#Mary and Joseph

[scriobh-an-iontas]

Christmas in Occupied Palestine

I have rewritten the Christmas story so that it will better fit modern times.

This is will make no one but me truly happy and will probably anger a great many more people than it will satisfy.

Enjoy!

The Birth of Yeshua Foretold

God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Northern Israel, to a virgin, Miriam, who was pledged to be married to a man named Yosef, a descendant of David. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Miriam was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Miriam; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Yeshua. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Miriam asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elisheba, your relative, is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Miriam answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Yosef Accepts Yeshua as His Son

This is how the birth of Yeshua the Messiah came about: His mother Miriam was pledged to be married to Yosef, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Yosef, her husband, was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Yosef son of David, do not be afraid to take Miriam 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 Yeshua, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

When Yosef woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Miriam home as his wife.

The Birth of Yeshua

In those days America issued a request that a census should be taken of the population of Israel. (This was the first census that took place while Mohammed al-Bashir was the transitional prime minister of Syria.) And everyone went to their hometown to register.

So Yosef also went down from the town of Nazareth in Northern Israel to the West Bank, to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he was from that area of occupied Palestine. He went there to register with Miriam, who was also Palestinian, pledged to be married to him, and expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in swaddling cloths and placed him in a manger, because the nearby hospitals in the region had been bombed.

And there were UN aid workers, living out in tents nearby, keeping watch by night. 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 that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling 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 heaven,     and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the UN aid workers said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Miriam and Yosef, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told to them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the UN aid workers said to them. But Miriam treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The UN aid workers returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

The Magi Visit the Messiah

After Yeshua was born in Bethlehem in the West Bank, during the time of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, several scholars from around the world came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born the Messiah? We saw the signs marking his birth when they appeared and have come to pay our respects to him.”

When Netanyahu heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. “In Bethlehem in the West Bank,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,     are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler     who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Netanyahu called the scholars secretly and found out from them the exact time the signs had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and pay my respects to him.”

After they had heard Netanyahu, they went on their way, and the signs they had seen led them to the place where the child was, and they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Miriam, and they paid their respects to him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him gifts befitting both his needs and his status. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Netanyahu, they returned to their country by another route.

The Escape to Egypt

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Yosef in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Netanyahu is going to search for the child to kill him.”

So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Netanyahu. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

When Netanyahu realized that he had been outwitted by the scholars, he was furious, and he gave orders for Bethlehem and everything in its vicinity to be bombed, in accordance with what he had learned from the scholars. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

“A voice is heard in Ramah,     weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children     and refusing to be comforted,     because they are no more.”

The Return to Nazareth

After Netanyahu was removed from office, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Yosef in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother and return to your homeland, for those who were trying to take the child’s life are no longer in office.”

So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that someone no different politically than Netanyahu was prime minister in his place, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to Northern Israel, and he returned to Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.

[pawtrolling]

nativity 🌠🐑📜

[thewordfortheday]

We don't normally focus so much on Joseph during Christmas. But Joseph’s daring faith in the Lord is commendable. He believed God when He revealed that Mary was chaste, though it may mean a lifetime of ridicule and scorn. That must have been truly challenging. Furthermore He accepted the Messiah as his own child and raised Him with love. (Matthew 1:18-25). Maybe you too are facing a challenge? Do you need God’s help to prevail in an overwhelming struggle? Pray for God’s wisdom and strength to help you obey Him in the midst of your struggle. With Jesus on your side you will always be an overcomer.

[pulpsandcomics2]

Hal Foster

[inspiredbyjesuslove]

[rosstrytobe]

After see the Holy Mary (Marisol) i didn’t expect to see Joseph too (Bobby)

[biniehoo]

Sketches of Mary for Mother's day (ENG & ESP)

[phs-animations]

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

-Luke 2:11-12 KJV

[septembergold]

[renaissance35]

🎉Happy birthday to Jesus!!

🙏Start from the ⬇️make your way ⬆️ please

AND A NEW BORN KING TO SAVE US ALL!!!!

2 TESTAMENTS

3 WISE MEN!!,

4 WALKS THROUGH LIFE

5 THOUSAND FED!!!!,,

6 MERRY MARY'S!!,

7 KWANZAA CANDLES!!,

8 SINGING ANGELS!,

9 LIT HANUKKAH CANDLES!!

10 COMMANDMENTS TO FOLLOW!,

11 BLESSED CITIES,

ON THE 12 DAY OF CHRISTMAS, FOR WHY DO WE CELEBRATE IT? 12 DISCIPLES FOLLOWED!,,

[catalisst]

[walkswithmyfather]

Week Two:

Matthew 1:19–21 (NIV). “Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered 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 sins.”

“We're given just a little glimpse of Mary and Joseph before Jesus was born. They lived in the hill country of Galilee. Joseph was a religious man. Mary gives every evidence of having a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures, even though she was a teenager. The Bible teaches that God was so pleased with her that He chose her to be the mother of Jesus. Mary and Joseph weren't married, and yet Mary became pregnant.

I've often put myself in Joseph's place -- imagined his thoughts, his aspirations about the girl to whom he was engaged. But Joseph decided to break the engagement privately.

While he was thinking about these things, God's angel appeared to him in a dream to give Joseph an explanation of the situation. All Joseph's suspicions were put away. He accepted what God had said through the angel, and he was immediately married to Mary.

Both Joseph and Mary followed the call and plan of God, and through their obedience the way was prepared for Christ to come and bless us.”

[milwaukeemilf]

Peep my art out for a second!

[gramarobin]

Seasons Greetings 😏

[angeltreasure]

Protect by Helen Thomas Robson

[pjclausenart909]

Merry Christmas