The Birth of the Savior

While he was wondering whether or not this was the right thing to do, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said to him, "Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for she has done no wrong. The Child that is growing in her has been conceived by means of the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, whom you are to name Jesus, because He will save his people from their sins. All this has happened to Mary so that what was spoken by the prophet might take place, 'Behold a virgin will conceive and give birth to a son; and they will call his name Emmanuel, which means, God with us.'"

Joseph awoke from his dream and, believing that God had given him an answer to his dilemma, took Mary as his wife, but had no sexual relationship with her until after the birth of her first son.

Now, the land that Mary and Joseph lived in had come under the control of the Romans. As might be expected, the Roman Emperor, Augustus Caesar, wanted money from his conquered subjects. He decided that the best way to organize his taxation was to have all the people go to the city that their family originated from and sign papers. That way those who collected the taxes would know who the people were and where they lived.

Augustus Caesar was a shrewd ruler who allowed the local "authorities" some say in how they administered the laws of the land. Since it was a Jewish custom to conduct such taxation after the fall harvest we can speculate that the taxation came in conjunction with the fall Holy Days. In fact, we can actually pin down the time Jesus was born to a very probable single night: the Feast of Trumpets. (Click here.)

Joseph and Mary, who were descendants of David, left their home in Nazareth and traveled to the city of Bethlehem where all those who came from that family were to register. Mary, at this time, was far into her pregnancy.

When they came into the city they looked for a place to stay, but, owing to the number of people who were in town to register for the taxation, and others who were looking for lodging close to Jerusalem, where the fall festivals would be celebrated, Mary and Joseph found all the inns to be full. One of the innkeepers suggested that they spend the night in his stable. Knowing that the stable would at least be warm and that there seemed to be no other place available, Joseph gladly accepted the offer.

Some time during the night Mary went into labor and gave birth to a Son. The Child, who Gabriel had told her would be King of kings and Lord of lords and would take away the sins of the world, was born in the humblest of surroundings. As they had been instructed by God's messenger, they named the Child Jesus, meaning "God is salvation". Mary wrapped the Baby in swaddling clothes and used a manager, a feed box for livestock, for his crib.

On the same night that Jesus was born there were shepherds keeping watch over their flocks in the fields just outside of Bethlehem. Suddenly an angel appeared to them and the glory of God shone around them. The shepherds were terrified but listened to what the angel had to say, "Don't be afraid," they were advised, "I am here to announce good news of great joy which shall be to all people. Today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born in the city of David. You will know it is the Child when you find Him wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

As the angel finished speaking there suddenly appeared a great host of angels, praising God and proclaiming, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men who love God."

After the angels disappeared into heaven and the night became once again still, the shepherds gathered together to discuss what they had seen and heard. They knew that a Savior had been prophesied to come. They were both excited and pleased that they might be among the first to see their Deliverer. "Let's go into Bethlehem and see if we can find this Child." One of them suggested, and the rest quickly agreed. They hurried down into the city and searched the stables until they found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the manager.

Mary listened to everything the shepherds said, but told them nothing about the things Gabriel had prophesied. She kept her thoughts to herself and pondered the meaning of what was taking place.

After seeing that what the angels had told them was indeed a fact, the shepherds returned to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen.

Read the Life of Christ Part Three - The Wise Men Follow a Star

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