“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus”
The birth of Jesus Christ was different from any of the births mentioned in the genealogy. There we found the repeated phrase “A begot B.”
But now we have the record of a birth without a human father. The facts surrounding this miraculous conception are stated with dignity and simplicity. Mary had been promised in marriage to Joseph, but the wedding had not yet taken place. During the time of her betrothal, the Virgin Mary became pregnant by a miracle of the Holy Spirit. An angel had previously announced this mysterious event to Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you”.
A cloud of suspicion and scandal hung over Mary. In all of human history there had never been a virgin birth. When people saw an unwed woman who was pregnant, they had only one possible explanation.
Even Joseph did not yet know the true explanation of Mary’s condition. He might have been indignant at his fiancée on two counts: First, her apparent unfaithfulness to him; and second, though innocent, he would almost inevitably be accused of complicity. His love for Mary and desire for justice led him to decide to break the betrothal by a quiet divorce. He wished to avoid the public disgrace which normally accompanied such an action.
While this gentle and deliberate man was mapping his strategy to protect Mary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The salutation, “Joseph, son of David, was doubtless designed to stir up the consciousness of his royal pedigree and to prepare him for the unusual advent of Israel’s Messiah-King.
He should have no misgivings about marrying Mary. Any suspicions concerning her purity were groundless. Her pregnancy was a miracle of the Holy Spirit. The angel then revealed the unborn Child’s sex, name, and mission. Mary would bear a Son. He was to be named Jesus, (which means “Jehovah is salvation”).
As a result of the angel’s intervention, Joseph abandoned his plan to divorce Mary. He continued to recognize their betrothal until Jesus’ birth, after which he married her.
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