Our very first study in our new home is a short Christmas series about families and different ways we encounter the holidays. Today we talk about stressed out situations and families.
We tend to look back at the birth of Jesus (and the first Christmas) as a completely serene and peaceful event, we even sing songs about Jesus’ birth where we say, “All is calm, all is bright.” When we read the scriptures we actually see that everything surrounding the birth of Jesus was a stressful event for everyone involved.
Mary and Joseph encounter a pregnancy before the actual wedding vows
Joseph was not the father of this baby
Joseph was prepared to divorce Mary
An angel appears to Joseph to tell him to stick with Mary
The town doesn’t get this angelic visit, so Joseph and Mary get judged for the rest of their lives.
