[Salvation]

To honor the fact that Christ was conceived through the Holy Spirit as announced by the Angel Gabriel.

Luke 1:26-56

26

¹⁰ In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,

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to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary.

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And coming to her, he said, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you."

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But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.

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Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

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Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.

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He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, ¹¹ and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,

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and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

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But Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" ¹²

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And the angel said to her in reply, "The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.

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And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived ¹³ a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;

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for nothing will be impossible for God."

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Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

39

During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah,

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where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.

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When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit,

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cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

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And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord ¹⁴ should come to me?

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For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.

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Blessed are you who believed ¹⁵ that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."

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And Mary said: ¹⁶ "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

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my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

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For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.

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The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

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His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.

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He has shown might with his arm, dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.

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He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly.

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The hungry he has filled with good things; the rich he has sent away empty.

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He has helped Israel his servant, remembering his mercy,

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according to his promise to our fathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

56

Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

 

[pillut48]

???

The Book of Matthew says in Chapter 1, verse 24 says:

"And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took her as his wife,"

verse 25 continues,"and he kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus." NASB (My emphasis on 'until')

'Until' implies to me that eventually, after Jesus was born, that Joseph and Mary 'knew each other in the Biblical way' the way normal husbands and wives do in a marriage. Joseph apparently loved Mary greatly, so much so that he put his life on the line several times for her and the baby she carried. I don't understand why he would be punished with a wife in a name only after all they'd been through?

Also, what happened to Mary and Joseph's other children, Jesus's younger brothers and sisters who often followed him around when he was preaching? (Matt. 12:46; Matt. 13:55; Mark 3:31; Mark 6:3; Luke 8:19; Galatians 1:19)The Bible says James was the brother of Jesus. When the names of His brothers are listed, Jesus always comes first, indicating He was the firstborn, not the ONLY born Son of Mary...why wouldn't Scripture simply say, the "ONLY born Son of Mary"? And how could she remain a virgin after He was born? Why would she be barren for the rest of her life when Jewish families loved children? :-(

[ears_to_hear]

That does not answer why Mary had to remain a perpetual Virgin is sex with your husband and having children are not sin