THE
STORY OF CHRISTMAS
The Birth of
Jesus Foretold
(Luke 1:26-38)
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 will 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.
The Birth of Jesus
(The Women's
Devotional Bible, NIV)
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, a son. She wrapped him in
cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in
the inn.
The Shepherds
and the Angels
(The Women's
Devotional Bible, NIV)
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."
Christmas
blessings to one and all!
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