Monday was the birth of Jesus from Matthew. Today, we start on the story from Luke.
Read more…In [Elizabeth’s] sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in the Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin named Mary, who’d been affianced to a man named Joseph, of David’s family. Coming in, it said, “Hello, honored one. The Lord is with you.”
She was alarmed by this message, and was speculating what sort of greeting this might be. The angel told her, “Don’t fear, Mary, for you’ve found grace with God. Look: You’ll conceive in your womb. You’ll give birth to a son. You’ll name him Jesus. He’ll be great. He’ll be called the Most High’s son. The Lord will give him his ancestor David’s throne. He’ll be king over Jacob’s family in perpetuity. His Kingdom will never end.”
Mary told the angel, “How will this happen, since I’ve not been with a man?”
In reply the angel told her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you. The Most High’s power will envelop you. The holy one who will be produced, will be called the Son of God. Look: Your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son in her old age. This is actually her sixth month—and she was called sterile. Because no word of God is impossible.”
Mary said, “Look: If it happens according to your word, I’m the Lord’s slave.”
The angel left her.
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