Lately I have heard much about couples who struggle to have a child. Science has advanced to the point where doctors can help with this, but it is an expensive and hard procedure. There are some couple that want to give up trying because of the stress some of the procedures put on their lives. And there is no 100% guarantee that any of these will work. When a couple strives and works and schedules and finally does become pregnant many times they will call the baby a miracle and even, though science has helped the process along, the couple still gives credit to God.
Jesus, of course was a miracle baby, but not in the same sense I have just written about. There is still dispute as to what time of year Jesus was born. Some say in the spring maybe March or April, others want to believe in the date we celebrate His birthday on. For our purposes I am going to stick to December the 25th. Since we are sticking with that date we need to travel back 9 months to a day in March when a young girl has a miraculous experience.
We don’t know where or what time of day it was when Gabriel appeared to Mary. I like to think it was in the evening, the day’s work done. Mary is out quietly taking a walk. She is thinking about her husband to be, Joseph the Carpenter. She is wondering what her wedding ceremony will be like. How many of her friends and family will attend and what it will be like to live with Joseph. In the eyes of the law they are already married, this was part of Jewish custom at the time. Once engaged you were legally married except for living together and sexual relationship. This time between engagement and wedding was used for the husband to build a house and have everything ready to support and raise a family. Mary would also be wondering just how far Joseph has gotten with his preparations.
Then suddenly, out of nowhere, maybe just appearing or maybe swooping down from the sky The Angel Gabriel appears to Mary. He tells her three things. One, that she is blessed among women. Two, she is now pregnant with God’s child and three her cousin Elizabeth, though well advanced in years and thought to be barren, is pregnant by the grace of God.
Mary asks one question. How can this be since I have not had sex? It is here that the angel tells her that the miracle will happen because the Holy Spirit will come upon her and because of this the child will be known as the son of God. Mary, without blinking responds with “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you said.” No other questions, no buts, just submission and obedience to what God would have her do. The Angel then departs from her.
I think, right then, a thought pops into her head. “What do I tell Joseph?”
