Heralding true Christian life:

The birth of Jesus Christ

By Gwen HERATH

In the cool of the Advent in the city of Bethlehem, two miraculous births took place that were to save mankind and the world. The miracles were the holy conception of the Virgin Mary and the other of Elizabeth who was too old to conceive. John the Baptist was born to Elizabeth and Lord Jesus Christ to Mary. This heralded the true Christian life, the faith that would survive and sustain the good in all mankind. It is also the New Testament that bears witness to people’s faith in Jesus Christ, the redeemer, to everlasting life with the coming of the Saviour.

The birth of Baby Jesus also brought before Him the unity of the poor shepherds and the three Kings of the Orient which symbolises that everyone is the same in the face of God. The presence of lambs and cattle in the shed where He was born also speaks of the Lord’s kindness to them.

I will, now, turn to the Holy Scriptures to quote the birth of the Lord, according to the Gospel of Luke.

The Gospel presents Jesus as the promised Saviour of Israel and as the Saviour of all people. Luke records that Jesus was called by the Lord to preach to the poor and this Gospel is filled with concern for the poor and people with all kinds of needs.

During the time when Herod was king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was Elizabeth who also belonged to a priestly family. They both lived good lives in God’s sight and obeyed fully all the Lord’s laws and commands. They had no children because Elizabeth could not have any and she and Zechariah were very old.

One day when Zechariah was performing his tasks as a priest in the temple, taking his turn in the daily service according to the customs followed by the priests, he was chosen by Lot to burn incense on the altar. So, he went into the Temple of the Lord while the crowds of people prayed outside. During the hour when the incense was burnt, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him. When Zechariah saw him, he was alarmed and felt afraid, but the Angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid Zechariah; God has heard your prayer and your wife will bear you a son. You are to name him John. How glad and happy you will be and how happy many others will be when he is born.

“John will be great in the Lord’s sight. He must not drink any wine or strong drink. From his very birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit and he will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord, their God.

“He will go ahead of the Lord, strong and mighty like the prophet Elijah. He will bring fathers and children together again, he will turn disobedient people back to the way of thinking of the righteous. He will get the Lord’s people ready for Him.”

Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know if this is so? I am an old man and my wife is old too.”

“I am Gabriel”, the angel answered. “I stand in the presence of God who sent me to speak to you and tell you the good news. But you have not believed my message which will come true at the right time. Because you have not believed, you will be unable to speak and will remain silent until the day my promise to you comes true.”

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. He had a message for a young woman promised in marriage to a man named Joseph who was a descendent of King David. Her name was Mary and the angel came to her and said, “Peace be with you, don’t be afraid Mary, God has been gracious to you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and you will name Him Jesus.

An unusual painting of the birth of Christ which reveals all that is found in the Holy Scriptures.

“He will be great and will be called the Son of God. The Lord God will make him a king as his ancestors were and He will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end.”

Mary said to the angel; “I am a virgin. How can this be?”The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you and God’s power will rest upon you. For this reason, the Holy Child will be called the Son of God.”

The time came for Elizabeth to have the baby and she gave birth to a son. Her neighbours and relatives heard how wonderfully good the Lord has been to her and they all rejoiced with her.

When the baby was a week old, he was named John. His father, Zechariah was able to speak then.

At that time the Emperor Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Roman Empire. When the first census took place Quirinius was the Governor of Syria.

Everyone then went to register himself, each to his own home town.Joseph went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the town of Bethlehem, the birthplace of King David.

He went to register with Mary. She was pregnant and while they were in Bethlehem, the time came for her to have her baby.

She gave birth to her first son in a manger and wrapped him in strips of cloth. There was no room for them to stay in the inn.