New Believers Of God

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Thanksgiving came and went when we returned from Laurelville, and Christmas was upon us shortly thereafter.

On the first Monday of December, Ms. Crane presented us with a lesson about the said holiday.

"Please open your books to chapter twelve." she said.

Doing so, I flipped through the pages until finding it. Once there, I was met with the picture of a nativity scene. Even in the years prior, I always knew this as something associated with Christmas. My parents would set up a miniature one in our house, with porcelain figurines and a small wooden stable. I had memorized the lineup of characters exactly. But of course, I didn't always know the meaning of it.

"This is what's referred to as the Christmas Story." she told us "I'm sure you're all familiar with it. Who would like to start reading?"

Several of the other kids raised their hands and one by one read small sections of it, in the same way as I would with the guys at bible study.

"About two thousand years ago, there lived a woman named Mary. She wasn't married but was engaged to a man named Joseph."

That was basic knowledge for anyone.

"One night while she was sleeping, an angel named Gabriel visited her with a message. He told her she will give birth to a son, and that his name will be Jesus."

That explained where the angel came in.

"Mary asked Gabriel how she could have a baby when she was a virgin and had never been married. Gabriel answered her by saying the Holy Spirit would make it happen."

Although my belief in all this was much stronger by then, I still couldn't help but question certain things, including that. How could Mary suddenly get pregnant on her own? Who exactly was the Holy Spirit? Why did Gabriel get to decide the baby's name would be Jesus?

"At this time, Joseph was thinking about not marrying her since she was pregnant and knew he was not the baby's father. However, an angel came to him too and told him to take Mary as his wife. Because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. So Joseph did as the angel told him."

Putting myself in Joseph's shoes, I could only imagine how confusing that must have been for him. Deciding to marry a woman who had gotten pregnant with someone else's child, and not even knowing who that someone else was.

"Everybody had to go to the town their family first came from. That meant Mary and Joseph had to travel seventy miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. They didn't have cars or bicycles back then. Instead, they had to ride on donkeys and camels."

Of course, I had seen the animals in my set at home. But never thought that's what they were used for.

"When they made it there, they had a hard time finding a place to stay. All the guest rooms and inns were full. Eventually, they had no choice but to stay in a stable where the animals were kept. That is where Jesus was born on that very night, December twenty-fifth."

To tell the truth, of all the things I had questioned in the past, one that I had never thought about is why Jesus was born in a stable. I guess I simply assumed there was nothing better then, and in a way I was right.

"That same night something else happened, the angel appeared to them again. He told them not to be afraid, as a savior had been born to them. That savior being the Messiah, our Lord."

Jesus had been born a hero.

"Remember," Ms. Crane said, "We wouldn't have Christmas without Christ. It's important to know that."

Now I knew what the importance of Christmas really was. It wasn't the presents, or dinners, or songs on the radio. It was celebrating the birth of a savior, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

He was the greatest gift of all.