The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came

Rev. Luke Zimmerman, pastor at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mechanicsburg, PA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Lutheran Service Book #356, “The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came.”

This Basque hymn is a poetic retelling of the Annunciation of Our Lord and the Visitation. When the mighty angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, he greeted her as one highly favored by the Lord. God was showing His free grace to Mary in making her the mother of God. Her child, Jesus, is Emmanuel: God with us. Mary received this Word of God in faith, and while visiting her relative Elizabeth, praised God for His mercy in the words of the Magnificat. Because of the role God gave Mary in salvation history, Christians throughout the ages have considered her blessed, and we continue to praise God for what He has done through Mary’s Son, Jesus.

“The Hymns of Advent'' is a series on Sharper Iron that looks at a variety of the hymns found in the Advent section Lutheran Service Book. The season of Advent prepares us for Christ’s coming. The hymns of Advent teach that this is more than getting ready for Christmas; the Word of the Lord sung in hymnody helps us to receive Christ as He comes to us now in the means of grace and when He comes again in glory on the Last Day.