Even before Christ’s conception, God’s fingerprints can be seen all over His lineage, so it is no wonder that His birth is even more amazing.  Some  might even say unbelievable.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[b] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37For no word from God will ever fail.”

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:26-38(NIV)

Scholars place Mary’s age at around 14.  Think about that for a second – what were you doing at 14?  That’s the age of the average 8th grader.  I wouldn’t let most 8th graders babysit for me, let alone trust them to RAISE a child.  Now I know, times were different then.  Young girls were taught how to care for a family and run a home from an early age.  Still, this is the SON OF GOD.  Mary must have been some woman.

She also must have been terrified.  She was only 14,  and she wasn’t married.  Be realistic for a second.  How many people are going to beleive “It’s God’s baby.”  She could be stoned for this.  Her future husband is going to be embarrassed, to say the least.  What does she say when Gabriel gives her this news?   “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Luke 1:38(NIV)

She had a choice.  God doesn’t force Himself on anyone.  I don’t know if I would be so ready to accept this new responsibility.  There is also one more person to consider in this little drama: Joseph, the husband-to-be who is not the father.

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. Matthew 1:18-19(NIV)

Well, right off, Joseph sounds like a decent guy.  He is legally allowed to stone her, but he doesn’t.  He plans on taking care of this situation with as little embarassment to Mary as possible.  I also want to pause and appreciate the contrast to our current culture and the taboo, or lack thereof, of out of wedlock pregnancy.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[f]because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”(which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. Matthew 1:20-24(NIV)

The same angel comes to Joseph and tells him that Mary is telling the truth and to go ahead an marry her.  Again Joseph has a choice. How would it look if a man married a woman who was pregnant with another man’s baby?  Also, how many men can take care of and love a baby who is not their own?  Even today that doesn’t make a guy look good, but Joseph puts his faith in God and obeys.

Now even though God has ordained this birth,  this issue of paternity comes up later during Jesus’s ministry.  In John 8 Jesus is talking to the people and the Pharisees are questioning the validity of his claims.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

13The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”

14 Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16 But if I do judge, my decisions are true, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17 In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is true. 18I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.”

19 Then they asked him, “Where is your father?” John 8:12-19(NIV)

Did you catch that?  Don’t let the polite language fool you.  Verse 19 is a back handed way of calling Jesus a bastard.   Then they asked him, “Where is your father?”  Watch what Jesus does next.

You do not know me or my Father,” Jesus replied. “If you knew me, you would know my Father also.” 20 He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come. John 8:19-20(NIV)

Againg do not let the polite language fool you.  What He says there is blasphemous!  He could be stoned for what He just said, the reason is not because it isn’t time for that.  As we already know, God has a bigger plan for Jesus’s death.

This story reminds me of some of my favorite and most comforting verses.

 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Hebrews 5:15-16(NIV)

Jesus has been through it all.  He has been judged not only for His actions, but the appeared actions of His parents.  Chuck Swindoll says:  I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.  Jesus reacted to the pharisees blatant accusation with the truth.   He was very matter of fact:  “of course you don’t know my father, if you did you would recognize me.” Then He left.  He didn’t use surpernatural means, eventhough what He said put Him in immediate danger.  My thought on this is that He was providing a example for us.  How many people in this world are this mean to us?    Now this is not the only time Jesus is treated this way.  Look into how He was treated when He returned to His hometown in Luke 4:14-28.

I can’t blame the Pharisees for not believing in the virgin birth right away, except for the fact that they had the information, including the time line of when to look for the Messiah.  More on that later.  For now I am just taking comfort in the fact that Christ has been through everything I have been through, and at the same time I am often ashamed that I don’t react nearly as well as  He did.    Thankfully He’s not done working on me.