Bear Grylls says

It’s amazing how many Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus . . . none more important than ‘Immanuel’. We are not on our own. ‘God [is] with us.’ This is what Immanuel means.

Who were the wise men?

Who were these mysterious figures? Matthew says they were ‘Magi’ or wise men. They had come from the east because they saw an unusual star rise. They were astrologers who studied the movement of stars for clues about future events. They probably came from modern day Saudi Arabia or Iran – a serious trek! Their expensive gifts suggest they were VIPs who knew that this baby was someone extraordinary.

Joseph

Mary became pregnant while engaged to marry Joseph, even though they hadn’t slept together. Joseph must have struggled with this reality a lot: What will other people think? Has she cheated on me? Can this all be real? After an angel reassured Joseph that it was God’s plan, he stuck by Mary all the way. After a couple of years in Bethlehem, they became refugees together in Egypt before they then returned to Nazareth in Israel. Joseph may have died while Jesus was young, as we never hear of him again. He remains an unsung hero.