Son of God

                                      "How can this be?” Mary said. “I am still a virgin.” 

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,

and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;

for that reason, the holy child to be born will be called the Son of God.”  

Luke 1:34-35 

My mother always regarded me as something she owned (I am adopted); consequently, I was “hers,” and my brothers “belonged” to my dad.  It was, admittedly, an odd way to raise a family, but it made no difference to me on how I felt about my father.  Dad had little in the way of formal education, yet he was the smartest man I’ve ever known.  Although I legally left my maiden name behind a long time ago, in my heart of hearts, I am and always will be a Poulson—my father’s daughter.

In the Hebrew culture during Biblical times, the custom for naming male infants included the baby’s given name as well as the father’s name.  In Matthew 16:17, Jesus refers to Peter as Simon Bar-jonah.  “Bar” is Aramaic for son:  Simon, son of Jonah.  As unbelievable as it was to Mary (and to us), Gabriel’s explanation of the mystery of conception made it clear that this Child would have a human mother and a divine Father.  Instead of being called Jesus Bar-joseph, Mary’s son would be Jesus Bar-Jehovah.  He was the Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah – the Son of God.

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He came down to earth from heaven

who is God and Lord of all.

And His shelter was a stable,

and His cradle was a stall.

With the poor, the scorned, the lowly,

lived on earth our Savior holy.

The United Methodist Hymnal, No. 250