Joseph and Mary

Genealogy has always been important to the Jewish people. When the temple and the genealogical records were destroyed in 70 A.D., the Gospel of Matthew became an important document for the Christian church to trace Joseph’s lineage back to Abraham.

Christians in the West have difficulty understanding the references to marriage in the Bible because the traditions do not conform to modern weddings. Pastor John explained how Joseph and Mary were brought together by their parents for an arranged marriage at a young age but they would not live together as husband and wife until many years later. This is what made Mary’s pregnancy especially notable.

Nothing surprises God and the virgin birth along with- the star gospel were planned in eternity past before the creation of the universe. This foreknowledge is brought out in scriptures showing how the Son of God would come to the earth and pay for the sins of mankind.