And the virgin’s name was Mary

The Annunciation depicts Mary as she listens to Gabriel in the painting by celebrated African American artist, Henry Ossawa Tanner.

The Verse of the Day for December 14, 2015 is found in Luke 1:26-28 (AMP):

[Jesus’ Birth Foretold] Now in the sixth month [of Elizabeth’s pregnancy] the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, the angel said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

Here we find another fulfillment of a prophetic word concerning the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, also found in Isaiah 7:14:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Matthew 1:22-23 establishes the fulfilling of that prophetic word:

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet Isaiah:
‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’–which means, ‘God with us

During this season that recognizes the miraculous birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have much to rejoice about and celebrate. Among the Christmas songs that focus on the birth of Jesus Christ, perhaps the all-time favorite Christmas carol with a reference to the virgin birth is “Silent Night” with its memorable lyrics:

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child.
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Here is another contemporary Christmas composition, as Clay Aiken asks, “Mary, Did You Know?”

Tags: Annunciation, Henry Osawa Tanner, Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:26-27, Mary Did You Know, Matthew 1:22-23, Silent Night