A CHILD WAS BORN

Over 2000 years ago an event happened to shape eternity.

A child was born in a manger in a stable in Bethlehem,
They called his name Jesus, meaning God is Saviour,
No ordinary babe was he this was God in human form.

Let’s commence this story, while King Herod was ruling Judea,
God sent the angel Gabriel to a young woman called Mary,
Mary lived in Nazareth and was engaged to Joseph,
Gabriel said “ Peace, God is blessing you for He is happy with you Mary.
You will become pregnant by the Holy Spirit and give birth to a boy,
This child will be God’s own son and you will call Him Jesus,
And your cousin Elizabeth though older in years is giving birth to a boy,
This boy will be John who has been chosen to prepare the way for Jesus.”

And Mary in faith replied to Gabriel “Let it happen as God chooses.”

Mary visited Elizabeth and the baby leaped in her womb;
Then Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke.
"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”
Then Mary said “ My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices,
Rejoicing in God my Saviour for he has remembered me, his lowly
servant!
From now on all people will call me blessed among women,
What God has done for me will never be forgotten by all generations,

The God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.
His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who fear him.”
Mary went home to Nazareth and Joseph was concerned,
For Mary was with child and they had not yet wed,
But an angel spoke to Joseph in a dream assuring him,
That this child was from God and he would save people from sin,
That he need not fear to take Mary as his bride and wed,
So Joseph took Mary as His wife and they did wed.

Now the Emperor Augustus called for a census, a register of names,

People in the Roman Empire must return to the home of their family name,
So Joseph and Mary although she was heavy with child travelled to
Bethlehem,
This town was about seventy miles from their home in Nazareth,
Joseph and Mary took their time because she was expecting a child,
So their was no room at the inn and a stable was the place of Jesus birth,
This was fulfilment of Micah’s prophecy that a child would be born in
Bethlehem.
In swaddling clothes in a lowly manger he lay; this was the Christ child.

Now shepherds watched their sheep in the hills that night the Messiah was
born,
Suddenly an angel appeared shining brightly with the glory of God
appeared,
The shepherds were very afraid, but the angel said "Do not be afraid,
For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy to all, today a child is
born,
This child born in the city of David this day is Jesus Christ the Lord.”
So the shepherds made their way to the town of Bethlehem to find this
child,
And in the stable in Bethlehem they found Mary and Joseph with the baby
Jesus,
And those humble shepherds bore witness to the Lord’s birth and others
told.

The shepherds retuned to their flock praising God for sending Jesus as
Saviour, A shining bright star shone
brightly in the night sky when Jesus was born,
Some wise men from the east had seen this star and sought out the new
King,
In Jerusalem King Herod heard of their quest and felt threatened by this
baby.
For the wise men asked “Where is the new baby who is to be the Jewish
King?”
Herod summoned the wise men to come to him and asked for information,
He wanted the wise men to tell him where the new King was staying,
Saying he wanted to go and worship the King, but his thoughts were evil.

The wise men continued following the star all the way to Bethlehem town,
And the star led them directly to stop at the house in which baby Jesus
dwelt,
And the wise men brought gold, frankincense and myrrh to give Jesus as
gifts,
For they bore gifts for the Saviour who would give them eternal life as a
gift.
Then the wise men were warned in a dream by God to avoid King Herod,
So they went back a different way for God had revealed a new way,
And Joseph too had a dream in which God told him to flee to Egypt.
For Herod had an evil plan to kill all boys under the age of two.

But Herod’s plan was thwarted for Joseph and Mary had taken Jesus to
safety,
They stayed until another dream for Herod was dead and they could go
safely,
So off they went to Israel and their old town of Nazareth and here Jesus
grew up,
For the word the prophets foretold to come true “He shall be called a
Nazarene.”
And this was God’s own Son, sent to live amongst us,
He came to teach men about God and reveal Him to us,
But more than that He came to restore us to relationship with God,
He wants us to know life eternal which is a gift from God.

For this baby born in Bethlehem came for our sakes to die,
That we who have sinned might be forgiven and not die,
So as we reflect on Christmas let’s remember the greatest gift,
For God in grace and mercy gives eternal life as a gift.

Irene Mcgough©2008

http://www.discipleofjesussite.com