In the region where Jesus was born, there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.
The angel said to them, “be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.
Then suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of other angels praising God and saying, “Glory be to God in the highest and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’
And they went, searching with haste, until they found Mary, Joseph and the new-born lying in a manger.
When they saw that this was true, they made known all the saying which had been told to them concerning the child. All who listened to their testimony wondered at what the shepherds had told them.
And the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard.
It came to be that Jesus was born when Herod was king. Wise men saw a large shining star in the sky which signified the dawned of something great on earth. These wise men who were three in number left the East where they were and went searching for THE NEW THING.
The three wise men went to Jerusalem, saying, ‘where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East and have come to worship him.”
When King Herod heard this, he became troubled, and all Jerusalem with him, were troubled too. Herod assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
The chief priests and scribes told him,” In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall arise a ruler who will govern my people Israel’.”
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star appeared; and he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “go and search diligently for the child and when you have found him bring me word that I too may come and worship him.”
The wise men heard the king and looking for the child. And behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, leading them to where the Christ was.
When they reached the manger, the star stood over there. Seeing that the star had stopped over there, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy for they knew that they had reached their destination.
The three wise men went into the manger and found the child with Mary his mother. They fell down and worshiped him for they knew that he was the promised Savior.
The men opened their treasures and offered him gifts. Each of them gave him gold, frankincense and myrrh which signified His work, His suffering and His death respectively.
The wise men passed the night there and were warned in a dream not to Herod. And so they followed another route to their own country.
When Jesus’ visitors had departed, behold, an angel of the lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him.”
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt. He remained there with his family until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.”
Herod was in a furious rage when he acknowledged the fact that he had been tricked by the wise men. He sent warriors to go kill all the male children in Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time which the wise men had seen the star.
Then the prophesy of prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:”A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled because they were no more.”
When Herod was dead, an angel of the lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.”
Joseph rose and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of Herod his father, he was afraid to go there.
He then decided to settle down at Galilee in the city of Nazareth. That which was spoken by the prophets was fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazarene.” And that is why we refer to the Christ as Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
