Imagine the stars in the sky, the countless constellations, the sprawling solar system, and among it a little planet called Earth. God made all those things and all of the people and inhabitants of our planet. Just over 2,000 years ago when we most needed Him, God came down to be with us, to save us and to show us how life should be lived. Let's hear the wonderful story of Christmas, the time when God was born as man. When Mary was a young girl, she was engaged to a man named Joseph. They were going to get married in a few months and everyone was very excited. One day God sent an angel to give her a very special message. When Mary saw the angel, she was scared, but the angel told her, Don't be afraid, God is with you. God is pleased with you. You will have a son and he shall be called Jesus. He will be called the son of the most high and he shall save the people of the earth. What Mary was confused, so she told the angel, But I am not married yet. I don't understand, how is it possible? But the angel smiled and said, With God, all things are possible. Then Mary replied, If this is what God wants, then I will obey. The angel departed, leaving Mary excited about the news of the baby and she told Joseph the man she was about to marry, all about it. Soon Mary and Joseph got married. When Mary was nearly ready to have the baby, they had to make a very important trip to battle him. Although they were tired and weary, Mary and Joseph traveled for many miles on a donkey. They went from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea and then to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, they knocked on every door in the town, looking for a place to stay. Joseph desperately asked for help, but every place was full. Finally, there was only one house left. Please let us stay here tonight. My wife is going to have a baby. I am sorry. We have no room or bed. But there is a stable out the back where we keep our animals. You can stay there for tonight if you like. Mary and Joseph thanked the owner for his generosity. At last, they had somewhere for the baby to be born. It was a very difficult place to bring a new life into the world. Dirty, smelly and unhygienic. But Mary and Joseph made the best of it. When the baby came, they wrapped little Jesus in the clothes they had. They didn't have anything to put him in. So they placed the son of God in a manger, a trough that is used to feed animals. I am not sure this was what Mary was expecting. The angel said, Jesus would be called the son of the most high. And as she looked at the sleeping baby in the manger, she knew he was a precious gift. Meanwhile, in some fields nearby, a group of shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks. It was nighttime. You see, the shepherds were just ordinary people going about their daily lives. They weren't considered very important. Nobody took much notice of them. They were very surprised to see the least, to see an angel of the Lord appear in front of them. The glory of God shone all around the shepherds. And they were terrified when the angels spoke to them. The angel said, Do not be afraid. I bring you news of great joy. Good news for people across the world. Today, in Bethlehem, a savior has been born. So the shepherds went to where the angels told them to go. When they had seen him, the shepherds told everyone they met about the child. People were amazed to hear the story. Are you amazed too? The son of the most high born in a stable, someone who would be called the son of God, placed in a dirty manger with only poor shepherds to greet him? The angel said it was good news for people across the world. And there's something about this birth that is good news, particularly for the poorest people on earth. Because when they see their savior has come to dwell with them, not distant, but humbling himself, it offers hope. Hope to everyone in the world that they are accepted and can come to him, where the rich are poor, important or forgotten. Sometime later, more people came to visit. But they didn't come straight to the stable. These three important people, sometimes called kings, sometimes wise men, were matchy. The wise men saw the child and they worshipped him. Each of them brought a special gift to give the baby Jesus. Each of them gave Jesus a precious gift. And that's why we give gifts at Christmas, particularly to the poor and needy people. They went home even wise men. They realized that they should offer their wealth to Jesus, the son of God, born into poverty, who is a friend of poor and needy people. And so God was born in the most humblest of places, between the least expected of people. But the best gift of Christmas was given to all of mankind, making it the best Christmas ever.