Eyewitness Bible Series is pleased to present the Christmas Series. This series is a collection of ten new episodes designed to be watched on the three Sundays prior to Christmas week, plus the seven days of Christmas week, ending on Christmas day.
The Third Sunday Before Christmas Week: Episode One is narrated by the prophet, Isaiah. He explains how the prophets of the Old Testament foretold the coming of mankind’s savior, Jesus, long before he was born.
The Second Sunday Before Christmas Week: Episode Two is narrated by a Magi, a wise man from the East. He explains why the wise men of Babylon have been looking for a new king of the Jews for the previous several hundred years.
The Seventh Day before Christmas: Episode Three is narrated by Elizabeth, a close relative of Mary. Elizabeth miraculously conceived of John the Baptist, so she was completely prepared for Mary to have a miraculous birth, too.
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The Bible gives little information about Mary’s husband, Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. Matthew 1:16-25 contains virtually all that is known about Joseph prior to his trip to Bethlehem for Jesus’s birth.
Try to imagine the feelings of Joseph as the angel of the Lord told him that his fiancé was impregnated by the Holy Spirit. How could anyone, especially a righteous Jewish man, process such an event? This is how Joseph reacted: he did what the angel of the Lord commanded him to do and took Mary home as his wife.
The Bible doesn’t say when Joseph took Mary home, but in the hours, days, or months between her being found to be pregnant and her arrival at his house, there must have been a myriad of emotions of the people involved: Joseph and his family members, Mary and her family members, neighbors, rabbis, and others in the community. Few people in Nazareth would have been exempt from being involved emotionally.
Under the customs of that time, betrothal was equivalent to being married, except that the betrothed did not have sexual relations. That is why Matthew 1:16 says Joseph was her husband. That same verse says that Joseph was faithful to the law. According to the Leviticus 20:10, both parties to adultery by neighbors were to be put to death. There was no alternative, such as divorce. Joseph was in a complete dilemma. He did not want to publicly disgrace Mary, but he was trapped as to what to do.
