Do you remember your first few years of marriage? Remember how every event seemed to be a major happening and if something didn’t go as planned it upset the household. When Mary and Joseph became what we would call engaged I am sure that a premarital baby was not in their family plan. A visit from the angel Gabriel changed their plans.

When Joseph learned of Mary’s pregnancy he was advised to end their relationship but a visit from the angel Gabriel assured the young father-to-be that everything that was happening was a part of God’s plan to bring a Savior into this world. While Joseph and Mary yielded to the will of God there was certainly much criticism of their situation from well meaning citizens of Nazareth. Nazareth was a small village and, like most small towns, everyone knew everyone and their business. While it was certainly not advisable for Mary to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem in the final phase of her pregnancy, Joseph took his espoused wife in order to protect her from the criticism and verbal abuse she would surely suffer if left behind. Scripture tells us that the husband is to provide, protect, and love his family and Joseph was only doing his job. After all, it wasn’t his child.