Mary and Joseph

Mary. A young virgin living in a small town. Engaged to Joseph, a Jewish carpenter.

Mary was just going about her day. Perhaps doing mundane chores. Perhaps dreaming about her wedding day. Maybe even trying to sneak a peek of her future husband as she walked past his carpentry workshop. That day, that most ordinary of days, was about to become the most extraordinary she’d ever lived.

A visit from an angel. An angel! A messenger of God Himself with a very special message for Mary. A message that would not only change her life forever, but one that would change the world.

The message? That Mary would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit. She would give birth to the Son of God. Humbly, Mary accepted the angel’s declaration. “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.”

I wonder if Mary went home and contemplated if the prophecy in Isaiah she had heard all through her growing up years was about to be fulfilled.

The prophecy? “For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders.”

Could this long-awaited prophesied child possibly be the same child growing in her womb?

Joseph. A young man living in the same small town as his fiancée, Mary.

Joseph was just going about his day. Perhaps doing mundane chores. Perhaps dreaming about his bride. Maybe even trying to sneak a peek of her as she walked down the street of his carpentry workshop.

That day, that most ordinary of days was about to take a turn for the worse. Mary told him that she was pregnant, and he knew he wasn’t the father. She insisted that she hadn’t been unfaithful—that the child inside her was a miracle created by God Himself. As much as Joseph wanted to believe her, he just couldn’t, and they parted ways, both with tears in their eyes. As Joseph lay down to sleep that night, he thought to himself, “I’ll divorce her quietly, so she won’t be disgraced.” And then?

A visit in a dream from an angel. An angel! A messenger of God Himself with a very special message for Joseph. A message that would not only change his life forever, but one that would change the world. The message? That Joseph should not be afraid to take Mary home as his wife, because the baby inside of her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you, Joseph, are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

I wonder if Joseph’s first thought when he woke up was if the prophecy in Isaiah he had heard all through his growing up years was about to be fulfilled. The prophecy? “The Lord himself will give you a sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means 'God is with us').”

Could his beloved Mary be the pregnant virgin of the prophecy? Could the promised “Immanuel”, the promised “God with us” be the very baby to be born to his dear Mary?