Palace Ave.Christmas is a Christian holy day when we remember the birth of Jesus, the son of God.
Jesus' birth, known as the nativity, is described in the New Testament of the Bible.
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the Nativity
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Both accounts tell us that Jesus was born to a woman called Mary who was engaged to Joseph . The Gospels state that Mary was a virgin when she became pregnant.
In Luke's account Mary was visited by an angel who brought the message that she would give birth to God's son. According to Matthew's account, Joseph was visited by an angel who persuaded him to marry Mary rather than send her away or expose her pregnancy.
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the Angels tell the Shepherds
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All Jewish people had to be counted so the Roman Emperor could determine how much money to collect from them in tax. Those who had moved away from their family homes, like Joseph, had to return to have their names entered in the Roman records.
Joseph and Mary set off on the long, hard 90-mile journey from Nazareth along the valley of the River Jordan, past Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Mary traveled on a donkey to conserve her energy for the birth.
But when they arrived in Bethlehem the local inn was already full with people returning for the census. The innkeeper let them stay in the rock cave below his house which was used as a stable for his animals.
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the Three Kings
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Matthew tells us about three wise men who followed a star that led them to Jesus' birthplace and presented him with gifts of gold, incense and myrrh . Luke tells how shepherds were led to Bethlehem by an angel.
Mary and Joseph were just ordinary people, not rich or famous. They weren't married either. Mary had a long, difficult and dangerous journey just before Jesus was born. Jesus wasn't born in a safe, clean hospital ward but in a dirty, smelly stable. Then he was wrapped in cloth and laid in the place where food was put for the animals.
Jesus lived like us – he was hungry, thirsty, tired, happy, sad, had to work for a living, had some friends but other people didn't like him, people around him got sick, some died. He knows how we feel when we experience these things. He's been there, done that and got the nail marks to prove it (but that's another story!).
God could have made sure that his son Jesus was born in a palace and had the best of everything that money could buy. So why didn't he?....
We give presents to each other at Christmas to show how much we love one another. It's great to give and receive presents but God gave us something far more precious - his son Jesus Christ!
God sent Jesus as a present to us, not because we are good people but because we are not.
And that's all the reason we need to celebrate Christmas!
Jesus came to show us that God loves us in spite of who we are and what we have done.
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Read John's Gospel in the Bible.
Or if you want to you can pray a prayer to God saying sorry for all the wrong things you have done, thanking Jesus for dying on the cross for you and asking God for his Holy Spirit to be with you. If you are not sure what or how to pray click here.