Nativity of Jesus (Birth of Jesus)

"CHRIST the Reason for the Season" 

The word Nativity comes from "Nativus" in Latin, which means "born".

An angel appears to Mary, telling her she's been chosen by God to bear the Son of God, who will be Savior of the people (Annunciation of the Lord, celebrated on 25 March, exactly 9 months before Christmas) and also about her cousin Elizabeth, who's ostensibly too old to have children, is already six months pregnant. This is a great proof God's power to do anything as He wills. Mary agrees to God's , and travels to visit Elizabeth. Elizabeth, the wife of Zechariah, a priest who was told in the temple that  his aged wife would conceive and bear a son, to be named John. Zechariah lost his ability to speak as he did not believe what he was foretold. When Mary arrives, Elizabeth seems to be aware of Mary's impending pregnancy, saying her own child leapt in her womb in joy. Mary tells Elizabeth she's scared, since the law requires she remain pure and thinks nobody will believe she's kept her vows. Elizabeth comforts her by telling her to believe, trust and have faith in God. Mary stayed until Elizabeth's child is born, while Zechariah's voice was restored  and he insisted the child named as John.

Mary shortly then return home and is noticeably pregnant causing scandal by the town people, and Joseph is broken hearted. Mary's parents can't believe Mary explainantions as they fear she might have been raped by Herod's soldiers and told her the punishment could be death for violating her vows to Joseph. Joseph who is upset and bitter has decided not to put charges on the violation of the vows. The the angel once again appeared but this time to Joseph in a dream who tells him “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21). Joseph then woke up and  followed what the angel of the Lord had commanded by taking Mary home as his wife but did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son and named Jesus, the Immanuel (God with us).

King Herod worried about the prophecy of a new King of Jews who will be a Messiah, and  decides to take advantage of Caesar's intentions for a census to make everyone return to their ancestral home. As the prophecy had said the Messiah is to come from a descendant of David, Herod's plans to force them into Bethlehem, the City of David, capture and kill this child. Joseph is the force to go to Bethlehem and Mary agrees to follow him on an arduous journey. While on the journey to Bethlehem,  Mary realizes Joseph as a good, self-sacrificing man., therefore affection and trust begins grows between them.
 

Three Magi from Persia, who have been interpreting the prophecy, decide to travel to Judea because the alignment of a star with two planets indicates to them that the real King of Jews will be born in Bethlehem, Judea. They stopped in Jerusalem, and told the rulers in Jerusalem that the Messiah king is not  grown man, but a a newly born baby. Herod pretends with intentions to pay homage to the new king and tells them to return with directions upon them finding the newly born Messiah. Upon the Magi's departure, Herod plans to put an end to the people's hope in the prophecy by sending out his soldiers to kill all the new born babies in Bethlehem.

Upon their arrival in Bethlehem, Mary starts having contractions and Joseph goes looking for a place for her delivery, but all that's he could find was a stable. As Mary gives birth, the three celestial bodies line up, and a ray of light falls directly on the stable. Some shepherds show up to see the child as a message the received from an angel, including the one showed kindness to Joseph. Mary announces her baby is born for all mankind. The shepherds visit is the followed by the three gagi arrival, they presented their gifts of gold for the king of kings, frankincense for the priest of priests, and myrrh for the one who must sacrifice. Upon the shephards and three magi depature, Mary and Joseph slept while Herod's soldiers begin their terrible infanticide (killing all new borm babies). Herod's soldiers begin their terrible infanticide. The three magi did not go to Herod for they had been warned through a dream of Herod's plot to destroy the child. The angel's again came to Joseph in his dream to warn him about Herod's soldiers killing and ask the to flee out Bethlehem. Joseph quickly wakes up and again follows the command of the angel. Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus flee heading for Egypt escaping Herod's soldiers. Jesus, Mary and Joseph stayed in Egypt until Herod had died, and after which they returned to Nazareth.

 

 

It's a time for Christians to focus our hearts and love in anticipation of  the birth of Christ, the Prince of Peace and Savior of World.

The Shepherds

Angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds by night and announced the good news that a Savior, the Messiah had been born in the town of David, Bethelehem, Ephrath, Judea. Suddenly a great host of heavenly beings appeared with the angels, singing praises to God. Then, the shepherds decided to make their way to Bethlehem, where they found and saw the newly born Jesus, Mary and Joseph in a stable. Later the sheperds went on their way still praising and glorifying God and to spread the word about this amazing child and everything the angel had about the child. Mary did not say a word but she treasured their words and pondering them in her heart. It was beyond her ability to grasp, that sleeping in her arms, is the tender child who is the Savior of the world, the Messiah and the Lord, King of all Kings.

The Magi

At this time wise men (Magi) from the east saw a star, they search, knowing the star signified the birth of the king of the Jews. These wise men came to the Jewish rulers in Jerusalem, to find out where new King of the Jews is born. The rulers explained as in Micah 5:2, "In Bethlehem in Judea,". Herod secretly met the Magi and told them to inform him upon finding the child, as he wanted to go and worship the child but secretly Herod was plotting to kill the child. The wise men continued to follow the star and found the new born king, Jesus with his mother in Bethlehem. They bowed and worshipped him, offering treasures of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The wise men  left and they did not go to Herod for they had been warned through a dream of Herod's plot to destroy the child.

 

 

The birth of Jesus as written in the Holy Scriptures and Gospels.

 

Micah 5:2

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”

 





Isaiah 7:14

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.


Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 

 

Matthew 1:18-2:12

 

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

 

¹⁸ This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵ But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

The Magi Visit the Messiah

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

³ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

⁶ “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

⁷ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Note :
The Magi also referred to as the Wise Men, Kings, or Kings from the East.


Luke 1:26-33

 
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
²⁶ In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, ²⁷ to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

²⁹ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. ³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”


Luke 1:39-45
 

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹ At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, ⁴⁰ where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! ⁴³ But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

Luke 2:1-21
 

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

²¹ On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

Away in a Manger

 

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down His sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the Baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes;
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray;
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care,
And fit us for Heaven to live with Thee there.