After God had sent the Angel Gabriel to tell Mary the special news, the Angel said to her “Greetings, you are highly favored and the Lord is with you.” The Angel could tell that Mary was troubled. “Mary, Do not be afraid,” Gabriel said, “I bring you Good News. God has chosen you to be the Mother to the Son of God, and you shall name him “Jesus”. Mary was surprised, and asked “How can that be? I am not married yet.” The Angel said “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Mary replied, “I love God with all my heart. I will do whatever he asks.” Mary went to stay with her cousin, Elizabeth, who was also pregnant with child. When Joseph found out that Mary was with child he was concerned because he knew that the child was not his. Joseph and Mary had not married yet. As Joseph was considering what to do, an Angel appeared to him in his dream. The Angel said “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” When Joseph woke up he did what the angel of the Lord commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. The emperor of the country, Caesar Augustus, ordered everyone to go to their family’s hometown to be listed for tax records. Joseph was from the family of David, so he and Mary had to go to the city of Bethlehem. But they had no donkey, so Mary rode it as Joseph walked along at her side. The trip was very hard, especially for Mary, because she was about to have her baby. When they arrived at Bethlehem it was very crowded, and they could not find any place to sleep. All the rooms at the Inn’s (public house) were full because people had come for the census. Then Joseph went from Inn to Inn searching for a place for his tired wife to sleep. But there was no place to be found. Finally a kind Inn keeper saw that Mary was heavy with child, and having compassion for the couple he told Joseph that they could stay in the kraal, with his animals. Joseph thanked the man and took Mary and the donkey to the kraal. And while there in the night, Mary gave birth to Baby Jesus. There was no bed for baby Jesus, so his mother wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger. The angel’s prophecy had come to reality and the baby was named Jesus as said by the angel. Ends
