Guess Who's Pregnant?

Guess who’s pregnant? Give me a bit of liberty today as I write my opinion of how it may have went when Mary became pregnant with Jesus. That was the talk of the town. You know, the little pretty maiden who was promised to Joseph, an older, nice looking carpenter that would have people saying that it was going to be a May – December wedding. After the angel told Mary the news of what God was going to do she took off to the hill country in Judah to see Elizabeth because the angel told her that old cousin Liz, the barren one, was 6 months pregnant too! Three months later, following the birth of John she returns to Nazareth sporting a new profile. Joseph not wanting to embarrass himself or cause any trouble for her conceived a plan that she could be shipped off; perhaps back to Judah to live with Cousin Liz. “It is of the Holy Spirit” Mary told old Joe when he asked, “Whose is it?” Can you see the look on his face? She more than likely told him what the angel said, and even testified that Liz had a kid just as the angel said! Joseph did not buy it. He was a just man, a devout man of God that knew the Scriptures and was looking for the promised Messiah. He was certainly not going to marry a woman that was carrying someone else’s child, and then blamed it on God! No, she has to go.

During the night after grappling with the hurt of betrayal and the grief associated with having to let Mary go, he drifted off to sleep with a broken heart and tears on his cheeks. Then the same angel came to him during his sleep; in the context of a dream. “Mary is not lying to you Joseph. She is telling the truth. She really became pregnant by God. He sent the Holy Spirit to place the Holy Embryo in her womb. It is going to be a Son; He is the Son of God. You will name Him Jesus, meaning salvation is from God. He will be the one to save Gods people from their sins." Joseph being a man of God and knowing the Scriptures was reminded by the angel what Isaiah said; “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Old Joseph sat straight up in the bed, wiping the sweat from his brow as it was so real. He sent word to Mary the next day that the angel had visited him as well and probably apologized to her, then asked her to finalize her marriage to him. She did and although they never slept together to seal the deal, the Rabbis pronounced them husband and wife.  Without a doubt both of them made the Nazareth after Midnight section of the local paper. I am sure they may have tried to explain it to their families and friends only to have them listen with eyebrows cocked and smirks on their faces. The annual Roman census was coming up and Joseph always had to go to Bethlehem to register. This was the first census for the new governor Quirinius. Joseph and Mary along with many others that had to make the journey all began to make their way to Judah which was about a four day journey. Once they arrived they were able to find lodging with local Jews that would host those coming in for the census. Joseph and Mary were given the most privacy possible as she was near giving birth, and ended up not in the house where many others were staying but in the shelter where the local family housed their animals. One night as the family bedded down, labor pains hit Mary. Joseph did what he could to prepare the stable to maintain privacy and receive the Child. He came. The miraculous happened! A Child was born to a virgin!

Wrapping Him as all new infants were wrapped with the strips of cloth used to clothe newborns that Mary had brought with her and she laid Him in His makeshift crib; a feed trough. Then the shepherds showed up. “We were told the Messiah was here.” He was. “This is Jesus”, Joseph said.

Who would have believed it? Do you? If you do not believe the virgin birth of Jesus then there is no use in believing His death on the Cross redeemed your sins. If He was born a natural man then He died as a martyr and not a Savior. His Blood was pure, not tainted with the corrupted human DNA and thereby His Blood is the only Blood God will accept as sacrifice for sin. He came as the Prophets said He would and He will be back as the Prophets say He will. Are you ready? Joseph and Mary found out that God keeps His Word. He is Jesus, the Messiah, the Only Begotten Son of God, and the Savior of all who will believe. I hope you are one of us that do.