Wednesday 25 March 2026

Psalm 40

Background
We interrupt our journey through the Song of Solomon in order to mark one of the traditional festivals of the Christian year: the annunciation. We are exactly nine months before Christmas Day, 2026, so this is an appropriate day to remember the role of Mary in God’s plan of salvation.

The Angel Gabriel – a messenger from God – announces to Mary that she is to become the mother of a son who will be the Messiah. The story is one of the most familiar in the Bible. It has been depicted in countless works of art across many centuries, usually with Mary shown as cowed and demure. Thousands who may not often attend church will hear it read at carol services. Because it is so familiar, it is easy to miss some of the important features of the story.

Luke wants us to see Mary – and her son Jesus – as part of God’s age-old faithfulness to Israel and her people. The promises made to Mary echo promises we find in the Old Testament, to David, for example. And Mary is in a long line of strong women who have a pivotal role in God’s work. Think of Sarah (Genesis 18:14), who becomes the mother of Isaac in her old age, or Hannah (1 Samuel 2), whose passionate prayer for a child is answered in the birth of  the prophetic leader, Samuel.

Then, Luke wants us to be sure that what happens in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus is entirely God’s initiative. Though Jesus is fully human, with a human mother, he is also more than human: he is the son of God. If that sounds impossible, we need to learn that with God nothing is beyond possibility.

And then there’s the figure of Mary, called on to cooperate with God in a costly way, with a future that must seem uncertain and fearful. Her response, “I am the servant of the Lord” (v. 38), is intended to be a response for all Christians.

To Ponder:

• How does the person of Mary fit into your understanding of the story of Jesus? In what ways might Mary be a model for contemporary Christians?

Prayer
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour. (The Magnificat [The Song of Mary] Singing the Faith 793)

Bible notes author: The Revd Dr Richard Clutterbuck
Richard is a supernumerary presbyter, living in Gloucestershire after a ministry that has taken him to Tonga, London, Gloucester and Belfast. He was formerly Principal of the West of England Ministerial Training Course and of Edgehill Theological College.