As man walked upon this land called earth, in the days before history had been divided into BC and AD, a man by the name of Joseph lived in a village called Nazareth, located in Galilee in the northern region of Israel.
Joseph was a kindhearted and righteous young man. He was a carpenter by trade and was engaged to a young woman by the name of Mary, a woman whom he loved dearly.
Yet, in the midst of his joy, Joseph encountered a problem that caused him unspeakable agony. He discovered that Mary, the woman he loved more than anyone in the world, was pregnant with a child that had nothing to do with him.
Thinking that he could not take a woman in such a condition to be his wife, he was considering breaking off their relationship quietly, but then an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
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"Do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." (Matthew 1:20-21)
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The angel went on to explain that these events were the process of the fulfillment of the promise that God had made through the prophet Isaiah 740 years earlier.
Isaiah chapter 7 verse 14 contains a record of this promise:
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Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
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"Immanuel" means "God with us." In other words, this prophecy was to let us know that God Himself would appear to us in human form.
Before this was revealed to Joseph, the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and said,
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"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end" (Luke 1:30-33).
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When Mary heard these words, she asked,
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"How can this be, since I do not know a man?" (See Luke 1:34)
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The angel replied,
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"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. ... For with God nothing will be impossible" (Luke 1:35, 37).
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Mary responded in obedience to these words:
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"Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).
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When Mary was in the house of Zacharias the priest after she had conceived,
she sang God's praises, saying,
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"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; for behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. For He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name. And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation" (Luke 1:46-50).
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Joseph was not aware of the praise for God overflowing from Mary's heart as this blessed truth was accomplished within her, so it was only natural that his heart should have been filled with deep concern.
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