Summary
The second in a series of three giving an outline of the background to the Nativity and putting the occasion in its historical context.
Teachers’ Notes
Suitable Reading:
Having a recording of ‘For to us a child is born’ from the Messiah would be of assistance.
Directions:
The pictures should be shown on PowerPoint as the story is told. The ( ) shows when the slide should be changed. To attract the pupils’ attention, we recommend the first slide is already on display as they enter.
The Main Text
(Picture 1)
Approximately 400 years had passed since the prophet Mica said that the special person that the people of Israel were waiting for would come, and by now the Roman Empire had invaded lots of countries.
(Picture 2)
From Wales in the North to Egypt in the South, the same Emperor ruled everyone - Augustus Caesar.
(Picture 3)
Augustus lived in Rome. He had a beautiful palace there. At this time, Rome was a very wealthy city because every country paid taxes to the Emperor. But, Augustus doubted whether he received enough money from each country. It appears that they paid tax for each person who lived in the country. Therefore, it was important that he knew exactly how many people lived in each country.
(Picture 4)
Whilst Augustus wondered how to solve the problem in Rome, in Israel (or Palestine as the country was called then) there was a young girl called Mary who lived in the small village of Nazareth.
(Picture 5)
One day, Mary was shocked when an angel appeared to her, the Angel Gabriel, to tell her that God had chosen her to be the mother of the special person he had promised. The title of the person was Emanuel which means ‘God with us’. The little baby was going to be different to everybody else because God would be his father. Mary was going to marry a young man called Joseph, but Joseph would not be the baby’s father.
(Picture 6)
In a dream that Joseph had, God told him to marry Mary and when the little baby was born, he would be called Jesus. Joseph and Mary were married.
By now Emperor Augustus had decided how he would find out how many people lived in the Empire. He sent a message to every part of his Empire telling everybody to go to the town in which they were born to be counted. This probably took many months to organise.
(Picture 7)
People travelled across countries in order to return to the area in which they were born.
(Picture 8)
Joseph and Mary’s family came from Bethlehem in Palestine. They were also descendants of King David - they were related to him.
(Picture 9)
Joseph and Mary went on the 90 mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem in order to be registered and counted so that Emperor Augustus would know how much money he could expect from the town.
Many other people probably travelled with Mary and Joseph, but it was more difficult for Mary because she was expecting her baby to be born quite soon.
(Picture 10)
By the time Mary and Joseph arrived at the town every hotel was full, nobody had a room for them.
(Picture 11)
But one man took pity on them and offered them his stable for the night. And that is what they did, they were pleased to have somewhere indoors so they could be sheltered them from the cold.
(Picture 12)
And that night, a baby was born to Mary – Jesus, and because there was no cot for him, he was put to sleep in a manger, a box which held the animals’ food.
Therefore, we saw two of the Old Testament’s prophecies coming true.
- Jesus was related to King David
- He was born in Bethlehem
But the story did not finish here, there is more to come...
Prayer
Father, as we remember the miracle birth in Bethlehem we also remember the children born today under difficult circumstances. Some in war zones and others in areas where there is not enough food or no doctors or nurses to look after the little babies. As we enjoy the Christmas festivities help us to remember those who are less fortunate than us and to help them whenever possible. Amen.