Jesus early days

Imagine you are a poor, teenaged, virgin young woman that is engaged to be married when an angel appears to you. The angel tells you that you are going to conceive without having sexual contact with man (Luke 1:26-38). Then you are forced to travel 90 mile from your home, late in your third trimester of pregnancy because of a government mandate. Next you are force to stay with the household animals and give birth amongst them. There is nowhere for you to place the newborn except the animal feeding trough (Luke 2:1-7). Mary pondered the meaning of these events in her heart.

Next a group of shepherds show up claiming to have been told of the child’s birth and location by an angel. The angel said this child was the promised Messiah. The angel was joined by many other and together praised god and heralded peace and goodwill towards men because of the child (Luke 2:8-20).

On the eight day you take you son to be circumcised, be dedicated to the Lord and to make a sacrifice required by the law in the Temple. While at the temple a man named Simeon approached and takes the child in his arms. Simeon proclaims he can now die because he has seen the child who is the promised Messiah. He says Jesus will cause the “fall and rising” of many in Israel, that both child and mother will suffer because of Jesus being rejected. Joseph and Mary were amazed at what they heard (Luke 2:21-32).

After Simeon finishes an 84 year old prophetess named Anna comes and similarly speaks of Jesus as the promised redeemer (Luke 2:33-39)

Before the family returned to Nazareth, Magi come to home where they are staying bearing gifts for Jesus. They bowed themselves and worshipped Him. They explained that they were lead to Jesus by a star that proclaimed the birth of the “King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:1-12).

As the family starting for their home, an angel appears to Joseph warning Him of Herod’s plans to kill Jesus. Joseph is told to flee into Egypt where they remain until an angel instructs Joseph that it is safe to return. However God once again directs them to avoid staying in Judea but instead to Nazareth in fulfillment of prophecy (Matthew 2:13-23). Surely as they traveled through Israel they heard of Herod’s slaughter of young male children and understood that Jesus was the object of Herod’s wrath.

Sounds like a typical pregnancy delivery and infancy – not hardly. We can learn a great deal from the obedience of Mary and Joseph. They both were willing to do as God directed. They obeyed without questioning or hesitancy. They were confused by their circumstance and the events that took place around them. They were amazed and pondered them but never doubted or disobeyed. Their faithfulness stands as a shining example to believers throughout the ages. Many prophecies were fulfilled during this time and many more were yet to be fulfilled.