The First Christmas (The Birth of Jesus)

Ahh yes, the time has come and Jesus is born. This marks the first Christmas in the world as the whole reason for celebrating Christmas in the first place is the birth of Jesus

## **Phase 1: Before the birth**

These are the events that took place in the lead up to Jesus' birth

Archangel Gabriel has announced to Mary that she is going to have a child and she will name him Jesus and his kingdom will never end. Mary is rejoiced but confused at the same time as she asked the angel "How can this happen since I am a virgin?" The angel replied that the holy spirit will come over her. Mary is excited and she happily accepted the birth of Jesus with the reply "I am the Lord's servant let it happen as you have said."Soon after she gets this message, she goes to Joseph to tell him this news and proposes to him. However, Joseph quietly breaks it off afraid of a scandal. However, Joseph is told in a dream to not be afraid to have won Mary. So happily he marries Mary. Joseph worked as a carpenter which is someone who makes and works with wood.

Mary goes to visit her older cousin Elisabeth who like Mary is expecting a child. Only the child she is expecting is Jesus' Cousin John the baptist. Mary tells Elisabeth that she is expecting a child. The baby Jesus is excited to meet his cousin John as he kicked about in Mary's womb of excitement. Now at the time, Caesar Augustus had ordered a decree that stated that every citizen shall return to their native land to be registered. So that meant that Joseph as the descendant of the Great King David, had to return to the place of Bethlehem to register. So he and Mary went on a donkey to go to Bethlehem. Now at the time, Mary was pregnant with Jesus and almost due to give birth and they travelled back to Bethlehem. However, when they tried searching for a place to stay everywhere was full. When they asked the innkeeper to stay he said that they were full. So the Infant Jesus had to be born in a stable that the innkeeper offered.

## **Part 2: The Birth Of Jesus**

Yes, the time is finally here and Jesus is finally born. Mary has gone into Labour and given birth to Jesus has been born in a manger. The world rejoices at long last for their saviour has been born in a manger. The animals in the stable have rejoiced and the angels sing praise to the infant Jesus who's kingdom will reign forever and ever.

## **Part 3: The star of Bethlehem**

An angel has appeared to the shepherds tending their sheep and he has announced to the shepherds "Do not be afraid for a saviour has been born. You will find him in a stable lying in a manger." The shepherds packed up their things and went to the stable to find the little infant Jesus in the manger. They are excited and celebrate. The magi see a star in the sky which is nothing that is they have seen before. They see the star and they go to king Herod to ask where they might find the next king of the Jews. Herod then asks the chief priests and then one of them reveals that it was foretold that a child was born and that his birth was marked by a star. However, the intentions of Herod are not as innocent as they seem. He tells the magi to go to the city of Bethlehem and find the child so that he could "Worship" the child. Then the magi go to the child and give him their gifts which are Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. This last gift is strange because Myrrh is normally put on the bodies of the dead. After they leave they get warned in a dream not to go back to King Herod as they are told of his true colours. They take an alternate route home.

## **Part 4: Sorrow that comes with Justice**

You see Herod was not a nice King and when he heard that the magi had tricked him he ordered the killing of every infant boy under the age of 2. This of course would not let him get away. Joseph is warned in a dream of this and so he takes Mary and the infant Jesus so they escape to Egypt with sorrow in their eyes as they hear the sorrows of every mother as they lost their infant son. An angel of God strikes down Herod killing him and then the angel tells Mary and Joseph of Herod's death and so Jesus grows up in his mother's native town of Nazareth.