He was planning the most astounding event of the world’s history. He chose a simple village maiden, a virgin of the lineage of Nathan, one of the less famous of King David’s sons. The virgin’s name in Hebrew was Mariam; we call her Mary. She was engaged to a working man, a carpenter. They lived in a small and almost unknown village called Nazareth.
God sent a single angel, Gabriel, to give Mary the opportunity to accept being the virgin in the coming event. Mary calmed after listening to the angel, considered, and said, “yes.” She accepted being the Isaiah-prophesied virgin that would be the mother of Emmanuel. The angel revealed the Son would be the Messiah and sit on the throne of King David. Needless to say, her betrothed Joseph was not happy at Mary being pregnant; he knew he was not the father. Just like our Father God: He sent the angel to speak to Joseph in a dream. The angel assured Joseph that God was the Father and Mary was still a virgin and this was that spoken by Isaiah, “A virgin shall conceive and bear a son…”
In the ninth month, totally like Father God, He called on the most powerful man in the world, the Roman Caesar, to call a registration, and Joseph and Mary made the 80-plus mile trip to Bethlehem, since they both were of the family of David. Arriving just in time for the birth, just like the Father God, he crowded the inn so Mary and Joseph would have the privacy of a stable for Jesus to make His appearance. Gently, the rough hands of a craftsman delivered.
Totally like God, in honor of King David a shepherd, God’s angelic birth announcement was to shepherds that hurried to find the king in a manger. However, the astounding event was not the baby, stable, angels, shepherds, or even wise men. Just like our Father God, it was the cross, open tomb; it was God so loving the world, He gave His Son…