The Christmas Story from Scripture
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he planned to divorce her quietly.
But after he had decided this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel”—which means, “God with us” (Matthew 1:18–23).
Children wait for Christmas each year with growing excitement and impatience. In Jesus’ time, the people had waited thousands of years for the promised Messiah to arrive. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” expresses the longing Jews carried with them for so many generations:
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. So everyone went to his own town to register.
Joseph went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Shepherds were living in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks. An angel of the Lord appeared to them at night, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth, peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing the Lord has told us about.”
They hurried off and found Mary, Joseph and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed.
Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:8–19).
A child, a child shivers in the night
He will bring us goodness and light.
After Jesus was born, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. He called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law and asked them where the Christ was to be born. “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
“ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’ ”
Herod talked to the Magi in private and found out the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me so I may go and worship him.”
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother. They bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.
“Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod.
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. What was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled by this:
“A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more” (Matthew 2:13–18).
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices….
God’s voice can be easy to miss, so during the Christmas season he speaks a little louder:
“I sent my son to earth. That’s what this season is all about.”
There’s a feeling to the Christmas season that the rush to do our shopping, prepare for visiting family and all the other busynesses of the season can’t overcome—Children laughing, people passing, meeting smile after smile… God will be heard. And it’s a feeling we never forget.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices.
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