“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.”
My Notes
What Does Luke 1:30 Mean?
"Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God." Gabriel addresses Mary's fear — the natural response to an angelic appearance — with two words: fear not. Then the reason: you have found favor (charis — grace) with God. The favor wasn't earned; it was found. The grace was already there; Mary discovered it.
The phrase "found favour" uses the same language as Noah finding grace in the eyes of the LORD (Genesis 6:8). Mary is in the company of the most pivotal people in Scripture — those who found grace at history's turning points. The grace precedes the person: it was there to be found, waiting for the one God chose.
Mary's fear is acknowledged, not dismissed. Gabriel doesn't say "don't be silly" or "there's nothing to be afraid of." He says "fear not" — acknowledging the fear is real and addressing it with truth: God favors you. The fear and the favor coexist in the same moment.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What favor might God have positioned for you that you haven't found yet?
- 2.How does Gabriel addressing Mary's fear before delivering the message model God's pastoral care?
- 3.What does 'found' rather than 'earned' favor change about how you approach God?
- 4.What fear do you need God to address before you can hear what He's trying to tell you?
Devotional
Fear not, Mary. You've found favor with God. Two sentences that change everything: the fear is addressed, and the grace is announced. Both are real. Both are present. The fear doesn't cancel the favor, and the favor doesn't pretend the fear doesn't exist.
Mary is terrified. An angel has appeared in her house — in her ordinary, insignificant, Nazareth house. She's a teenage girl in a nowhere village, and the messenger of heaven is standing in front of her. The fear is entirely appropriate. Nothing in her life prepared her for this.
Gabriel's first word is comfort: fear not. Before the announcement, before the impossible pregnancy, before the theological earthquake — comfort. God addresses the emotional state before He delivers the content. He takes care of the fear before He explains the favor.
The favor was "found" — not earned, not achieved, not merited. Mary didn't do something to qualify. She found what was already there. The grace preceded her. God's favor was positioned for her before she went looking for it. The most significant assignment in human history goes to a girl who found grace she didn't earn.
What favor might be waiting for you — positioned by God, ready to be found, preceding your awareness of it? The fear is real. The angel is intimidating. The announcement is overwhelming. But the favor was there first. Before the fear, the grace.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And the angel said unto her, &c. Observing the consternation and confusion she was in,
fear not, Mary; he calls her by…
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The Annunciation
26. in the sixth month i. e. after the vision of Zachariah. This is the only passage which indicates…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture