At the time when Mary carried Christ in her womb, Caesar Augustus ordered for a census to be taken. Everyone went to their native towns in order to be registered. Joseph too, set out with his wife for the town of David called Bethlehem, since he was of the house and line of David.
When they reached, the town was so crowded that the couple could not find a place to stay in any of the inns. At last, a kind innkeeper took them to his stable where he kept his animals, and gave them shelter to stay the night. It was there, in the stable in Bethlehem, that Mary gave birth to Jesus. She wrapped the baby in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger full of hay.
Some shepherds lived in the fields on a hillside nearby. They took turns to watch over their flocks at night. When Jesus was born, a bright light appeared in the sky where the shepherds stayed. They were very scared to see that sudden light -- it was an angel sent by God to inform them of the birth of Christ.
The angel said, "Do not be afraid. Listen! I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger."
On hearing the message, the shepherds were overjoyed by the angel's visit and decided to go to Bethlehem the same instant to see the baby they were told about.
When they arrived at the stable and saw baby Jesus lying in a manger, a sudden other-worldly joy overcame them. They sat by the manger and admired the baby's serene face. They told May and Joseph of the angel's visit to them, and all that it had announced to them. It was a matter of great happiness to the shepherds that God had sent His Son as the Savior of world, and the reign of the cruel King Herod would soon come to an end.
In Far East, wise men noticed a bright star in the night sky that same night. They knew it was the sign of the birth of a new king. In the wish to see the newborn, they traveled to Jerusalem and met King Herod to ask him the whereabouts of the baby. They told the king about the Star of Bethlehem and what it symbolized -- the King was obviously very troubled.
When angels confirmed to the wise men the birth of Christ, and they came to know of Herod's brutal intentions, they decided not to return to the King after finding baby Jesus in the stable in Bethlehem. They showered the baby with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, and went back to their own country by another route.
In the meantime, Herod ordered all baby boys in Bethlehem to be killed. An angel warned Joseph of the King's orders so he could flee to Egypt in time with his wife and child to escape the massacre.
As per Jewish law, the baby was circumcised and christened eight days after he was born. Joseph and Mary also took baby Jesus to the temple at Jerusalem after forty days to consecrate him to God.
It was only after they had returned to their hometown of Nazareth that the King issued his cruel orders and the couple fled to Egypt with their baby. By the time Jesus returned to his own land, he had relived the Exodus: the ancient journey of Israel. |
