The Birth Of Jesus

In the obscure town of Bethlehem in the desolate province of Judea in the great empire of Rome, a baby was born in about 4 B.C. to a young woman named Mary and her fiance, Joseph. The child's mother, Mary was a young virgin who had conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. Joseph was a carpenter and a man of great integrity. When Joseph found out that Mary was pregnant prior to their marriage, he decided quietly to break the engagement. In a dream he was told by an angel that the child was from God and that he should proceed with the marriage.

Incarnation
Mary's baby was born at night in the stable. Mary and Joseph named him Jesus. There was no cradle for him, so they wrapped him in strips of cloth and he slept in a manger. Though there is controversy on the real date of Jesus birth, but world over people celebrate Jesus's birthday on 25th December every year.

The night when Jesus was born, some shepherds were looking after their sheep on the hills when suddenly an angel appeared. The shepherds were terrified, but the angel said, "I bring good news. God's Savior has been born tonight. You will find the baby lying in a manger". Soon the shepherds arrived at the stable in Bethlehem - Jesus birth place, to see the baby and told Mary and Joseph about the angel's message. She knew this was a very special baby.

The Wise Men
After the birth of Christ some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking the place where the newborn king of the Jews has arrived. They have seen the star as it arose, and had come to worship him. These men were probably astronomers from Mesopotamia. The "star" they followed may have been a comet or a supernova.

Gold, Frankincense, And Myrrh
The gifts the wise men, or Magi, brought to Jesus were of such value in the ancient world that a poor family would have considered them treasures. Gold, of course, continues to be a consistently valuable commodity. The practical use of myrrh and frankincense, processed from aromatic plants are used to make perfumes, incense, and other scented products. Frankincense was sometimes used for religious ceremonies and myrrh for funerals, so some have seen symbolic meanings in the gifts.