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One day an
angel was sent from God into a city of Galilee called
Nazareth. The angel visited a young virgin girl named Mary, who was promised
to marry a carpenter named Joseph. The angel told
Mary, "You are blessed among women for you shall
have a son, who you shall name JESUS. He shall be
the Son of God, and His kingdom shall never end. Mary
was glad to serve the Lord for she knew that with God
nothing was impossible. The angel also visited Joseph and
told him that Mary would bring forth the Son of God.
Joseph and Mary were married after Mary was with child.
Now it
came to be that Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem, and
Mary went with him. The journey was a long and weary one for her. When
they reached Bethlehem, they found many other travelers
there, as well. The inns were too crowded, and though Joseph
only asked shelter for his wife, all of the innkeepers
turned them away. Finally one innkeeper, seeing how
tired Mary was, showed them to a stable full of warm,
sweet hay. There Mary brought forth her son, and she
wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in the
manger, because there was
no room for them in the inn.
His name was called JESUS., the name given by the angel
before He was born.
Now
there were in that same country shepherds in the field,
keeping watch over their sheep. An angel of the
Lord appeared to them in shining
glory, and they were afraid. But the angel said to
them, "There is nothing to fear. I come to bring you
news of great joy which shall come to all people.
For a child is born this day in Bethlehem, a Saviour who is Christ
the Lord. And this shall be a sign to you.
You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a
manger." Then suddenly the sky was full of angels,
praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and
on earth peace, good will toward men." When the
angels disappeared into
Heaven, the shepherds said to one
another, "Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing
which the Lord has made known to us." They hurried to
the town and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying
in the manger. Afterwards, the shepherds told
everyone they met about the child.
Now when
Jesus was still a baby, three wise men from the East
came to Jerusalem. "Where is He that is born
King of the Jews?" they
asked. "For we have seen His star in the East, and
are come to worship Him." When Herod, the king of Israel, heard
this, he was troubled in his wicked heart. He
called the wise men to him and asked them just when the star had
appeared. Then he sent them off to Bethlehem,
saying, "Go and search for the young child, and when you have
found Him, bring word back to me, that I may come and
worship Him also." When they had heard the king , the
wise men departed. Behold, the star which they had
seen in the East went
before them, till it stood over the
place where the child lay. When they saw the star,
the wise men rejoiced and were glad. And when they came
into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his
mother, and bowed down and worshiped Him. They
opened their treasures and laid before Him gifts of
gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Being warned by God that they
should not return to Herod, for he would try to destroy
the young child, they departed for their own
country another way.
Jesus grew and became strong in
spirit and full of wisdom, and the grace of God was upon
Him.
"This is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased."
(Matthew 3:17) |
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