A lot can be said about the virgin birth because many critics would attack the authenticity of this miracle and undermine the deity of Christ... but i shall not talk about that...
Something hit me while I considered this passage was Joseph. Unlike Mary, Joseph had no idea what was happening before the angel appeared to him... He was a righteous Old Testament Jew who was in love with a beautiful righteous girl. He was ready to be wedded to Mary. Then his little world came crashing down when he found Mary to have conceived a child. The thinking is not very different from today - obviously someone else have relations with Mary. He couldn't understand why. This was out of Mary's character. Yet he knew the consequence of Mary's actions - death according to OT laws in Deuteronomy.
It was a great time of testing for Joseph. No one explained what was happening to him. The questions that were circling his mind, the torment in his heart. He still cared for Mary and so he chose to do what he did (did not publicly shame her). Sometimes in my journey following Christ, I go through these moments as well (in fact the last one was rather recent). The testing becomes a opportunity to trust God despite logic. It trained me to really understand denying myself and taking up my cross. esp it is easy to compare my walk with God with others around me. i would ask God why test me now. i don't need it. test him/her instead. they need to grow up and mature! ...........how haughty of me!
it is these experiences that makes my adventure with God so amazingly sweet....
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