A Holy and Surprising Birth

Jesus' birth seemed to take everyone by surprise--including his own mother. His identity as the messiah certainly thwarted people's expectations. Many had predicted that the messiah would be a Jewish commander who would save his people and grant them an eternally peaceful kingdom. In the new covenant, those predictions about the messiah had to be reexamined and, for believers in Jesus Christ, reinterpreted.

Christmas begins with an angel's messages, unexpected pregnancies, the struggle for l...