Who announced to Mary that she would conceive Jesus, and by what means?

• A. The angel Gabriel, by magic
• B. The apostle Peter, by the Holy Spirit
• C. John the Baptist, by the Holy Spirit
• D. The angel Gabriel, by the Holy Spirit

Answer: (D)

Gabriel is the messenger who announces to Mary that she will conceive Jesus, and the means is the Holy Spirit working in her. In Luke 1, Gabriel appears to Mary and tells her she has found favor with God, and she will conceive a son who will be called the Son of the Most High. The mechanism described is that the Holy Spirit will come upon her, and the power of the Most High will overshadow her. This emphasizes the miraculous nature of the Virgin Birth and Jesus’ unique divine origin, not something produced by human effort or magical tricks. The other figures listed aren’t involved in this scene, and the conception is described as a divine act through the Holy Spirit, not by human action or magic.