story |ˈstɔːri| noun: an account of past events in someone’s life or in the development of something: She told them a story…
Merry Christmas!
I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful Christmas day with your family, friends and loved ones. My kids woke Field and I up early this morning, and could hardly wait to dig into their presents nestled under the tree. I love seeing their faces so excited to unwrap the mysterious boxes with their assigned names–gifts from Mommy, Daddy, their Grandparents, and of course–Santa!
When you have young children, you really have to make it a priority to remind them what this day and season are all about. We are celebrating the birth of our Savior–and we give one another gifts to represent the gift He gave to us: eternal life. Field and I sit down with our children to read the Christmas story before any presents are opened on Christmas morning, to make sure our hearts are focused on the real reason we are celebrating. We want to make this a tradition in our home, so our kids always know the true meaning of Christmas!
So, in honor of Jesus’ birthday, I wanted to share the Christmas story with you and your family today, if you haven’t had a chance to read it yet.
The greatest story ever told…
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
“..God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to hear and said, ‘Greetings, favoured woman! The Lord is with you!’ Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. ‘Don’t be afraid, Mary,’ the angel told her, ‘for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!’ Mary asked, the angel, ‘But how can this happen? I am a virgin.’ The angel replied, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. ..the word of God will never fail.’ Mary responded, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.’ And then the angel left her.” Luke 1:26-38
The Birth of Jesus
“At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child… And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.” Luke 2:1-6
The Shepherds and Angels
“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared month them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The savior–yes, the Messiah, the Lord–has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.’ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others–the armies of heaven, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.’ When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, ‘Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.” Luke 2:8-20
God sent His son, Jesus, to this earth to lay down His life for us. For you. For me. Jesus was, and is the ultimate sacrifice for all of our sins. We celebrate Christmas because we are celebrating not only the greatest story that has ever been told, but the greatest gift that has ever been given.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
I am so grateful for this gift, and never want to take it for granted. I pray that you and your family will enjoy a wonderful Christmas together–grateful for all the blessings God has given to us!
Many blessings to you and yours, and a very Merry Christmas from the Harrison home!
XO & Merry Christmas-
Sabrina
We recently went to ICE at the Gaylord Texan, and the last room you walk through is the Nativity Story! It was absolutely beautiful and put us all in the holiday spirit!
