The following was written by my wife and is super good. She is much, much more verbal, creative, etc. than I am (as you will see when you read it). My blog on Matthew chapter 1 was on the birth of Jesus.

“Ponderings on the birth of Jesus – How might conversations have gone?
Here’s a young Jewish girl, Mary, probably about 14 or 15 years old, when one day an angel
named Gabriel appears to her and announces a message from God. God calls her “highly
favored” and says has chosen her – out of all the women in Judah – a teenager – to conceive
and bear the Son of God, Savior of the world. She is afraid, incredulous, very troubled at his
words – “How can this be? I am a virgin”. Gabriel reassures her that she has favor with God and
that she will indeed bear His son. The Son who will reign on the throne of David and whose
kingdom will never end. Gabriel also announces to Mary that her relative Elizabeth is going to
bear a son in her old age. “Nothing is impossible with God” says Gabriel. Mary finally says, “I am
the Lord’s servant. Let it happen to me just as you have said.” Gabriel leaves her. What is she
thinking right now?

Mary is pledged to be married to Joseph. Probably within the year. Maybe they have already
seen the rabbi and set a date for the ceremony? What will she say to Joseph? When does she
tell him about Gabriel’s words to her? Does she tell her mother and father? What will they
think? Will they believe her?

It appears her parents sent her off the be with Elizabeth at this point. Maybe they were thinking
some time should go by and maybe Mary would change her story? Maybe they hoped she
would miscarry and avoid all the complications of an “unplanned” pregnancy? At any rate,
Mary goes to the hill country and spends the next three months with her cousin Elizabeth who
has conceived a child in her old age who will become John the Baptizer. And Elizabeth confirms
what the angel Gabriel has told Mary – the tiny embryo growing inside her womb is indeed the
son of God, divine in every way yet human as well.

Mary returns home to Nazareth after John’s birth, now 3 months pregnant – maybe just
beginning to show a little “baby bump.” Has she felt the flutter of the little feet kicking yet?
She must tell Joseph. Face to face. What will he say? How will he react? She knows he is a good
man – if God has chosen her to be the mother of the Messiah, surely, He chose Joseph as well to
be his earthly father.

Who knows? Perhaps the conversation went something like, “Joseph, you know I love you very
much. Do you think we can move up the wedding a few months? – Why? – Well, you probably
won’t believe this, but, and angel of God, he said his name was Gabriel, appeared to me and
told me something incredible. You know how our women through the ages have hoped to be
mother of the promised Messiah? – Yes, it would be the highest honor for a woman. – Well,
this Gabriel told me that I am chosen. – Chosen?? – Yes, chosen to bear the Son of God, the
Messiah we have all been waiting for. I am still in shock. – You are in shock? What about me?
What does this mean?

I don’t know Mary – that sounds far-fetched. How do you know this person was telling the
truth? Where did he go? I want to talk to him. – Joseph, I don’t know where he is now, but my
parents are willing to move the date up – they don’t want a lot of talk.

Joseph may have said, “Let me go home and think this out – it’s going to be a scandal. A good
girl from a good family – pregnant before marriage? How does that make me look? What
shame on my family? I don’t know, Mary, this is not a good way to start out – the whole village
will gossip. This is not good.”

Mary may have replied, “But Joseph, how can we not obey God? You said yourself just now that
it is an honor for a woman to be chosen as the mother of our Messiah – and as unbelievable as
it sounds, I did see an angel, he told me his name was Gabriel, and he did speak those words to
me – “You are highly favored of God” – You will bear a son – and Joseph, we are to name him
JESUS, Gabriel said.”

“I’ll be back tomorrow – let me sleep on this – it’s a lot to take in, Mary.” Joseph goes home,
heavy hearted. How could Mary do this to him and his family? Has she really been with another
man? What is this business about an angel? I just don’t know about that that incredible story
she has told. An angel told her she would be the mother of the promised Messiah. Really? Even
if I believe it, certainly no one else will. What will the elders of our village say? What are we
going to do?

His heart very troubled, Joseph decides that he will divorce sweet Mary quietly, not wanting to
cause her shame or worse. However, that night Gabriel appears to Joseph in a dream and tells
him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife; that her child is indeed the son of God, conceived
by the Holy Spirit, and he confirms that all Mary has told him is true. Joseph, a righteous man
who loves God, joyfully returns to Mary’s house in the morning and arranges to marry her right
away.

Thoughts – Jesus became human so that we could see God. The God of creation has always
been unapproachable by humans, so the incarnate son of God, Jesus, not only came to redeem
humanity, but also to allow humanity to touch God. To converse with God. To have a personal
relationship with the Creator. To eat and drink with him. To have complete fellowship. To be
comforted by and guided by him. To have him not only as redeemer but as a friend. A brother.
The unapproachable became approachable. God came near.

For centuries God has been ‘far away’ – a rule maker, a deity to be appeased with sacrifices,
someone to be obeyed at cost of life…now, with the coming of Jesus, God is still to be obeyed
but because we want to, not because we must. Because of Jesus’ love for us, we willingly give
our lives as a sacrifice of love, not of compulsion or rule keeping. We can enjoy a relationship
with God, Paradise restored in a way; the Garden that was lost after Adam and Eve sinned is
now ours, and we can walk and talk with God in full fellowship because of Jesus.

What a beautiful plan – no wonder angels longed to know God’s plan for humanity.” (End of her article).

Wow! Good stuff. AI: The method of putting yourself in the emotions and situations of biblical characters is most commonly referred to as imaginative identification, experiential reading, or Ignatian contemplation. Sounds like what she did. I should start letting her write my blog articles. Don’t comment on that comment.