Author Unknown

Once upon a time--a long, long time ago--there lived a man whose name was Joseph. Joseph was in love with a beautiful young lady named Mary. He was planning to marry her because he loved her so much.

One day, Joseph saw that Mary was going to have a baby, and they weren't even married yet. Joseph decided that Mary was a bad woman, and he could never marry her. But do you know what? Mary was a good woman. In fact, she was so good, that God was going to use her to be the mother of His own Son.

It was a miracle. Mary saw an angel, and the angel told Mary that she was going to have a baby. The angel said this was going to be a special baby, God's baby, and his name would be Jesus.

When Mary saw the angel, she was afraid. But the angel told mary she should not be afraid, because God was with her. She was going to be the mother of God's Son, Jesus.

And guess what? An angel came to Joseph, too, and told him not to be afraid. The angel also told Joseph that Mary was going to be the mother of God's Son, Jesus. Joseph was a good man. He was very happy to know that Mary's baby was God's Son. So Joseph married Mary. He loved her and protected her from all danger. And on Christmas day--a very long time ago, the very first Christmas day--Jesus was born.

Jesus was God's gift to the whole world. And do you know why? That's right, because He loves us. God loves us so much, that He sent us Jesus to save us. And when we ask Jesus to come into our heart and live on the inside of us, we begin to love everyone in the same way that God loves us.

That's why we give gifts at Christmas. When Jesus lives in our heart, we want to be just like God--on Jesus' Birth Day we want to give gifts to the people we love.

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.

The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.

"He shall be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also 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 son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the 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 men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and 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 at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Luke 1:26-38; 2:1-19 - New International Version)

 

 

 

 

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