Unto us the Saviour is born
‘Christians, awake, salute the happy morn.
Whereon the Saviour of the world was born.
Rise to adore the mystery of love,
Which hosts of angels chanted from above
With them the joyful tidings first began
Of God incarnate and the Virgin’s Son’
Over 2,000 years ago, there lived in the Judean hills not far away from Jerusalem an old priest called Zachariah. His wife, Elizabeth was long past the age of having a child. But Zachariah had faith in God and served God in his temple. Suddenly the angel Gabriel appeared to him and said;-
“Have no fear, Zacharias because your supplications have been favourably heard and your wife, Elizabeth will become a mother to a son and you are to name him John. He will prepare the way for the Messiah.”
Zachariah was frightened but true to God’s words, Elizabeth became pregnant …
Later Gabriel appeared again and spoke to a young unmarried woman, named Mary from the town of Nazareth. The angel told her, “You have found favour with God and you will conceive and give birth to a son and you are to call him Jesus.
He will rule as a king over the house of Jacob forever and there will be no end to his kingdom.”
Mary was engaged to Joseph who was a man who always did what was right. When he found out she was going to have a baby, he did not want to disgrace her.
Yet despite her claiming that it was by God’s Holy Spirit that she was pregnant, it was hard for him to believe. Even so, Joseph did not wish her to be stoned to death.
Thus he made up his mind secretly to divorce her. In those days, those who are engaged were considered married and a divorce was required to end an engagement.
But an angel appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife for that which has been begotten in her is by the Holy Spirit.
She will give birth to a son and you must call him Jesus for he will save his people from their sins.” Jesus Christ was a descendant of David who was a descendant of Abraham.
When the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus decreed that all must return to the city of their birth to be registered, Joseph travelled to his birthplace, Bethlehem.
A large number of people were in Bethlehem and Joseph and Mary had nowhere to stay except a stable and it was here, that the baby Jesus was born.
Thus the Scriptures where it was foretold that the Prince of Peace, the promised ruler would be born in Bethlehem were fulfilled.
Mary wrapped the baby in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger not knowing that great spiritual happenings were taking place elsewhere. The angels were singing and out in the fields a bright light shone around a group of shepherds.
“‘Have no fear, for look; I am declaring the good news of great joy to you and all people that there is born today the Saviour who is Christ the Lord, in David’s city and this is your sign,” the angel told them. Suddenly many more angels appeared.
When the angels left, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go to Bethlehem and see these things that have taken place which God had announced.” They followed the star as the Angels asked them to do.
Elsewhere, three wise men who studied the star came from the East to Jerusalem and asked “Where is the baby born to be king of the Jews? We have come to worship him.”
It was during Herod’s reign that Jesus was born. He was deeply upset when the three wise men came searching for the holy babe and told him they were guided by the star from the East.
Herod called the visitors from the East to a secret meeting and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared.
Then he sent them to Bethlehem with these instructions. ‘Go and make a careful search for the child and when you find him, let me know so that I too may go and worship him.’
The Wise Men carried gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh- gifts fit for a King. They returned to their country by another road since God had warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod.
Jesus is the promised Saviour, the one through whom God fulfilled the promises he made to his people in the Old Testament.
This good news is not only for the Jewish people among whom Jesus was born, preached and lived but, for the whole world.
This good news is especially for you and for me this Christmas.