The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, a virgin engaged to Joseph from the house of David, and told her she would conceive and give birth to a son named Jesus, who would be the Son of God and reign forever. Mary questioned how this could happen since she was a virgin, and Gabriel explained that it would be by the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph initially planned to divorce Mary privately when he discovered she was pregnant, but an angel appeared to him in a dream and told him the child was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and he should name him Jesus.