Jesus’ Conception and Birth

Luke 1:26-45; 2:9-11

It’s Christmas week. Conception leads to birth. Angels are prominent.

Several contrasts mark the angel’s announcement to Mary about her pregnancy and the angel’s announcement to the shepherds about Jesus’ birth. While an angel and shepherds greet Jesus’ birth with joy (2:10 ), that emotion is missing from the conception story. Mary is perplexed not joyful (1:29 , 34), submissive not celebratory, meditative not exuberant (1:38 ). 

An unplanned pregnancy for an unmarried young woman in a culture where virginity was expected until marriage hardly merits joy. It does not seem like divine favor (1:28 , 30). Mary rightly protests in naming the obvious obstacle (1:34 ). At Jesus’ birth, the angel identifies him as “Savior, who is Christ/Messiah, the Lord” (2:11 ). Talk of a Messiah is missing from the angel’s conception announcement. This absence is not surprising since expectations for a Messiah were neither universal nor univocal among first-century Jewish folks.

Rather, in announcing Mary’s pregnancy, the angel locates Jesus in relation to God (son or agent) and to David (1:33-34). The angel declares that God has anointed or commissioned Jesus to be the agent of God’s purposes. Jesus is presented as another figure entrusted with the tasks that God has committed to David. These tasks include ensuring justice for all, especially for the poor and needy. He is to destroy oppressors, protect against the violent, and ensure peace and food security (Psalm 72). Mary will elaborate these tasks in her Magnificat (1:46-56). 

As followers of Jesus committed to living the ways of Jesus, we inherit these tasks. In our frequently broken world, damaged by exploitation, hostility, division, inequal access to resources, and selfishness (to name just a few of our challenges), we inherit these roles. And there is no shortage of opportunities for us to work for the world of justice and good life for all.

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