“…before they came together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18)
Mary, the mother of Jesus, was not yet married to Joseph when she became pregnant. Matthew explicitly tells us that this happened “before they came together”. But wait a minute… how is that possible? It takes two people to have a child, right?
We are not the first ones to ask this question. Mary herself asked the angel: “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34). And when Joseph heard about Mary’s pregnancy, he drew his conclusions and resolved to divorce her quietly (Matthew 1:19).
And yet, it was true. As the angel explained to Joseph: “That which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (verse 20). This is a miracle. It is the only way in which Jesus could be God and man at the same time. It is the only way in which a Savior could be born who would be able to bear humanity’s sins. He is correctly called “Immanuel”: “God with us”.
Joseph and Mary trusted God and believed the angel’s announcement. Do you believe this miracle truly happened?