And WE Think Christmas is Stressful!

God stepped in and asked a man to accept that his young bride was knocked up with God’s own offspring.  He was probably an older man marrying a virgin bride, it was how the culture ran back then.  When she was discovered to be pregnant, he could have, at the very least, had her disgraced in public.  At most, he could have had her stoned to death for cheating on him.  He had a lot of power, Divorce Court, Corporal Punishment, even Capital Punishment.

But Joseph was just going to go away quietly.  Until God intervened.

What would the neighbors think?  What would his family think?  What did HE think?

The bible stories include Joseph in Jesus’ life at least to the age of twelve.  He probably died some time before Jesus began his ministry, some twenty years later, because there is no further mention of him. 

He was the man who raised God's son.  No expectations there...

Husbands, think back to the time before you were married.  If you found your fiancé pregnant-and you knew it wasn’t yours-and she told you the Holy Spirit did it…  What kind of vision from God would bring you around to God’s mind to care for that baby as your own? 

Wives, more on Mary next week, but what would Gabriel have had to say to you?  

To make matters worse, once Joseph obeyed God and took her as his wife, he had to obey Caesar and move halfway across the country, becoming homeless in the process, all for the opportunity to pay the Romans more taxes!

And we think our Christmas Seasons are stressful now!