Transcription
As Mary's pregnancy progressed, she felt the Son of God stirring within her. She knew it was almost time for this long promised savior to leave the safety of her womb.
A decree from Rome, where Caesar Augustus ruled over the world's most dominant empire, reached the humble town of Nazareth. It commanded all Roman subjects to return to the town of their ancestors to register for a census. They began the long journey almost a 100 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
The trek was arduous, especially for Mary. Traveling south, they passed to the west of Jericho, where God had crumbled the walls of their people's ancient enemies. They passed Samaria, where Israel's kings turned toward idols and hunted God's prophets. And they passed through Jerusalem, where King David once reigned before the nation fractured and fell beneath the swords and torches of Babylon.
They arrived at last in Bethlehem. The quiet town in the hills of Judea now bustled with travelers arriving in response to Caesar's order. Exhausted from the journey, Mary and Joseph sought refuge in an inn, but found it packed to the brim. Turned away, they scrambled to find shelter and finally settled for a humble room housing animals, resting their weary feet amid straw and hay.
They arrived just in time. Mary grimaced as she labored under Eve's curse until finally the child emerged, drawing his first breath as a man in the world he had made. The child's eyes blinked, his cries blending with the sound of bleeding animals. Mary held her newborn son. She swaddled the child in cloth and laid him down to rest in a manger. Joseph gazed at the child and announced his name, Jesus.
Outside under the stars, lowly shepherds tended their sheep, not far from where Mary and Joseph rested after Jesus's birth. Suddenly, a blaze of light broke through the darkness. An angel stood before them, radiant at the glory of God. The shepherds cowered before the marvelous sight. "Fear not," the angel said, "for behold, I bring you good news of great joy. For unto you is born this day a Savior who is Christ the Lord."
The shepherds listened in shock. The angel told the shepherds they'd recognized this savior when they saw a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. Then thousands of angels appeared in the sky, their voices filling the fields with a resounding song of praise. The shepherds watched with awe as the multitude of angels ascended into heaven, leaving them speechless.
They rushed to Bethlehem, eager to confirm the heavenly report. They found Mary and Joseph and entered their room, the scent of sheep still clinging to their clothes. They saw the baby right where the angel told them they would, in a manger wrapped in cloth. Struck with wonder, they shared the angel's announcement. The child before their eyes, looking feeble and dependent, was the long awaited savior of their people.
Centuries earlier, God sent a prophet to Bethlehem to anoint an overlooked shepherd boy as king over his people. Now, God sent poor, marginalized shepherds to Bethlehem to announce that a newborn child would be the savior of his people. The child they found would become the good shepherd who would lay down his life for his sheep and the lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world.