Christmas Season Celebrations
Baby in the manger
By Kevin McClintock Specialty Publications

On a night so long ago

By the light of one bright star

Two weary travelers far from Galilee

Took refuge in a stable

Bathed by the rich light spilling from the Northern Star high overhead, two shadowy figures —one leading, the other atop a donkey— made their way across the dark desert plain.

It was the time when Rome ruled a third of the world, during Caesar Augustus’ reign, and the two weary travelers were slowly making their way toward Bethlehem, having traveled from distant Nazareth in Galilee, which lay nearly 100 miles away.

And so it came to pass that a pregnant Mary could no longer stay atop the faithful donkey, and told her husband Joseph about her imminent birth.

He hurriedly sought out a resting place for his wife.

Where a little child was born

To bring the gift of love, to you and me

When the angels told the shepherds of His birth

There came a great rejoicing

on the earth.

The two were on their way to Bethlehem to pay taxes, of all things. Yes, taxes harkens back to antiquity, unfortunately. All Roman Empire citizens had been ordered by the Caesar to register in their towns of birth in order to collect taxes. So there in the night, beneath the Moon and the Northern Star, Mary gave birth to a boy inside a cavelike place where they could rest, used by shepherds to protect their sheep flocks from stormy weather.

Mary wrapped her firstborn in swaddling clothes and comfortably laid him deep down in the manger’s straw.

Thus, a religion that has become one of the world’s strongest was born, literally, in the dark of night.

Nearby, there were country shepherds camping around fires and keeping watch over their milling flocks of sheep. And down from the heavens before them came a Lord’s angel. The angel was blanketed by a soft light — the glory of the Lord, it was said, that was so bright it turned night into the brightest of day — and the shepherds shrank back with fear.

“Fear not,” the angel told the shepherds. “For I bring you good tidings of a great joy that is coming to all people. For to you is born this day, in the city of David (Bethlehem), a Savior who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign to you: you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:11-12)

Following those words were songs of praise from more Angels. “Glory to the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”

After the Angels had departed, and the pastures full of sheep were once again plunged into darkness, the shepherds decided to go to the village of Bethlehem and see “this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”

And they sang, glory to God in the highest

Dawning that first Christmas morn

Peace on earth and tidings of great joy For unto you this night a child is born.

The shepherds found

Mary and Joseph and

the baby Jesus inside the manger — exactly as they’d been told. Afterwards, they spread the word of abirth throughout the countryside. And all who heard about baby Jesus marveled and ultimately rejoiced.

“This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us

and sent His Son as an

atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:9-10). “…the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”

(Romans 6:23).

In New

Testament, Luke 2 of the Bible:

Away in a manger, no crib for his bed,

the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.

The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,

the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

As word of baby Jesus spread throughout Judea and beyond by the visiting shepherds, there came to Jerusalem three wise men. Out from the Far East, and hailing from such distant places such as Persia, Babylonia and southern Arabia, they were search of this manger, for they knew of the coming of Jesus. They would stop others and ask them, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and are coming to worship him.”

When King Herod, the governor of Judea, caught wind of this, he secretly sent for the wise men.

A wicked and much-hated ruler, he above all else feared the birth of the long-awaited Savior, and wanted to know where he and his parents could be found.

To the three wise men he ordered, “Go and search carefully for the young child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I may come and worship him also.”

In reality, he wanted Joseph, Mary and their son dead — the sooner, the better.

When the three wise men heard the king’s words, they departed in haste to search for the prophet.

And during their travels, the star in the eastern sky guided them through the hot days and frigid nights, until they came upon the manger and the sheltered cave. Inside, they all gathered around the hay-filled manger where the young child slept.

Before the crib, the three wise men fell as one to their knees to worship him. From the folds of their robes they each brought forth precious gifts for the newborn — gold, frankincense (incense) and myrrh.

And being warned by God in a dream that they should not return to Herod to tell of the hay-filled manger in Bethlehem, the three wise men departed the land and returned to their native Arabia, ignoring King Herod’s orders.

Once the wise men had departed, an angel of the Lord appeared before Joseph in a dream, saying “Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word. For Herod will seek the child to destroy him.”

And, lo, these many years since then That ancient star still guides us And now again our Christmas voices

ring

Blessed we are

and safe at home

With loved ones

her beside us

And in the still

and silent night we sing

How the angels told the shepherds of his birth And there came a great rejoicing on the earth

To escape Herod’s lethal

wrath,

Joseph

and Mary

fled from Egypt with little Jesus in their arms. And thus Jesus, the son of God, was saved.