The Scriptural account of the birth of Jesus
as found in the book of Luke and the book of Matthew.
Shared by
Kelly Dobyns
Christmas Glory
With all the commercialization and materialism that is put
on the Christmas holiday these days…I wanted to spend some time focusing on the
true meaning of Christmas and all of it’s glory.
The birth of our precious Lord, Jesus Christ; just imagine
how Mary felt being told she was to give birth to the King…..
Luke 1:26-38
(GW)
The Angel Gabriel Comes to Mary
Six months after
Elizabeth had become pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city
in Galilee. The angel went to a virgin promised in marriage to a
descendant of David named Joseph. The virgin’s name was Mary. When the angel entered
her home, he greeted her and said, “You are favored by the Lord! The Lord is
with you.”She was startled by what
the angel said and tried to figure out what this greeting meant.The angel told her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. You have
found favor with God. You will become pregnant, give birth to a son, and name him Jesus.
He will be a great man and will be called the
Son of the Most High.The Lord God will give him
the throne of his ancestor David. Your son will be king of Jacob’s people forever, and his kingdom will never end.” Mary asked the angel,
“How can this be? I’m a virgin.” The angel answered her,
“The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High will
overshadow you. Therefore, the holy child developing inside you will be called
the Son of God.
It makes me smile with a warm heart to even just read those
words; so incredibly powerful and truthful.
Our King of Kings, Lord of Lords was born to a wee young virgin that God
showed favor to. The complete plan of
our future and forever lives given to us by the grace and love of God.
Luke 2:4-14
(NLT)
And because Joseph was a
descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient
home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee He
took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child. And while they were there,
the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn
son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger,
because there was no lodging available for them.
The Shepherds and Angels
That night there were
shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of
sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the
radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were
terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he
said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all
people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today
in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by
this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a
manger.” Suddenly, the angel was
joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest
heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
Yet, this humble and sweet beginning of the life of Jesus
got the attention of the world.
Shepherds and wise men both came to visit and see the newborn King.
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to
each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened,
which the Lord has told us about.” They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And
there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the
shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them
about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were
astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought
about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks,
glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the
angel had told them.
Matthew 2:1-12
(NLT)
Visitors from the East
Jesus was born in
Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem,
asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as
it rose, and we have come to worship him.”
King Herod was deeply
disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called
a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked,
“Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” “In Bethlehem in Judea,”
they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:
‘And you, O Bethlehem in
the land of Judah,
are not least among the ruling cities of Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’
Then Herod called for a
private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the
star first appeared. Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search
carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I
can go and worship him, too!” After this interview the
wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to
Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child
was. 
When they saw the star, they were filled with
joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother,
Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure
chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. When it was time to
leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned
them in a dream not to return to Herod.
Dear My Amazing Heavenly Father…. I am so forever grateful for the love you have for this world, with you I know that all things are possible. There is nothing more wonderfully beautiful than holding that in my heart. The birth of your son is the most treasured miracle of all; with Him you share the most glorious love of all.
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