The Spirit of Christmas

  Christmas is a holiday observed generally on December 25. We have Christmas because of Luke 2:1-20. Luke is a chapter based on the life of Jesus, from his birth to his death. Jesus was born in Bethlehem

Luke 2

The Birth of Jesus

¹ In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

 Christmas is a time for giving, just as the three wise men brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. We have Christmas as a remembrance of Jesus’ birth.

  Why do we have the Nativity? Because while Mary and Joseph where in Bethlehem it came time for Jesus to be born, there were no rooms for them in the Inn the only available room (if you could call it that) was the Nativity. The Nativity was a basically a barn carved out of the side of a mountain in which animals lived such as horses and donkeys. Jesus, the foretold king of the heavens was to be born in a barn in Bethlehem. This just goes to show you how much of a down to earth man he really was. 

  Know Christmas is a time when family come together and give gifts to resemble the three wise men, and to remember the birth of Jesus. 
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Duck wrote this October 31, 2011 as a general writing assignment