“How Can These Things Be?”

“How can these things be?” This simple question appears twice in the Christmas narrative. The first is in Luke 1:18 when a priest named Zacharias encountered Gabriel while ministering in the Holy Place. Gabriel had just notified Zach that he and his wife would, at long last, be parents and their child would be the herald of the Messiah.
Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.”

This was not the exact wording of our title, but it holds the same meaning. The second time it occurs is later in the same chapter. In verse 34 Gabriel again appears, only to a virgin girl in Nazareth. There Gabriel outlines the amazing story of how the Messiah would be born to her. Besides being “perplexed,” according to Luke, she asked a logical question.
Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?”

Both questions were essentially the same. They both asked how it could be, followed by a logical extension of the “difficulties” or obstacles confronting the events. What is interesting in our thought today is the response each received.

Look back to Zacharias in v.  19.
The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

Compare that to the response Mary received in v. 35.
The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.

Was the angel just being “gentle” with this adolescent girl as compared to the wizened old priest? The angel’s explanation continued, even citing the miracle that he had proclaimed to Zacharias about six months earlier.
And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

If an old lady, well past child-bearing days is able to conceive, then you should have no problems. “Oh, yes...” (Jim’s addition here. Hopefully it is not misleading or sacrilegious.) “...the little problem of virginity is just the validation that the Holy Spirit needs to verify the identity of the Coming One. Hang on tight, little lady.”

We find her response in v. 38.
And Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.”

Zacharias’, “How can these things be?” was a sarcastic, doubt driven response to his limited faith in the ability and power of the angel and of the Lord. “HOW can these things be?” You can almost hear his “under-the-breath mutter,” that this is impossible. And Gabriel challenged him on that very point. “I stand before the One Who created the whole universe.” (See thought on “What is Man?" Of course, Gabriel did not have the internet to convey this note. But you knew that.)

“God created the universe. Causing a conception in the womb of a woman “past childbearing” is a simple thing for Him. Check out Sarah and Rachel. Your own history should overcome your simple, doubting question.” (No offense here, Zacharias. You were probably still reeling from the shock of the angel encounter.) All he had to do was think back to Elisha (2 Kings 4) and see his exact situation. Gabriel was very restrained, if I say so myself.

Mary’s answer was a wondering, amazed declaration of faith. “How can THESE things be?” She did not have the perspective of having seen all this before. It was a first, and only time event. But she immediately and instinctively believed. We can confirm this response in her next utterance in verse 38. (Jim again.) “Wow! What a wonderful thing! I am all in!” And she was. The “rest of the story,” as Paul Harvey used to say, is a thing to behold.

Zecharias has to witness the miracle before his faith was confirmed. And it was spectacularly rewarded. He could see and hear again. We can call his, “Gideon faith.” After the miracle, I will believe.

Mary had “Abraham faith.” She, like Abraham, had not seen the promised miracle or blessing, but believed anyway. “Go, and I will show you....” (Genesis 12) What a witness to a dying world, then and now.

Lord, let that be my question today. How can THESE things be? They are too wonderful to believe. No, they are too wonderful not to believe. Let it begin with me.