Nearly 2,000 years ago, a baby boy was born whose legacy

lives on today.

Tonight and tomorrow families all around the world are

celebrating the birth of this baby, the reason for the Christmas season,

Jesus Christ.

Few people, especially those knowledgeable of Jewish

history, dispute that Jesus existed. What is disputed, however, is the

significance (or lack of) Jesus' life played in the history of the world.

Some people regard Jesus as an ordinary Jewish man with

good morals and great teaching ability. Others regard him as a

prophet. Some believe Jesus was the son of God and the world's savior,

God's ultimate sacrifice to redeem an eternity of sinful people.

In honor of this holiday which celebrates Jesus' birth,

Scripture follows from the King James Version of the Bible which tells

the story of this historical event, including exerpts from prophesy

and the gospel.

As background to this story, prophets had been told by

God many, many years before Jesus' birth that a savior would be

born in Bethlehem to a virgin mother:

(Isaiah 9:6-7): For unto us a child is born, unto us a son

is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and

his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty

God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall

be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his

kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with

justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts

will perform this.

(Micah 5:2): But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah,

though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of

thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel;

whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

(Isaiah 7:14): Therefore the Lord himself shall give you

a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and

shall call his name Immanuel.

(Luke 1:26-35): ... the angel Gabriel was sent from God

unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph,

of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that

art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou

among women.

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying,

and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou

hast found favour with God.

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and

bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the

Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his

father David:

And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and

of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing

I know not a man?

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy

Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall

overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born

of thee shall be called the Son of God.

Mary's fiance, Joseph, was understandably surprised at her

pregnancy. An angel also appeared to him, explaining the

significance of this tiny miracle growing inside his beloved Mary.

(Matthew 1:20-23): ... the angel of the Lord appeared

unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not

to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived

in her is of the Holy Ghost.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his

name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was

spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a

son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being

interpreted is, God with us.

(Luke 2:1-21): And it came to pass in those days, that

there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the

world should be taxed.

(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was

governor of Syria.)

And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city

of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which

is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house

and lineage of David:)

To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great

with child.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were

accomplished that she should be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him

in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there

was no room for them in the inn.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding

in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the

glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring

you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a

Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the

babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of

the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good

will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away

from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another,

Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is

come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

And they came with haste, and found Mary, and

Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

And when they had seen it, they made known abroad

the saying which was told them concerning this child.

And all they that heard it wondered at those things

which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God

for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told

unto them.

And when eight days were accomplished for the

circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which

was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

(Matthew 2:1-15): Now when Jesus was born in

Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there

came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for

we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

When Herod the king had heard these things, he

was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes

of the people together, he demanded of them where

Christ should be born.

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for

thus it is written by the prophet,

And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the

least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a

Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men,

inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the

young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that

I may come and worship him also.

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the

star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came

and stood over where the young child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding

great joy.

And when they were come into the house, they saw

the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and

worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures,

they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

And being warned of God in a dream that they should not

return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the

Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take

the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be

thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young

child to destroy him.

When he arose, he took the young child and his mother

And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be

fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of

Egypt have I called my son.

This prophesy is found in Hosea of the Old Testament:

(Hosea 11:1): When Israel was a child, then I loved

him, and called my son out of Egypt.

(Matthew 2:19,21): But when Herod was dead, behold,

an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

And he arose, and took the young child and his mother,

and came into the land of Israel.

That's the Bible account of the reason for the Christmas

season, the birth of Jesus Christ.

To find out how this baby would grow up and, as the angel

told Joseph, "save his people from their sins," talk to a Christian

friend about the reason for the Easter season.

[Pastor Keith Moore and John Hamblen of Braelinn

Baptist Church of Peachtree City and Handel's Messiah were helpful

in compiling this Christmas story.]

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