'How?' and the angel responded with a truth that still grounds our faith today. What does this exchange reveal about asking God about His plans?
When Mary heard the angel's incredible news, her immediate question was, "How shall this be, since I know not a man?" (Luke 1:34). This wasn't a sign of outright disbelief, but rather of astonishment and a mind trying to grasp the divine. The angel's response, "For nothing will be impossible with God," reframes the conversation. It shifts the focus from how something can happen within our understanding of natural laws to the limitless power of God.
Trusting Beyond Our Logic
The angel didn't just say God is powerful; he linked that power to God's word. What does this connection teach us about the reliability of divine promises?
The original Greek word used here, 'rhema,' often refers to a specific word, saying, or utterance. While 'nothing shall be impossible with God' is a profound statement of His omnipotence, the context suggests something even more specific: every word or promise God speaks is inherently backed by His power to bring it to pass.
Understand the original words
theos · Greek Noun
The supreme Being, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, who acts according to His sovereign will and is limited by nothing but His own holy nature.
This verse, spoken by the angel Gabriel to Mary, directly follows Mary's question about how she could conceive as a virgin. Gabriel’s response, that 'nothing will be impossible with God,' serves as a reminder that God's power transcends natural limitations, echoing past miraculous interventions like the birth of Isaac and Elizabeth's conception.
c. 740 BC
Prophecy of Virgin Birth
Isaiah prophesies that a virgin will conceive and bear a son, Emmanuel, as a sign of God's intervention.
c. 20 BC - 10 BC
Mary and Joseph Betrothed
Mary, a young woman living in Nazareth, is betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter also from Nazareth.
c. 20 BC - 10 BC
Elizabeth's Pregnancy Announced
The angel Gabriel announces to Zechariah that his elderly and previously barren wife, Elizabeth, will conceive a son (John the Baptist).
c. 19 BC - 9 BC— this verse
Gabriel's Visit to Mary
The angel Gabriel appears to Mary, announcing she will conceive a son by the Holy Spirit, who will be the Son of God.
This verse echoes the angel's assurance to Mary, directly referencing the promise made to Sarah about having a child in her old age, highlighting God's consistent power to bring about the impossible.
Jeremiah 32:17This passage powerfully declares 'Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you,' reinforcing the absolute capability of God that underlies Luke 1:37.
Matthew 19:26Jesus states, 'With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible,' directly drawing the parallel between human limitations and God's boundless ability, as seen in Mary's situation.
Romans 4:21Paul's description of Abraham being 'fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised' illuminates the faith required to believe in God's impossible feats, mirroring Mary's journey.
Ephesians 3:20This verse speaks of God 'who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,' providing a profound expansion on the limitless potential inherent in God's power.
calvinLuke 1:34-38: "Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?"
- And Mary said to the angel, How shall this be, since I know not a man? 35. And the angel answering said to her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: wherefore also the holy thing which shall be born shall be called the Son of God. 36. And, behold, Elisabeth thy cousin, even she hath conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month to her w…
jfbLuke 1:26-38: "And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,"
Lu 1:26-38. Annunciation of Christ.(See on [1535]Mt 1:18-21).26. sixth month—of Elisabeth's time.Joseph, of the house of David—(See on [1536]Mt 1:16).
The verse doesn't just state that God can do anything, but that every word from Him is backed by His power. This means that when God speaks a promise, like the one He made to Mary, that word itself carries the power to bring it to pass, leaving no room for impossibility. It's a reminder that God's declaration of intent is already a guarantee of action.
The angel Gabriel has just announced to Mary that she will conceive a son, Jesus, who will be the Son of God. Mary, understandably astonished, questions how this can be possible since she is a virgin. The angel then reassures her by explaining that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and that her relative Elizabeth, who was considered barren, is already six months pregnant in her old age.
The angel Gabriel has just announced to Mary that she will conceive a son, Jesus, who will be the Son of God. Mary, understandably astonished, questions how this can be possible since she is a virgin. The angel then reassures her by explaining that the Holy Spirit will come upon her and that her relative Elizabeth, who was considered barren, is already six months pregnant in her old age.
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The Power in God's Promises
Mary's question stemmed from her understanding of natural human conception. How does the angel's explanation highlight that God's power operates outside our natural expectations?
The angel's explanation to Mary wasn't just a theological statement; it was a description of a miraculous event. He clarified that the conception would occur not through natural means ('since I know not a man'), but through the direct intervention of the Holy Spirit.
Beyond the Ordinary
c. 19 BC - 9 BC
Mary Visits Elizabeth
Mary travels to visit her relative Elizabeth, who is already in her sixth month of pregnancy.
"For nothing will be impossible with God.”" — The verse doesn't just state that God can do anything, but that every word from Him is backed by His power. This means that when God speaks a promise, like the one He made to Mary, that word itse…