“Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.’ Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be since I do not know a man?’” Luke 1:30-34 (Read Luke 1:26-38)

How can this be? Upon hearing the angel Gabriel’s announcement, Mary wondered how she, a virgin, could conceive in her womb and bring forth this Son who would be called “the Son of the Highest” and reign on the throne of His father David forever.

The answer of God’s angel is recorded for us as well: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). By the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit, Mary would both conceive in her womb and give birth to this promised Son while yet being a virgin, “for with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37; cf. Isa. 7:14).

There is another — possibly even greater — “How can this be?” for us to consider. How can it be that God would send His only begotten Son into the world to save sinners like you and me? How can it be that God the Son would come into this world and take on human flesh and blood and then suffer and die on the cross to atone for our sins?

The Bible tells us that “when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4,5). Christ Jesus “died for our sins according to the Scriptures … was buried, and … rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3,4).

How can this be? Jesus tells us: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).

God’s desire for you and me is not to condemn us for our sins and shortcomings but to pardon and forgive us and give us eternal life through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice on the cross for the sins of all! May God grant you such faith in Christ Jesus!

Dear Father in heaven, we thank You for Your great love for us sinners in sending Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into the world, a true man, born of the Virgin Mary, that He might redeem us from sin and everlasting punishment and grant us a place with Him in His eternal kingdom. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

[Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.]