Matthew 1:23 “The virgin shall be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” which means, “God with us.”

This revelation was given to Joseph when he was in turmoil about his future. He had been engaged to be married to Mary. The next thing he knew is that she was telling him that she was pregnant. He knew for sure that he could not be the father of the child but he loved Mary. He felt betrayed and confused about what to do.

In Matthew 1:19-20 we are told that Joseph was a righteous man and did not want to expose Mary to public disgrace so he contemplated a quiet divorce.  But God’s plans will not be thwarted, so an angel was sent to Joseph in a dream to tell him not to be afraid to go ahead and marry Mary because what she had told him was true – the child in her womb was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The prophecy in Isaiah 7:14 was being fulfilled: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.” What amazing joy Joseph must have felt when he came to grips with the idea that he was part of something divine!

None of us will be privileged to be parents of Jesus but we can all look at our lives in a new way. Our lives, with all the uncertainties and challenges, are a gift from God. The wonderful thing is that if we will become aware of his presence and listen to his voice, we too can hear him say “Do not be afraid.” God is with us.