Britannica Sources used in this answer

What message did the angel Gabriel bring to Mary at the Annunciation?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Antonello da Messina: Madonna and Child — Mary *Madonna and Child*, oil and tempera on panel by Antonello da Messina, 1475; in the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

At the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary in Nazareth to announce that she would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit and name him Jesus.12

Gabriel told Mary that she had found favor with God and that her son would be great, called the Son of the Most High, and would reign over the house of Jacob forever. When Mary asked how this could be, given that she was a virgin, the angel explained that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the power of the Most High would overshadow her. Gabriel also shared that her relative Elizabeth had conceived a son in her old age, affirming that nothing is impossible with God.2

Mary responded with willing consent, stating, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word," an act that precipitated the Incarnation of Christ.12