Annunciation / Handmaiden of the Lord 

Basic Info

Luke 1:26–38

In chapter 1 of Luke, after a story about Elizabeth’s becoming miraculously pregnant with John the Baptist, there is a story about the Angel Gabriel’s appearing to Mary (which freaks her out a bit [Luke 1:29]) and telling her that God approves of her, so she will conceive and bear a son and name him Jesus and he will be great. Mary is a bright girl and challenges the logic of Gabriel’s message, suggesting that because she hasn’t been with a man, she can’t have a child. Gabriel explains that this will be a miraculous event made possible by the Holy Spirit. Despite the enormity and bizarreness of this announcement, Mary humbly accepts, calling herself the handmaiden or servant of God.

Luke doesn’t set the scene for this event except to say that it happened in the town of Nazareth. Nor does Luke say what Mary was doing at the time Gabriel appeared. These details are filled in by each artist. Certainly, traditions have sprung up and been imitated, but, ultimately, these details are not biblical.

The story is about a young woman / girl who says yes to an extreme request from God. The artworks emphasize various aspects of that theme. The artworks often contain references to other aspects of the big picture of Christian salvation, such as a Crucifix or icon of Christ on the wall, or Adam and Eve in the garden. Mary is often understood as the new Eve, getting to make a fresh choice when presented with an invitation from God.

What to Look For

• Mary’s physical appearance (age, face, hair, hands, clothing, etc.)
• What Mary was doing when Gabriel arrived (praying, reading Scripture, doing embroidery, etc.)
• Mary’s emotional state (surprise, humility, acquiescence, etc.)
• Gabriel’s physical appearance (wings, clothing, face, hair, hands, what he’s holding, etc.)
• Gabriel’s attitude and gestures when addressing Mary (comforting, awe-inspiring, reverential, respectful, etc.)
• The relationship between Mary and Gabriel (distance apart, looks, gestures, etc.)
• Evidence of other aspects of the grand arc of salvation history (Adam & Eve, a cross, a picture of Jesus on the wall, etc.)

Questions to Focus a General Interpretation

Which aspect of the Annunciation story does the artwork emphasize: the shock of getting this kind of greeting / invitation, the humility of a young woman / girl in the face of a grand messenger from God, or the yes spoken by a faithful woman who declares herself to be a servant / handmaiden to God?

Does this artwork place the Annunciation in context with other Bible stories? Can you figure out the intended relationship between or among them?

Questions to Guide a Personal Interpretation

If someone looking the way Gabriel does in this artwork showed up in front of you today, how would you react? Would you have enough faith to say yes to the request?

Does the depiction of Mary in this artwork offer you a model for saying yes to God in your life?

Questions to Suggest a Historical Interpretation

What were the day-to-day struggles of people in the artist’s time and place? Does Mary’s yes model a way to endure such hardships?

Though we rarely hear of the appearance of angels after biblical times, the suddenness of changes in life’s circumstances can be just as startling. Does the depiction of Mary in the artwork offer any wisdom about how those sudden changes were handled in the artist’s time and place?