Christmas Story…

We wanted to share the “Christmas Story” with you straight from the Bible.  This is the story of Jesus’s Birth from Luke, one of the books (and Gospels) in the New Testament:

Luke 2

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria.3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

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And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.10 And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

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Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!

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When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

After reading this story, I do have a question to throw at you:  Let’s just say for a second that God is the Creator of everything and that He did send His Son Jesus to Save us and reign for all of eternity.  Assuming this…What King leaves a place of Eternal Paradise (Heaven) and comes to a jacked up place like this (Earth), humbles himself and enters this world in the lowest form possible (born as a baby), continues to humble himself by living among us and experiencing all that we do daily, and eventually gets falsely accused and sentenced to death (and yet still does not play the King of Kings card) and surrenders his life for us, (in the most painful way possible, on a cross) saving the very people who killed Him from death and eternal damnation so that we may live with Him for all of eternity?  What kind of KING does that for His people?  What kind of God sacrifices His only Son to save the people who have turned against Him?

I don’t know about you, but for me, this is the kind of King I can get down with serving and this is the kind of God that I want to follow.