Gabriel Encourages Joseph

The Bible reveals that when Mary began to show her pregnancy Joseph became very confused. He was a righteous man and follow the Lord with all of his heart. According to the law he was required to divorce Mary, for she was not a virgin any longer and could not prove it on her wedding day. This was a very important ceremony in first century Israel, the proof of virginity. While Joseph was contemplating divorcing her secretly the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream revealing that the child in her womb was conceived by the Holy Spirit. The Lord encouraged Joseph that the child would be named Jesus, which means in Hebrew "Jehovah is salvation" for Jesus will "save his people from their sins". Joseph believed the Lord and obeyed him.

"Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS." Matthew 1:22-25

The Angel Gabriel Comes to Mary, Mary Visits Her Relative Elizabeth, Gabriel Encourages Joseph, The Decree of Augustus, No Room for Them in the Inn, Jesus is Born in Bethlehem, The Announcement to the Shepherds, The Magi from the East, Jesus is Circumcised and Presented in the Temple

 

The Birth of Jesus

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." - Luke 2:7

The New Testament - A Brief Overview

Brief History of the Birth of John the Baptist
Scriptures: Luke 1:5-25

Introduction

The New Testament covers the period from the birth of John the Baptist, to the life and death of Jesus, to the beginnings of the Church,  to the spreading of the gospel throughout the world, to the death of the great apostle Paul.

The Four Gospel Accounts - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

There are four accounts of the life of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and they are referred to as the "Gospel". Each portrays a particular focus about Jesus and His ministry.

 

The New Testament - A Brief Overview