What a difficult time it must have been for Joseph when Mary told him she was expecting a child that was not his! Her visit to Elizabeth would have encouraged her to be bold about her situation. Very soon she would not be able to hide the pregnancy from anyone!

On Christmas Eve, it seems appropriate to think about this baby born to His virgin mother. This verse speaks of Jesus having to sleep in a manger. That makes us think that they were poor. But is that true? There is no suggestion in the gospels that Joseph was poor!

As the day approaches when we celebrate the birth of the Messiah, it seems appropriate to look at the family tree of Jesus. In the gospel of Matthew, we have the line of Joseph. Although he was not the father, he was the husband of the mother of The Saviour.

If we asked many church-goers today who the son of Manoah the Danite was, they would not be able to answer. But once they were given the name of this baby they could say that Samson was known for his strength. Maybe some would add and his weakness with women!

It is Christmas. Over the next few days, people in many parts of the world will be celebrating the birth of the Saviour. This verse will be quoted as a prophecy of the birth of Jesus. But few will put it into the context of the time it was given.

The disciples were trying to protect Jesus from being bothered and distracted by the children. They were full of good intentions, but Jesus used those same children as a teaching aid! He was telling His listeners that they must become like children in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Following on from yesterday, we read about the first child of Abraham. Sarah herself must have been very depressed at not being able to conceive. But then she had the bright idea one day that she could use her maid-servant to conceive for her. This caused a lot of pain.

In most cases, a couple who have been together for a long time without children would be generally considered to have made that choice. But in Biblical times, a man was considered a failure if he did not have several children. In Genesis, God told Adam Be fruitful and multiply.

Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. The book of Ruth is one of tragedy and triumph. This baby was the triumph after several years of loneliness and mourning. We have to ask ourselves why Ruth could not conceive through her first husband who was the son of Naomi.

I have heard sermons on becoming like an innocent child, but Jesus does not say anything about innocence here. And most of us know children who were not too innocent for very long. Children can be quick to learn both good things and bad! Think today about your own childhood.