Luke 1:26-38

Ancient lens

What's the historical context?

Couldn’t See That Coming

Powerful parents with a family pedigree derived from Judah and the Davidic line was the common narrative for how most people imagined the Messiah, the “anointed” One, would come into view. It would have been assumed that mom and dad would have conceived this messianic mainspring the way every one else did (insert talking point on the birds and the bees)! So, the narrative we find in the annunciation of the angel Gabriel to Mary in our passage for the fourth Sunday of Advent is quite a surprise.

Certainly, Isaiah 7:14 says that God will give a sign, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Luke…