Christmas is an
annual celebration of birth of Jesus Christ observed throughout the world with
increasing trend now of Non-Christians’ celebrating it with full fervor and
enthusiasm.
But this exuberant festival has a great history which dates back
to period roughly between 7 and 2
BC.Here is a short story behind the reason
of this festival :
Christmas is that
time when Jesus was born as a baby to Mary and Joseph. This was no ordinary
birth! An angel had told Mary she would bear a special baby the son of god who
would be born through the intercession of the holy spirit. Joseph her
husband-to-be, did not believe her at first.Then an angel told him in a dream
that it was true!.
Just before the birth of Jesus they had to travel from their home in Nazareth to Bethlehem (near Jerusalem), to register their names with the ruling Roman government.
In Bethlehem there was no room for them to stay at the hotel. The only space available to them was a stable - the animal house for travellers' donkeys and horses. Jesus was born that night in the stable, and as they had no bed for him, they used an animal feeding box filled with the dry grass as his crib.
The shepherds are frightened
That night there were some men looking after sheep in the fields nearby.Suddenly they saw a great light. It was an angel, who said, 'Don't be afraid. I have good news for you, and for all people. Someone great has been born today. He is Christ, the great King you have been waiting for. He will save you from all that is wrong and evil. You will find him dressed in baby clothes, lying on a bed of dry grass.
The story of the wise men
After Jesus was born, wise men came to look for Him, from an area which is now in either Iran or Saudi Arabia.
Just before the birth of Jesus they had to travel from their home in Nazareth to Bethlehem (near Jerusalem), to register their names with the ruling Roman government.
In Bethlehem there was no room for them to stay at the hotel. The only space available to them was a stable - the animal house for travellers' donkeys and horses. Jesus was born that night in the stable, and as they had no bed for him, they used an animal feeding box filled with the dry grass as his crib.
The shepherds are frightened
That night there were some men looking after sheep in the fields nearby.Suddenly they saw a great light. It was an angel, who said, 'Don't be afraid. I have good news for you, and for all people. Someone great has been born today. He is Christ, the great King you have been waiting for. He will save you from all that is wrong and evil. You will find him dressed in baby clothes, lying on a bed of dry grass.
The story of the wise men
After Jesus was born, wise men came to look for Him, from an area which is now in either Iran or Saudi Arabia.
Although they
are often called the "Three Kings", the Bible does not say how many
there were, or that they were kings. Three is only a guess because they brought
with them three gifts. They were certainly men of learning - probably today we
would call them philosophers or scientists. They had seen an unusual new star
in the sky, and knew that it told of the birth of a special king. (The star
they saw was probably a exploding "supernova" and is known from
astronomical records.) They followed the direction of the star- East - and
eventually found the place where Mary, Joseph and Jesus were staying. To bring
honour to the child, they brought rich gifts: gold, frankincense (a resin which
burns with a beautiful smell), and myrrh (plant oil with a very strong sweet
smell).
The gifts tell us three key things about Jesus:
Gold: a gift fit for a King
Frankincense: burnt in worship of God
The gifts tell us three key things about Jesus:
Gold: a gift fit for a King
Frankincense: burnt in worship of God
Myrrh : Myrrh represents the bitter cup that Christ had to drink in
suffering for our sins and the healing for us that his death brings.
The paramount takeway of this parable is True Spirits
of Christmas lies in the peace ,care and brotherhood of a Globally united
fraternity living in mutual coexistence and cooperation under a King who epitomizes
progress and well-beings of his citizens( 6 billion + folks around the World).
Merry Christmas !
