The Nativity of Jesus Christ
At that time, Judea was under the Roman Emperor Augustus. One day he decided to conduct a census to see how many people lived in his kingdom.
Everyone had to come to the city where their ancestors came from and register there. The righteous Joseph and the Holy Virgin Mary lived in the city of Nazareth, but they came from the lineage of King David, and therefore they were to come to the city of Bethlehem since all the descendants of King David were attributed to this city. A lot of people gathered there at that time, and all the houses and even the smallest huts were already occupied.
And it was time for Maria to give birth. The holy travelers roamed for a long time, looking for a place to stay. But in the meantime, night came and they decided to spend the night on the outskirts of the city in a cave where shepherds hid in bad weather.
And so, in such a miserable environment, in a cold cave, the greatest event in the life of all people took place. On this holy night the God-man Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, was born. Jesus Christ was God and Man at the same time. He had everything that people had. Except for one thing: He had no sin, He was sinless.
The Nativity of Christ
The Virgin sprayed the baby and put him in a manger, a feeder for the cattle.
That night, the shepherds were grazing their cattle in the field. Suddenly, like lightning, a radiant, shining Angel appeared before them. The shepherds were very frightened, but the Angel of God said:
– Do not be afraid! I promise you great joy, which will be in all people. Today, in Bethlehem, a Savior was born, who is Lord…
Jesus Christ. Go, and in the cave, you will find the Baby lying in the manger. As soon as this Angel escaped, the shepherds heard a wonderful singing. This whole choir of angels came down from the Heavens to greet the Baby Jesus, its King, and Creator:
– Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, in men goodwill!
All Angels sang and rejoiced that the loving Lord sent His Son to the earth to make all people good and take them to His heavenly kingdom.
Then the shepherds went to the cave and when they saw the Divine Child there, they worshiped Him to the earth and told Joseph and the Blessed Virgin about Angel’s appearance. The Virgin Mary remembered all the words of the shepherds and kept them in her heart.
Sometime after the Nativity of Christ, wise magicians came to Jerusalem from far eastern countries. They were scientists, or stars, who studied the starry sky. They saw a large beautiful star that shone in heaven with the birth of the Savior and came to worship the divine Child. When they came to Judea, they began to ask everyone:
– Where is the born King of the Jews?
Such rumors about the birth of a new King made Herod, King of the Jews, very anxious. He was afraid that this child when he grew up, would become his rival and take away his power. Because Herod was an insidious and cruel man, he decided to destroy Jesus Christ by all means. He told the magi:
– Go to Bethlehem, and when you find the child, come back to me and tell me where he is so that I may worship him too.
The Christmas star led the Magi to the place where Jesus Christ was with His Pure Mother and Joseph. The wise men worshipped the Newborn Savior and presented Him with their gifts of gold, incense, and humility. Gold is like the King, frankincense is like God, and humble oil is like a man who must die.
In a dream, the Angel of the Lord revealed to the sages the intentions of evil Herod, and they did not return to him but went to their country in another way.
“The Bible in Stories for Children”, by P. N. Vozdvizhensky
