Over 2000 years ago in Israel, the people had long been expecting a powerful Messiah, a mighty warrior King to come and battle for them and deliver them from all oppression.
Well, He was all that and much more, but most of the people totally missed His arrival when He showed up as an infant, born in a feeding trough in a stable.
Luke tells the story in chapters 1 and 2.
“God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!’
Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. ‘Don’t be afraid, Mary,’ the angel told her, ‘for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name Him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David. And He will reign over Israel forever; His Kingdom will never end!’
Mary asked the angel, ‘But how can this happen? I am a virgin.’
The angel replied, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and He will be called the Son of God.’” —Luke 1:26-35 NLT
Mary was full of faith and she believed her God. She answered the angel Gabriel, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”
A little later on, these were Mary's words:
“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord.
How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!
For He took notice of His lowly servant girl,
and from now on all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One is holy,
and He has done great things for me.
He shows mercy from generation to generation
to all who fear Him.
His mighty arm has done tremendous things!
He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.
He has brought down princes from their thrones
and exalted the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away with empty hands.
He has helped His servant Israel
and remembered to be merciful.
For He made this promise to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.” —Luke 1:46-55 NLT