Luke 1:31 records the angel Gabriel telling Mary that she will become pregnant and bear a son, and that she is to name him Jesus. The verse is an announcement of a birth that will fulfill God’s plan, delivered directly from heaven to a young woman in Nazareth.
The words are spoken by the angel Gabriel to Mary, a young woman engaged to a man named Joseph. The message comes during an unexpected visit, and it changes the course of her life and of the story Luke is telling.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and give birth to a son, and will call his name ‘Jesus.’
Luke 1:31 (WEB)
What Luke 1:31 Means
The verse opens with “Behold,” a word that calls the listener to pay attention, as if something important is about to be shared. Gabriel is not asking Mary for a decision here. He is telling her what God is doing, and she is the one who will carry it.
“You will conceive in your womb, and give birth to a son” describes a real, physical pregnancy that will happen to Mary. The promise is specific: a son, not a vague blessing. The phrase “will call his name” then assigns the child’s identity before he is even born, since in that culture naming a child was a significant act of family and calling.
The name Jesus means “the Lord saves” or “God saves,” which is why the verse matters so much. The verse does not promise Mary an easy life or a problem-free road ahead. It promises that the child she bears will carry the work of salvation, and that she has been chosen to be part of that story.
The Context of Luke 1:31
Luke wrote his Gospel to a readership he addresses directly in its opening lines, often thought to be Theophilus and a wider community of Gentile believers. Tradition holds Luke as a companion of Paul who gathered careful accounts of Jesus, and his writing shows a deep interest in women, the poor, and the outsider. Mary’s story sits within that concern.
Just before the verse, Gabriel greets Mary as one “highly favored” and tells her not to be afraid. Just after, he explains that her son will be great, will be called the Son of the Most High, and will reign forever. Mary’s question in verse 34 is the natural response of someone hearing an impossible promise. Read in that setting, Luke 1:31 is the core of a conversation in which God’s plan is made known to a surprised, thoughtful young woman.
Key Phrases in Luke 1:31
Matthew 1:21
She shall give birth to a son. You shall call his name Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.”
(WEB)
Matthew records a parallel announcement to Joseph, where the name Jesus is again linked to its meaning. The verse makes plain that the child will save his people from their sins, which deepens the meaning of the name Gabriel gives to Mary.
Luke 1:37
For nothing spoken by God is impossible.”
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Just a few verses later, the angel tells Mary that nothing is impossible with God. This response to her question helps explain why Luke 1:31 can be trusted even when the promise seems beyond human understanding.
A Short Prayer From Luke 1:31
Lord, I come to you with questions I cannot fully answer and plans that have shifted under my feet. Like Mary, I want to trust that your work is bigger than my fears and that you know what you are doing in my life. Help me to listen for your voice, to receive what you are asking of me with an open heart, and to rest in the name of Jesus, the one who saves. Amen.
