Elizabeth was going to have a baby…even at her advanced age, and she was in her sixth month of pregnancy. The angel Gabriel had told her husband that a boy would be born, his name was to be John. Now the writer of this gospel, Luke, tells of the next ‘big’ event.

(NASB) Luke 1:26-27 “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth,
27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.”

Gabriel was again sent on a mission from God to a person in Israel…this time he would go to Nazareth, a crossroads for caravans, a small town in Galilee. His first mission had been to Zacharias as he was performing his priestly duties in the temple at Jerusalem.

Dr. Luke gave the timing of this visit as in the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy; the angel Gabriel had a message for this girl, a virgin. She was engaged to Joseph. And both of these people were of the house of King David, they were of royal lineage.
Facts were ascertained from an eyewitness…this writer believes that Dr. Luke got these important facts from Mary herself. He was a careful historian.

What you believe about the accuracy of the Bible will affect your faith in Jesus and the inerrancy and infallibility of God’s word. It is God Himself Who has protected His word down through the ages.

The Dead Sea scrolls are an example of the accuracy of this record. The book of Isaiah was preserved in that cave and when examined, it was found to be the same as the Isaiah found in the translations from the original language today. This is amazing evidence of God to preserve His words for us to believe Him.