Mary and Joseph
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his
mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found
with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and
not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
This is how Jesus’ birth occurred. Mary was espoused, that is, betrothed
to Joseph. Betrothal was much stronger than engagement because a man and woman
were legally married, the only exception was that they did not live together
and were not to sleep together until the marriage ceremony took place and was
consummated about a year after the betrothal. Imagine Joseph’s predicament.
Here he was planning to marry Mary and was by law already married to her; yet,
she was noticeably and shockingly pregnant!
So Joseph, a just and merciful man, did not want to ridicule her or have
her stoned, despite his disappointment in her, so he was planning to divorce
her as quietly as possible. Joseph did not yet know that Mary had conceived by
the Holy Ghost and still maintained her virtue as a virgin. At this moment,
poor Joseph has had his hopes up about getting married and discovers Mary’s
condition—of course he thought that she had committed adultery! No righteous
man naturally wants to marry a woman who has committed fornication. ….if Joseph
went ahead with the marriage and ignored the reality of Mary’s condition then
he would have another dilemma: the people of the town would believe that he was
the father and had disobeyed the Law of God and gotten away with it.
So the story of Christ’s birth begins: with Joseph making a decision
that will forever alter his life.
Matt 1:18-19 (KJV)
