For nothing will be impossible with God.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The angel uses the word "word" to emphasize that everything God declares or promises, no matter how it sounds to us, is destined to become reality. It’s not just about God’s power, but His faithful commitment to His own declarations.
For nothing will be impossible with God.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The angel Gabriel has just announced to Mary that she will conceive a son by the Holy Spirit, a miraculous event that puzzles her because she is a virgin. To reassure her, Gabriel reminds her that her elderly cousin Elizabeth, previously considered barren, is already six months pregnant, proving that God's power transcends natural limitations. This declaration of God's omnipotence serves as the foundation for Mary's eventual humble submission to God's plan.
Mary questioned how she could conceive a child while remaining a virgin. It's a natural question, isn't it? Our minds often get stuck on the 'how'.
The Limits of Our Understanding
Mary's question, "How shall this be, since I know not a man?" (Luke 1:34), isn't necessarily a sign of weak faith, but a human reaction to a divine mystery. Calvin points out that Mary wasn't doubting God's ability, but rather struggling to comprehend how God's power could operate outside the natural order she knew. She was caught between her senses and God's incredible promise.
Faith Sees the Impossible as Possible
The angel's response, "For with God nothing shall be impossible," is the key. It's a reminder that God's power isn't constrained by our logic or the usual ways things happen. It echoes the promise to Abraham about Isaac's birth and Jeremiah's declaration that "nothing is too hard for thee."
This isn't just about Mary's situation; it's a foundational truth for all of us. When we face situations that seem utterly impossible – a health crisis, a relational breakdown, a financial struggle – we can remember that God operates on a different level. His power isn't limited by our circumstances.
The angel's words to Mary weren't just a vague promise of divine intervention; they were tied to God's word. What does that reveal about how God works?
From Promise to Reality
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While the common translation is "nothing shall be impossible with God," some scholars suggest a more precise rendering: "No word of God shall be powerless" (Vincent). This subtle shift highlights that God's power is intrinsically linked to His promises and declarations. When God speaks, His Word carries divine authority and inherent power to bring about what is spoken.
Trusting the Divine Utterance
Calvin explains that this means God will accomplish what He has promised. There's no obstacle that can resist His power, and He doesn't repent of His declarations. This encourages us to anchor our faith not just in God's abstract power, but in His specific promises found throughout Scripture. When God says something, we can count on it being done. His omnipotence is demonstrated through His faithful Word.
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.
Mary's question, 'How shall this be?' wasn't necessarily a lack of faith but astonishment at a divine mystery previously veiled, even within prophetic tradition. The angel's response, 'For with God nothing shall be impossible,' draws on a long history of God's miraculous interventions, reminding Mary that God's power transcends human limitations and expectations.
c. 740 BC
Isaiah's Prophecy of Immanuel
The prophet Isaiah foretells that a virgin will conceive and bear a son named Immanuel, meaning 'God with us,' a prophecy that would have been understood by Mary and her contemporaries with a veiled meaning, pointing towards a future Messiah.
c. 605 BC
Babylonian Exile Begins
The first wave of Judean exiles, including Daniel, are deported to Babylon. This event marked a period of diminished national sovereignty and a weakening of the Davidic royal line, making future messianic prophecies seem distant.
c. 30 BC - 1 BC
Mary's Childhood and Betrothal
Mary grows up in Nazareth, likely educated in the Jewish scriptures, and is betrothed to Joseph, a descendant of King David. This period precedes the angelic visitation.
c. 1 BC— this verse
The Angel Gabriel's Visit to Mary
The angel Gabriel appears to Mary, announcing that she will conceive a son through the Holy Spirit and that he will be the Son of God. This event is the direct context for Mary's question and the angel's reassuring words.
c. 1 BC
Mary Visits Elizabeth
Following Gabriel's announcement, Mary visits her relative Elizabeth, who is miraculously pregnant in her old age, serving as a sign of God's power to fulfill His promises.
This verse echoes the angel's assurance to Mary, directly referencing God's question to Sarah about Isaac's birth, highlighting that nothing is too hard for the Lord, no matter how extraordinary.
Jeremiah 32:17This passage provides a powerful affirmation of God's omnipotence, stating 'Ah, Sovereign Lord, it is I who made the heavens and the earth by my great power and by my outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you,' reinforcing the idea that God's capabilities are limitless.
Matthew 19:26Jesus uses this phrase to emphasize that while certain things are impossible for humans, 'with God all things are possible,' directly aligning with the assurance given to Mary about the divine power at work.
Isaiah 7:14This Old Testament prophecy foretells a virgin conceiving, which Mary is encountering firsthand; it serves as a foundational promise that God's plan, even when seemingly impossible by natural standards, will be fulfilled.
Romans 4:20-21This passage describes Abraham's unwavering faith, being 'fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised,' mirroring the faith Mary is called to exercise in the face of an impossible-seeming promise.
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 angel uses the word "word" to emphasize that everything God declares or promises, no matter how it sounds to us, is destined to become reality. It’s not just about God’s power, but His faithful commitment to His own declarations.
The angel Gabriel has just announced to Mary that she will conceive a son by the Holy Spirit, a miraculous event that puzzles her because she is a virgin. To reassure her, Gabriel reminds her that her elderly cousin Elizabeth, previously considered barren, is already six months pregnant, proving that God's power transcends natural limitations. This declaration of God's omnipotence serves as the foundation for Mary's eventual humble submission to God's plan.
The angel Gabriel has just announced to Mary that she will conceive a son by the Holy Spirit, a miraculous event that puzzles her because she is a virgin. To reassure her, Gabriel reminds her that her elderly cousin Elizabeth, previously considered barren, is already six months pregnant, proving that God's power transcends natural limitations. This declaration of God's omnipotence serves as the foundation for Mary's eventual humble submission to God's plan.
"For nothing will be impossible with God.”" — The angel uses the word "word" to emphasize that everything God declares or promises, no matter how it sounds to us, is destined to become reality. It’s not just about God’s power, but His faithful…
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Last reviewed October 2026