It’s a Boy! (But It’s Not Mine!)

For those of you who know me, or who have read a few posts back on my blog, you know that my wife and I are expecting our first child. You also know that we were due for our “big” ultrasound a week ago today. You also probably know that we didn’t find out the gender of our baby on that particular day.

You would think that with all of the technology available today that we could determine with relative certainty the gender of a child. After all, we can peer into the deepest recesses of the atom. Why can’t I know whether I’m having a boy or a girl?

This desire is nothing new. There are all kinds of “old wives’ tales” which exist to try to determine gender. Look at some of these tales from Pregnancy.org:

• Hang a gold pendant (preferably one the mother wears often) over the palm of the mother’s hand. If the pendant moves in a circular motion, it will be a girl. If it swings back and forth, a boy is on the way.


• If you carry the baby out front (others can’t see your pregnancy from behind) then you will have a boy. If others can tell that you are pregnant when looking at you from behind, then you will have a girl.


• If young boys (pre-school age) show interest in you while you're pregnant, it will be a girl. If they ignore you, expect a boy [Just a little creepy, if you ask me, D.H.].

There were some downright odd methods used in days past to attempt to predict the gender of an unborn child. It makes me wonder about people from Bible times, and if they ever had the same feelings I’ve been experiencing in just wanting to know!

This all brings me to Matthew 1:21, and another expectant “dad.” In the previous verses, we read that an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream and says the following:

(21)  And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.

Of course the obvious significance of this is that Joseph is told that his “step-child” would save his people from his sins. But did you catch the first part?

“And she will bring forth a Son,”

Keep in mind that this happened during a time in which there were no ultrasounds. The best that anyone could do was to follow “old wives’ tales” to determine gender. There was no way of knowing the gender of a baby until its birth. But, it was important that not just a child was born, but that it was a son!

Read a few verses down into the text, and you come across what the prophet Isaiah wrote concerning the Savior:

Matthew 1:22-23 NKJV
(22)  So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:
(23)  "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD, AND BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which is translated, "God with us."

This gender was known well before the child came into the world. What seems like a “given” to many in our society was likely truly amazing to them. Imagine what might have gone through Joseph and Mary’s minds when sure enough, a little baby boy was born to them! Again, think about this in the context of the day: There was no other way besides birth to know!

This only goes to add another element of divine action to this account. He wasn’t just any child who happened to be born a boy, and then was made the Christ. It’s important to realize that Joseph and Mary knew in advance not only what, but who they were expecting – the Messiah!

Stop and think about that the next time you ask an expectant parent, “Do you know what you’re having?”

~Daniel Howell