A Special Christmas Tale

The Nativity Story: A Special Christmas Tale

I think you all know the story about the very first Christmas. Some people call it the Nativity (from the late Latin word meaning ‘birth’), because it’s all about the birth of someone very, very special: Jesus.

Now, we’ve already heard how Jesus’ birth was foretold by the prophets in the Old Testament era, but I’d like us to jump on in the middle and start our journey in a small town called Nazareth. 

There lived a young woman named Mary who was engaged to a man by the name of Joseph. One day, an angel named Gabriel appeared to Mary. Can you imagine how surprised she must have been? The angel
told her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. God has chosen you to have a very special baby, and you will call him Jesus. He will be the Son of God.”

Mary trusted God and said, “I am God’s servant. Let it be as you have said.” What amazing faith Mary had!

Some time later, Mary and her husband, Joseph, had to take a long journey from Nazareth to a town called Bethlehem. They had to go because the ruler of the land wanted to count all the people in his kingdom and Joseph was a direct descent of King David and that family was originally from Bethlehem. Mary was expecting her baby very soon, but they had no choice but to travel. Can you imagine walking so far (or perhaps riding on a donkey) when you’re about to have a baby? Either way, it must have been very hard for Mary!

When they finally got to Bethlehem, the family home was already so crowded with other family members that there was no room for them to stay in the upper room usually reserved for guests. So they had to stay on the ground floor with the owners and their animals. Those days people kept their animals inside their homes in a separate section. It wasn’t fancy, but it was a warm and safe place for Mary to have her baby.

That night, something wonderful happened. Mary gave birth to baby Jesus! She wrapped him in strips of cloth to keep him warm (perhaps the same strips of cloth the shepherds used to protect newborn lambs from injury so that they would be without blemish for the sacrifices) and laid him in a manger, which is a feeding trough for animals, usually made of stone in those days.

That humble home in Bethlehem became the place where the Saviour of the world was born.

Not far from Bethlehem, some shepherds were in the fields taking care of their sheep. Suddenly, an angel appeared in the sky. The shepherds were scared at first, but the angel said, “Don’t be afraid! I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. Today, in Bethlehem, a Saviour has been born. He is Christ the Lord!”

Then, the sky was filled with more angels, all praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom His favour rests.”

The shepherds were so excited! They hurried to Bethlehem to see this special baby. When they found Jesus lying in the manger, just as the angel had said, they were filled with joy. But can you imagine what they must have thought when they saw the baby wrapped in the strips of cloth they usually used to protect the sacrificial lambs from injury? They later told everyone they met about what they had seen and heard.

A while later, far away in the East, some wise men saw a bright star in the sky. They knew it was a sign that a new king had been born, no doubt because they had been told about the prophecy in the book of Numbers by Daniel who had been appointed as head of the wise men in Babylon so many years before. They followed the star all the way to Bethlehem, bringing gifts for baby Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These were treasures fit for a king.

When the wise men saw Jesus, they bowed down and worshipped Him. They knew He wasn’t just any baby – He was the Saviour God had promised to send – and so they returned to their home rejoicing.

But the story of the Nativity is not just a story about a baby being born; it’s about God’s love for all of us. Jesus came to bring peace, hope, and joy to the world. That’s why we celebrate Christmas – because it reminds us of the greatest gift ever given: God’s Son.

So, when you see a Nativity scene with Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, the shepherds, and the wise men, remember the story we shared today. And remember that Christmas is all about love, kindness, and giving, just like God gave us His Son.

Merry Christmas and may God bless us, everyone!

© Johannes W H van der Bijl 2024