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| In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, many people loose sight of the true meaning of the Christmas season. Sure, they go to church on the Sundays of advent, put up a manger scene in the yard and at the dinner table, go Christmas caroling, and even attend a Christmas pageant, but do they view these as a way of celebrating the joy of Christ's coming into the world, or as a traditional Christmas happening. Christmas can become so monotonous that one doesn't even think about what they're doing and totally passes the true meaning of the holiday by. I ask that you now allow me to retell to you the happenings of that glorious night when God sent his only son to earth as one of the greatest gifts to mankind the world has ever known-forgiveness. Mary was a young girl betroathed to marry a man named Joseph. One day an angel named Gabriel came to her and told her that she had found favor with God and was to bear the Christ child. She was frightened at what people might think of her pregnancy before being married, but the angel told her it was alright. An angel went to Joseph as well and told him that Mary was indeed to give birth to God's holy son and that he should marry her quickly. When it was nearing the time for Mary to give birth, she and Joseph had to journey to Bethlehem to be counted in a census. On the way there, Mary began to go into labor, but upon reaching Bethlehem they discovered that all of the Inns were full, so they took refuge in a warm stable where Mary gave birth to Jesus, the King of the Jews, Emmanuel, the Christ Child, the Saviour. A little ways off there were shepherds taking care of their sheep in a feild and an angel appeared to them and told them the wonderful news of Jesus birth. The shepherds went and found the baby and praised God for the wonderous thing he had done. That same night a star appeared in the sky over Bethlehem and was seen by three wise men, or Magi. The Magi followed the star to Bethlehem and found the baby Jesus and presented him with gifts of gold, frankinsence, and mhyr. And that, my friends, is the true meaning of Christmas. A King above kings, being born in a lowly stable and visited by poor shepheds, who would one day die upon a cross to save us from our sins. AMEN |