Joseph was a righteous man and didn’t want to expose Mary
publicly and disgrace her, he decided in his mind to divorce her quietly. Before he could do 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 son.’
When Joseph woke up he went to Mary and took her as his
wife, he did not sleep with her until Jesus was born.
Before Jesus was born both Joseph and Mary had to go to
Judea as Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the
entire Roman world, and each person should go to the place of their birth. Now Joseph and Mary were getting ready to
leave, Joseph woke up early and went outside and prepared the fire, he took
some water and placed it in a clay pot and warmed the water for his wife
Mary. Bring the water to her so she
could wash and get ready for the long walk to Judea.
‘Good morning my love, did you sleep well?’ Joseph asked as he walked over to Mary where
she was sleeping in her bed.
‘Hmm, yes thank you and how was your night?’ Mary asked as
she lay watching her husband put the warm water down on a table next to her
bed. She sat up and put her feet on the
ground, taking the blankets off as she moved to the table and poured warm water
into a basis. Joseph looked at her and
then turned and walked out of the house.
Mary washed and got dressed, after making her bed and Joseph’s bed she
walked out of the house and looked for Joseph.
He was busy getting all the provision together for the long walk to
Judea.
Taking his staff and walking next to Mary they left their
home and walked to the main road. It was
still dark outside there were a couple of people walking with them, the company
started to grow as the day grow older.
With the sun beating down on them they took refuse in the shade of the
olive trees alongside the road. Every
now and then a garrison of soldiers would come rushing past them on their way
to Judea. These patrols were out to make
sure there were no muggings or murders during this time.
Finally Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem and it was
packed to the rafters, people were all over the place, you couldn’t find an
open spot. The stood in long queues
waiting to register and then be on their way.
Both Joseph and Mary stood in the queues registration took a while and
the people had to have their own refreshments with them to sustain them.
While they were in Bethlehem Mary started her labour pains,
Joseph looked for somewhere they could stay but the places where full, there
was no place for her to give birth to her son.
That night in the square she went into labour and her son Jesus was
born. After she wrapped Him in cloths
and placed him in a manger.
There were shepherds living in fields nearby, keeping watch
over their flocks at night. As an angel
of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and
they were terrified. But the angel said
to them, ‘do not be afraid. I bring you
good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been
born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This
will be a sign to you: You will find a
baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with
the angel, praising God and saying ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth
peace to men on whom his favour rests.’
In awe the shepherded stood and saw the angel leave back
into heaven they said one to another ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing
that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’
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