contamination of sin. The word power (dunamis) has the significance of "ability". In

this power was all the ability to perform everything necessary: both the conception and

the sinlessness.

When Gabriel appeared to Mary he said:

Of this greeting it might be said, all is of grace, although it is not apparent in

translation. Rejoice! was a normal everyday salutation, but one, like our "goodbye"

which derives from `God be with you', had the deeper significance of `Rejoice! Be glad!'

It is a word (chaire) which derives from grace (charis), for all true gladness and rejoicing

has its roots in the grace of God. "Thou that art highly favoured" is also "full of grace".

It is literally "having been graced", and is the same word used in Eph. 1: 6 where the

A.V. translates it "accepted in the Beloved". The believer who is a member of the church

which is Christ's Body is "highly favoured" having "been graced", and like Mary, for a

special purpose. Mary was uniquely "united" to the Lord Jesus Christ as His human

mother in a way no other human being can possibly be united to Him: it is surely

significant that this same word is applied to those who are united to Him as members of

His Body, God had made Mary acceptable for His purpose: no natural qualification, nor

human attribute could do so. Similarly those who comprise the Body of Christ have no

quality or attribute to make them acceptable to God for this great privilege, it comes to

them only as they are united to the Beloved.

The blessing which concludes the greeting is doubtful, and is omitted from a number

of the critical Greek texts. The Companion Bible note says "Probably brought here from

Luke 1: 42, where it is unquestioned". Even if it is correctly placed here, the expression

has not quite the force given to it by some. For the word translated "blessed" (eulogeo)

simply means "to speak well of", and nothing more. It can have the sense of "blessing"

to the extent that in a blessing one is "well spoken of".

"She was troubled at his saying" (verse 29). Gabriel's saying threw her into great

confusion, she was confounded by it. The result was "She cast in her mind what manner

of salutation this should be". This might be expressed as "she argued with herself" about

it. Yet at this point she had not been told of the great privilege which was to be hers.

Many extraordinary things were to happen to Mary before her commission was fulfilled;

things which would be confusing to her, and always she considered them carefully.

Following the birth of Christ, and the visit of the shepherds, Luke tells us:

Mary kept all these things: the primary meaning of "kept" is "to watch closely", or, as

Bullinger's Critical Lexicon puts it "to have one's eye upon in conjunction . . . . .". She

viewed all that befell her, not as separate incidents, but as a part of the whole, and "kept

her eye open" not to miss anything. Then she pondered them in her heart: she brought

them together. Both words are compounds, both beginning with sun which bears the

thought of being united. Although the various incidents were mysterious, inexplicable,