When Elizabeth was six months pregnant with John, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to Nazareth, a city in Galilee.
Gabriel visited a virgin who was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph. The virgin’s name was Mary.
Gabriel came to Mary and said,
“You are highly favored; the Lord is with you.”
But Mary was greatly troubled by this greeting and wondered what it meant. The angel told her not to fear and repeated that she had found favor with God.
Then Gabriel told Mary that she would conceive a son and she was to call His name Jesus.
Gabriel continued-
“He shall be great and shall be called the son of the Most-High. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob and of his kingdom there shall be no end.”
Mary asked the angel,
“How shall this be, seeing I have never had a physical relationship with a man?”
The angel Gabriel answered and said to her,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most-High will overshadow you, and the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the son of God.”
And take notice, Gabriel continued,
“Elizabeth your cousin, has also conceived a son in her old age and is now six months pregnant.”
And then Gabriel said,
“No word from God shall be proclaimed without power.”
Then Mary humbly said,
“Behold, the handmaid of the Lord; let it happen to me according to your word.”
The angel Gabriel left.
