It’s December. There
may be snow where you live. It’s the month when we celebrate Christmas.
Christmas is a wonderful time for thinking of others. It’s a time when we give
and receive gifts. I love giving gifts. Do you?
At this time of year,
we hear stories of elves, reindeer, and Santa Claus. Some of us make crafts
with snowflakes, candy canes, pinecones, gingerbread men, and other fun stuff. It is a pleasure to bake cookies, pies, breads, and cakes, and it makes the house smell
lovely. It’s a time when we drink hot cocoa and cider. Some of us send out
Christmas cards. Many of us follow traditions and make memories. What are some
of the traditions you do in your home?
Christmas is my
favorite holiday. I love everything about it. One thing I keep alive is the
real meaning of Christmas. Over the next few lessons, I will tell the story of
Christmas. You may already know this, or this may be new to you, but the story
doesn’t start in the stable. There is more to it than shepherds, a manger,
star, and the three wise men. The story starts with an angel.
Gabriel is a special
angel God sent to announce the birth of two babies. Zacharias was a priest for
the Lord in the temple in Jerusalem. While Zacharias was all alone in the
Temple, burning incense to the Lord, Gabriel appeared to him. Zacharias was
afraid. He had never seen an angel. I would be afraid too.
God sent Gabriel to
Zacharias to tell him that not only were he and his wife Elizabeth going to have a
baby, but that baby would tell people about Jesus, the promised Messiah. Zacharias and Elizabeth had
no children and were praying for years to have one. It was wonderful news, but
Zacharias didn’t believe the angel. Because of this unbelief, God made Zacharias speechless. He was unable to speak until the birth of his son John.
Gabriel also appeared
to a young woman named Mary. She wasn’t a wealthy girl or a leader in her town.
She was an ordinary girl who loved her Lord with all her heart. Mary wasn’t
expecting a visit from the angel.
Gabriel came when she
was all alone. He said, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women!” Mary was troubled. Gabriel continued, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found
favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a
Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the
Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father
David, And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom
there will be no end.” Luke 1:28-33
Mary was amazed. She
was engaged to Joseph, but they were not married. The angel told her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the
power of the Highest will over-shadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who
is to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke1:35
He continued to tell
her that her cousin Elizabeth was expecting a baby in her old age. Then he said,“For with God nothing will be impossible.” Luke 1:37
Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it
be to me according to you word.” Luke 1:38. Then the Angel left.
Can you imagine getting
such news? I would have been afraid of
the angel and astonished at what he said. Mary wanted to see Elizabeth her cousin, so she
went for a visit. You can read about it in Luke 1:39-56.
Remember I said Mary
was engaged to Joseph? Joseph loved Mary, but was troubled
about what had happened. The Lord knew his thoughts and sent an angel to him
too. This time the angel appeared in his dreams. "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:20-21
Some of these events were recorded
earlier in the Bible. God told his prophets in the Old Testament what was to going to happen many
hundreds of years in the future, and they wrote it down. This is called prophesy. Isaiah
was one of those prophets. Behold, the
virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14. Also, 9: 6 says, For unto us
a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given; And the
government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will
be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Micah
was also a prophet who wrote about Jesus. Many Old Testament books tell about Jesus
and what would happen to him.
In our next lesson, I’ll tell you
more about the events leading up to Jesus' birth. The birth of Jesus is exciting
and I can’t wait to tell you that part in our next lesson.
Please take time to write to me, and
don’t forget to memorize this verse:
Isaiah 7:14 Behold, the virgin
shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
Verses in NKJV unless
otherwise stated.
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