
If you dont know which baby I am referring to, shame. We can no longer be friends.
Some two thousand some-something years ago (im really not so good at math), a man & woman fell in love & decided to become betrothed. They were quite young but thats how folks rolled in those days. One day the angel Gabriel came to the woman, Mary, & told her that she would bear a child who would become the Messiah. There was no way for Mary to grasp this fully, but in the name of her God she did not deny the message.
Some time passed & it slowly became obvious to Mary that she was with child. This shocked & befuddled her fiance, Joseph, because they had never laid together. In fact, she was still a virgin. How then, could she possibly be pregnant? Understandably, there was much outrage surrounding the impending bundle & even Joseph seemed unsure of the situation for a time until he, too, was visited by an angel of God. The angel spoke to him & said,
"Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid...because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son & you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
With that, Joseph knew what was to be done. Who would be daft enough to ignore an angel of God?
Now, meanwhile, Caesar Augustus (powerful man) decided that a little thing called the census needed to become enforced & that all households were to register. Being the upstanding citizen he was, Joseph packed up a very prego Mary & they started the journey from their home in Nazareth to the city Bethlehem in order to register in the census. Im sure we all know (or can guess) what happens next....no?
The baby...is coming! But wait...there are no hospitals to dash to, no midwives to call. Joseph & Mary have traveled away from their community & to make matters a bit worse there is some talk going around about the two, given the "situation". Not many are welcoming of the traveling strangers & the only space they can find for Mary to deliver is in a manger.
So, on that night thousands of years ago, laying on straw in the cold of a manger,in the wrenching pain of labor & with noone but Joseph by her side, a young teenage girl gave birth to the savior of man.
And He was named Jesus.
While the mother fell in love with her newborn son, not far away in a field some Shepards were watching their flocks when an angel appeared. They were frightened by the sight.
"Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord."
"Glory to God in the highest & on Earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
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