The Bible does not say how old Mary was when she became pregnant with Jesus. Based on customs at that time, it is likely that she was between thirteen and sixteen years old. For her entire life, her physical and sexual well-being would have been closely guarded by her parents.

It is not out of bounds to guess Mary had never even been left alone with a man, and that she had been kept away from them in almost any situation for the previous several years.

With that in mind, imagine her shock when the unthinkable happened. Take a few minutes to re-read Luke 1:26-38 with fresh eyes.

The Bible doesn’t say what form Gabriel took when giving the announcement to Mary, or where, when, or how he did so. What did Gabriel look like, and what kind of voice or thought transmission did he use? Did Gabriel come during the day, or during a dream? Did it take place at Mary’s home or in a public place?

The Bible does say Mary was troubled about how Gabriel’s words first struck her. But we don’t get any information as to emotions after the conversation ended, or how she felt for the next three months.

It seems unlikely that Mary would not have had some sympathy for her parents, and some trepidation about the social and religious implications of her sudden pregnancy. But can you even begin to imagine her wonder and happiness about becoming the mother of God’s son? Wouldn’t you guess that her mother and father would have kept her news a secret? They maybe even thought she was acting crazy. How could she have gotten pregnant when she had never been with a man!

The Bible doesn’t say Mary’s mother went with her to the house of Elizabeth, but it seems likely she would have done so. If so, Mary’s mother would have been hoping that Mary would come to her senses and quit pretending that she was pregnant.

Then the unthinkable happens! Mary walks through the door and Elizabeth begins celebrating the fact that Mary is pregnant. And Elizabeth isn’t a nobody. She is the one who had become miraculously pregnant at an old age. As Mary’s mother slowly began accepting the story and its implications, perhaps all three of them began a unique, joyous celebration.