The Birth of the Christ Child
This is part two of a four part series of recordings from Bible passages about the first Christmas. Part one was posted on December 22, part three will be posted on January 2, and part four on January 6. Readers are encouraged to share the Christmas story from the Bible with their families. I have recorded these passages from the New Living Translation.
Joseph Learns of Mary’s Pregnancy
When Mary returned home from her visit with her cousin Elizabeth, baby Jesus had been growing for three months. Joseph had a tough decision to make…
Matthew 1:18-25 Choose your translation and read the passage yourself by clicking this link, or click the link below and listen to the passage as read by Janice D. Green from the New Living Translation.
Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem
What a time to have to travel so far. Mary was almost ready to have her baby, and they had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It might not seem so far in a car today, but they didn’t have cars back then. We hope they at least had a donkey for Mary to ride. The Bible doesn’t really tell us this.
Jesus is born
Joseph and Mary weren’t the only ones looking for a place to stay in Bethlehem that night. All of the rooms were taken by others who were also coming to Bethlehem because of the census. The innkeeper isn’t mentioned or blamed in the Bible for not giving them a room. There were simply too many people and Bethlehem was bursting at the seams. God wasn’t surprised, however. Everything was under control…
Angels bring the good news to the Shepherds
Who should be the first to learn about the baby Jesus? God chose the shepherds, people who were the outcasts of society in those days. God obviously didn’t show favoritism to the rich and famous people when he sent his angels with their wonderful news.
The Shepherds go to see the infant Christ
How privileged those shepherds must have felt. In the public eye, they were held in such low esteem that they were not even allowed to testify in court. Yet they were the first to witness the miracle of Christ’s birth – at the invitation of God Himself! Would anyone believe them when they told what they had seen and heard?
If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy Janice D. Green’s timeless treasure The First Christmas which is appropriate for children ages four through one hundred and four.