The Christmas Story (A "Behind-The-Scenes" Version)

A repost. As originally published on EV Mail News for the week of December 5-11, 2011.
http://www.evmailnews.com/eastern-visayas-mail-issue-of-december-5-11-2011


I love Christmas. It's one of my favorite occasions next to Resurrection Day or Easter. Since I like to celebrate the birthdays of my family and close friends (I don't necessarily like celebrating mine!), it's no surprise that I'd love celebrating Christmas. It's the birthday of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! It's the Birthday of all birthdays!

It warms my heart just to see all the celebrations going on in every home, in the workplace, in the streets, and in places of business during the holidays. Christmas trees of different sizes everywhere. Gifts, ribbons, tinsels, glitters, bells, beautiful decors, Christmas balls and Christmas lights all around! What heart wouldn't melt in such glory, in such warmth and majestic pomp? Christmas is the time of year when we can go overboard with everything --from the decorations, lights, presents, food, parties, to the presence of families and friends around us. Sometimes "too much family" and too many people can be overwhelming but not on Christmas! We revel in the luxury of love, friendship, sentimentality, reminiscing, and celebrating with those we care about because... why not? It's the birthday of The KING!

For a lot of people, the story of Christmas is a very familiar one. We were told about it since we were young. We read it in books, we see it on TV, and everybody talks about it in church especially during the holidays. It has been handed down from generations to generations and almost everyone, even those who don't believe in Christ knows the general concept of the story of Christmas. Which version do you know?

As I continue to read and learn from God's Word, and as I also read other books by Christian authors on the subject of Christ's birth, I may have a slightly different version compared to the more common one as told in bedtime storytelling. This version is biblical, partly "intelligent speculations," partly historical, and little part fiction. I say "intelligent speculation" because for this story of utmost importance, I don't want to inject anything that is only hypothetical or purely imaginary since it might mar the essence of the whole story. Whatever speculations there are on this version of the Christmas story, they are all based on the truth of the Bible, the common knowledge of the traditions and way of life of the people during the time of Joseph and Mary and at the time when Jesus was born. There are also views from some Bible experts. And whatever fiction I include, it will be very minimal and will not affect the main truths of the story.

So here goes:

Photo borrowed from Huffingtonpost.com

It was probably sometime around the end of June or mid-July more than 2,000 years ago, when a teenage Jewish girl named Mary, who lived in a small town in the city of Galilee called Nazareth, had an experience of a lifetime which she will never ever forget. An angel of the Lord named Gabriel paid her a visit to announce something that will change her life forever. The angel announced that the teenage girl Mary has found favor in the eyes of God and He will use her to conceive a son who will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

As the angel Gabriel stood before her, Mary was trembling with awe and fear. She has never seen an angel before. What a sight to behold! What an amazing, glorious being! But what the angel was saying was even more amazing. It was unbelievable! The Lord God Almighty whom Mary serves with all her heart has given her a favor to use her as His instrument? But, but..... Questions were reeling in Mary's mind. She was only a teenager. She has never known a man. How can the conception happen? Besides, she is betrothed to Joseph. They are in the middle of all the preparations they needed for the wedding. Joseph is a good man, a godly man. How will I tell him? How will he take the news? Mary was scared. Her heart was beating so fast she can feel it almost jump out of her chest.

But despite of all the questions and thoughts that were going through her mind, there is one thing Mary was sure of --she cannot say no to God. And so she answered the angel Gabriel, I am the handmaiden of the Lord, be it to be according to thy word. What humility! What servitude! What courage! See, at that time, it was unheard of for a teenage girl to be without a husband at a certain age and to be pregnant. And especially to be pregnant without a man! Mary can be stoned to death for humiliating her fiancé Joseph and both their families. It was as good as the sin of adultery because according to the custom of the Jewish people, an engagement is almost as good as marriage. There will be so much shame that will be brought on by this pregnancy. Oh and how is she going to tell Joseph and her family? Tell them than an angel appeared to her and told her that God wants to use her and that the Holy Spirit will make her pregnant? Yeah right. Oh no, what am I going to do? Mary must have asked herself. Maybe that's why the Bible says that she left for the hill country with haste to seek solitude and help from her cousin Elisabeth, in the house of Zacharias.

But Mary need not have to worry after all because God took care of Joseph. Apparently, after Mary told Joseph about the situation, he decided to divorce her privately in order to avoid shame upon her and their families. But an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and explained everything to Joseph. Being a godly man, Joseph, of course, obeyed and he married Mary and decided to take care of her firstborn son.

When taxation time came, Joseph had to go to the city of David in Judaea called Bethlehem in order to be registered and taxed together with his family. So he and a very pregnant Mary traveled with a donkey. As they arrived in Bethlehem, Mary was beginning to have labor pains and cramps. The time came for her to deliver her firstborn. Due to the important occasion of taxation when most families go home to their place of origin, Bethlehem was packed with people. They couldn't find any place to stay for the night. They ended up in an animal stable by the back of an inn where Mary delivered her baby. They were ill-prepared for the coming of the baby due to the trip. And the stable was hardly a place to welcome a newborn child. They only had some swaddling clothes to cover the baby with and they placed him in a manger for there was no bed or any crib in sight. And by the way, they named the baby, JESUS.

No kings or royalties were present at the stable to welcome the King of Heaven in a manger as He entered this world. The only witnesses were the shepherds who were watching their flocks in the fields that night. The angels in heaven declared it to them and told them what happened. Even though there was no flair or celebration happening in Bethlehem the night Jesus was born but all the heavens was rejoicing. A multitude of angels were singing praises and worshiping God for the momentous occasion. The shepherds were there to witness such glorious sight. Heaven was rejoicing because God's plan of salvation has already begun with the birth of Jesus. It's going to be a long road ahead but mankind will be rescued. Death and hell will be conquered by this baby on a manger. As God has planned.

All these things happened to fulfill the prophecy of the Lord from the Old Testament. God was at work here. He was in control. He has a plan. He wanted His Son to enter the world without any worldly glory or recognition because He came not to be served but to serve, He came not to judge the world but to save the world, and He had to do it fully as God and fully as Man. There was no other way.

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS." -Matthew 1:18-25

(For more Bible readings on the Christmas story, also read the Book of Luke, Chapters 1 & 2.)