When Gabriel told Mary that she was going to have a baby even though she had not been with a man, her inquiring response was, “How can this be?” (Luke 1:34). How, indeed? For that matter another woman whom throughout her entire life had been called, “barren,” (Luke 1:36) was just three months away for delivering her son, John, who would be called, the Baptist. How, indeed?

Have you ever said to God, in light of His outrageous word, “How can this be?” I hope you have and I hope you never stop asking it. I hope God can be in each of us in such a way that our faith just keeps being stretched and stretched until the only answer that makes sense to us is, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you” (Luke 1:35).

Mary couldn’t get pregnant, but the Holy Spirit came upon her.

Elizabeth couldn’t get pregnant, but the Holy Spirit came upon her.

Because of an evil Herod, Jesus had no chance of getting out of Bethlehem alive, but the Holy Spirit was upon Him.

The cross killed Jesus and the dream for the future died on a hill called, “The skull,” but the Holy Spirit was upon that event.

Death spoke loudly in the life of Jesus but on a Sunday morning He came out of the tomb alive because the Holy Spirit was upon Him.

The Church had no chance of making it out of the first century, but the Holy Spirit was upon the Church.

How can these things be? Because NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD” (Luke 1:37).

Case closed, or maybe reopened.