By what means did Mary conceive Jesus, as announced?

• A. By human means
• B. By a dream
• C. By the power of God
• D. By the Holy Spirit

Answer: (D)

The key is the divine agent involved in Jesus’ conception. In Luke’s account of the Annunciation, the angel tells Mary that the Holy Spirit will come upon her, and the holy child to be born will be called the Son of God. This presents the conception as a miraculous act of God carried out by the Holy Spirit, not by human procreation. The emphasis on the Holy Spirit as the means preserves Jesus’ divine origin and virgin birth, distinguishing it from any human or dreamlike explanation. While the power of God is involved in this miracle, the text names the Holy Spirit specifically as the agent, making that the most precise and theologically meaningful answer.