Tag Archives: Joseph

Anna, the Prophetess

Christmas, Scriptures, , , , , , , , , ,

Anna the Prophetess

Who?

She lost her husband when she was young. She had been married for less than ten years. When we meet Anna in the second chapter of Luke, she’s an elderly widow of many years.How did she go on with life? But she did her best and served at the temple. She and another person 720px-Rembrandt_Harmensz._van_Rijn_056 (2)named Simeon recognized that the baby Mary and Joseph brought to the temple was Jesus. The baby would someday be the Savior of mankind.

 

I first learned about Anna when my mom was playing a new Christmas song at the piano. She was putting music to a poem written by our friend, Sally Wise.

Sally writes of Anna:

She came to the temple,
Anna the faithful.
She was old and wise, she fasted and she prayed.
When she beheld the baby, her heart was filled with joy.
She gave thanks and spoke of Him, Savior to all men.
She knew, she knew, she knew her Savior.

The Substance of Hope copyright of Elsbeth YoungAnna is a significant person in the Christmas story because she is another witness that Jesus had indeed been born. We need to pay attention to her.

She had gone through a lot while remaining faithful to the Lord. She knew the real meaning of “good tidings of great joy” and peace, and we can as well.  We probably all know Annas who endure while seeing the good in life.

Sally ends her poem by showing how we can be like Anna and Simeon:

At this Christmas season,
I will remember
The birth of Christ our Savior, the babe of Bethlehem.
As I read the scriptures I can feel His warmth.
And I know He lives today, Savior to all men.
I know, I know, I know my Savior.

References:
Luke 2
“They Came to the Temple” by Sally Wise
Images:
Featured and second image in post: The Substance of Hope found on alyoung.com. Copyright by Elsbeth Young.  All Rights Reserved.  Courtesy of Al Young Studios.
Simeon in the Temple by Rembrandt

Each of Us Is An Innkeeper

Christmas, Scriptures, , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

Traveling with a pregnant women can be scary. Imagine Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. Perhaps they traveled in a caravan for some parts of the journey, made quite a few stops, and lagged behind. And when they finally arrived in Bethlehem, it took time to find a place to stay. The inns were full.

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Just how significant is the innkeeper in the story?

When the Robertsons put on the Christmas play last year, Jep Robertson insisted it was an “important role…if the innkeeper hadn’t turned them down, you see’d this entire play in a hotel room.”

In all seriousness, though, did the innkeeper regret turning away a pregnant woman ? Did the innkeeper suspect Mary was carrying the King of Kings? Someone told me, “I bet all the innkeepers are kicking themselves  right now.”

Joseph must have been really bargaining. I heard a theory that he might have even helped build the manger. Whatever the case, Mary and Joseph arrived in the stable. Soon Jesus was born, and Mary laid Jesus in a manger.new-era-2010-december-cover-749909-gallery

Jep reflected more about the innkeeper and related the role back to Mary and Joseph. How it must have taken a lot of faith on their part. After all, they didn’t have the internet or phones. Couldn’t make reservations.Though they were turned away from the inn, they found a place to stay. I wonder how they reacted to the prospect of staying in a stable? Yet the birth itself was “good tidings of great joy.” Soon afterwards, the stable would get special visitors who had easier access to a stable rather than an inn. So that was a blessing.

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But how is the innkeeper relevant to us? Elder Neal A. Maxwell pointed out, “Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus!” I’ve been thinking about that statement a lot. What’s your take?

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Luke 2
All images from lds.org–Media library : https://www.lds.org/media-library

Mary, the Mother of Jesus

Christmas, Scriptures, , , , , ,

Naturally, Mary was surprised by angel Gabriel’s visit.. Even after the angel assured her she was highly favored and she was blessed among women, she was still frightened.

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“Fear not,” said the Gabriel, “for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. And he shall be great.” The angel told Mary the many great things Jesus would be. That’s a lot of pressure. Mary asked, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also the holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be the Son of God. And behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.”

The angel concluded, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

800px-Gospel_of_Luke_Chapter_1-16_(Bible_Illustrations_by_Sweet_Media)She would need those words. She traveled to her cousin Elisabeth. As previously mentioned, their visit was an uplifting one.

 

And Joseph, her betrothed, would also need to know Mary was pregnant. And she was not carrying his child. She was not married. How would he react?

 Joseph’s Reaction:

nativity-mary-joseph-1102819-galleryIt was a shock when Joseph found out his fiancé was pregnant. What could he do about it?

 

The Bible describes Joseph as a “just man, and not willing to make her [Mary] a public example, was minded to put her away privily.” This meant he didn’t want Mary to face public humiliation. He “desired to release or divorce her secretly.” This also meant Joseph really respected women.

Deep in thought, he had a dream where an angel appeared and said, “Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.”Anton_Raphael_Mengs_-_The_Dream_of_St._Joseph (2)

 

Joseph must have been relieved Mary was faithful to him. But since she was carrying a son that was “to save his people from their sins” that meant Jesus would need to be raised very well. Could you imagine the responsibility Joseph must have felt knowing he was to be the guardian of the Son of God?

But Joseph was up for it. He “did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him.” He married Mary. He was obedient to God’s commandments as well as a law abiding citizen

Because Caesar Augustus decreed his empire should be taxed and the citizens go to the place of the heritage, Joseph needed to go to Bethlehem.

Joseph had to travel to pay taxes and take his pregnant wife, who was carrying a baby-who would be the Savior of the World- safely to Bethlehem. Joseph had a lot on his mind. Perhaps he also had in mind the saying the angel brought to Mary: “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

Joseph would need both physical and spiritual strength to make the journey.

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King James Version of Bible
Matthew 1 and footnotes
Luke  1, 2

 

 

All photographs from lds.org–Media library : https://www.lds.org/media-library
and https://www.lds.org/bible-videos/?lang=eng

The Aunnunciation: The Angel Gabriel Appears to Mary  (lds.org)

Mary and Elizabeth-_by_Sweet_Media

“The Dream of St. Joseph” (circa 1770s) by Anton Raphael Mengs.