THE BIRTH OF JESUS
Luke 2:8-20 and Matthew 2:1-14

The months pased one by one. From day to day, the Saviour of the world would be born. Mary was terribly uneasy, as was poor Joseph. Unexpectedly they found themselves in a great adventure and, what is worse, at a most inopportune time. The land of Israel at this time was under the Roman yoke. The Roman emperor wanted to count all his subjects in order to tax them afterwards without anyone evading him. He set forth a decree that each man go to the land of his birth for the census taking.

Joseph was born in Bethlehem, a little village about seven miles from the Holy City. He had to return there for the census now. He closed their little home in Nazareth, helped Mary mount a little donkey, and off they went. The road was bad and the journey was very tiresome. In Mary's condition, it was natural that it seem even worse.
It was late when they reached Bethlehem. Weary from traveling they hurried to the lone inn of the village, somewhere at the outskirts, by a country road; but they were not very lucky. Many others before them had found their way there for the same purpose. There was no more room at the inn.

In this hour of need, they decided to pass the night in a nearby stable in order to protect themselves from the icy cold and rest after the ordeal of the journey.

That cold winter night, there in the stable of Bethlehem among cows and donkeys and little lambs, Jesus our Saviour was born. Mary wrapped Him in clean swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, the place hay is put for the animals.

Yet, the birth of Jesus did not remain secret and unknown. In the neighboring fields some hardworking shepherds were keeping watch on their sheep. In the darkness of the night a brilliant and heavenly light blinded them. Frightened and thrilled they rubbed their eyes. They had hardly regained their composure, when they saw an angel of the Lord before them.

"Fear not, " said the angel, ''for I bring you glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you, ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manager."

As the angel spoke to the shepherds, a heavenly choir was singing this celestial
hymn:

"Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace, good will toward men."

At once the light was gone, the melody stopped and the angel vanished. Nature round about assumed again its familiar form. the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem to see for themselves the wonderful thing of which the angel spoke. There, in the humble village stable, they found the Saviour of the world as had been told them. They adored the infant with simple reverence, and related to Mary and Joseph all that they had seen and heard. Then, they left full of joy and wonder to spread the work of the glorious birth to all around them.

But the birth of Jesus was not only made known to lowly shepherds. God revealed it to learned men as well. Three wise men, living far in the east, who studied the stars, saw in the sky that particular night a new heavenly body brighter than all the rest. The three took it as a sign that a great king had been born. So they loaded their camels with precious gifts, mounted them and started off to find the newborn King.

With the star as their guide, they reached Jerusalem. there they sought information from Herod, the king, but he had not the least idea what they were talking about. He began to worry, for he thought that a king had been born who would take his throne eventually. He. lost no time in learning from his chief priest and scribes that it was in Bethlehem that the Christ would be born, and informed the wise men of it. Then he asked them to find the exact place where the new king lay and let him know, for he supposedly wanted to worship Him also.

When the wise men took the road to Bethlehem, they saw the star go before them, and followed it to the place where the young child lay. There, they very carefully got down from their camels, bearing their precious gifts, and entered the tiny cottage. They knelt and worshiped the baby king and offered Him their costly gifts. One gave Him gold, the second frankincense, and the last rarest myrrh. Full of joy and Thanksgiving at having found Him, they now wanted to advise Herod. But an angel of the Lord appeared to them in a dream, and told them that Herod meant to take the young child I s life. So they returned to their won country by another way.