[annalex]

LOL.

I am genuinely puzzled how the Protestant insistence that Mary was expecting to sexually consummate her marriage to Joseph squares with their hypothesis that she immediately understood that she was to be the prophesied virgin. It, too, fails the basic logic. Let's say the Isaiah connection was clear to Mary.


-- Mary, you will have a son who will be a great King. It is foretold in Isaiah. You shall remain virgin through it.

-- Impossible: I am already virgin! Explain!

Logical, no?

[1000 silverlings]

Every Jewish woman, and even now hope for, as they believe in a future messiah, wished and hoped to be the one to bear the messiah. Mary would certainly be aware of that honor, and hoped for it.

[monkfan]

Sometimes it's hard to see the forest through all the trees. To be fair, I never gave Mary's reaction much thought until little more than a year ago. I was contemplating the passage in question and it just struck me: what an odd thing to say for a girl who has no intention of maintaining her virginity. As for the Isaiah factor, it's not something I would have considered relevant; mainly because I've always been under the impression that the Jews expected the Messiah to be a mere man. I don't think the Incarnation of Second Person of the Trinity was a concept being kicked around back then. Sooo... it's not reasonable to think she would have drawn that conclusion. The only other conclusion left to draw is the normative one.

Joseph's reaction I never considered until... oh, i dunno... what time is it? lol! Obviously, his behavior only makes sense if he draws the same [normative] conclusion. And why wouldn't he?

With the benefit of hindsight, we can look back and say, "Of course she was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit! How else would God become incarnate?", but I seriously doubt this was even thinkable back then.