The Birth of Jesus; Mary and Joseph [part 1] (Matthew 1:18-25) Bible Reading: This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" - which means, "God with us." When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. Matthew 1:18-25 Scripture Reflections to Consider: How did marriage and engagement work in Jesus’ day? How do the scriptures paint Joseph? What kind of a man is he? How does he treat Mary when he believes her to be unfaithful? Should you share everything with your spouse? What should / shouldn’t you share with your spouse? Why doesn’t the angel appear to Joseph sooner? Why doesn’t he appear to both of them at the same time? What are the three types of righteous? For more information about our ministry, please visit https://www.kingdomd.org. If you'd like to email us directly, you can reach us at contact@kingdomd.org.