Journey to Bethlehem

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to travel to Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth?
This year my church is providing a new Christmas tradition for our community - a live-action, drive-through journey to Bethlehem. Giving the participants and opportunity to encounter the people and places that were a part of the amazing story of Jesus' birth. 
I was privileged to be able to put together the narration that participants will listen to as they drive through a busy marketplace, visit Herod’s palace, and come, along with shepherds and wise men, to the manger – the birthplace of Jesus.
I am sharing a revised version of the written narration with you today, so that you can reflect on the importance of this event and/or share with others who may need the hope that it offers.

artwork by This Girls Doodles

Our story begins with a couple, Mary and Joseph, who respond to a clear invitation from God, setting in motion a series of events that change their ordinary lives forever. 

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea.

Months before their journey to Bethlehem began, both Mary and Joseph were visited by Angels of the Lord.

First, Mary, a young Jewish woman, received word, “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.”

Although Mary was unsure of how this could happen, she trusted in the angel’s words, believing that nothing is impossible with God.

Once Mary became pregnant, Joseph, as her fiancé, had a big decision to make. Mary was engaged to him, yet had become pregnant. Joseph was a good man, so he decided to break the engagement quietly. However, the Lord had other plans for Joseph. An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. You are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

It was with great eagerness that the Jewish people had been anticipating the coming of their Messiah. Mary and Joseph understood what Jesus’ birth and life would mean to their people. In fact, Mary considered herself blessed that the Lord would fulfill his promises through her.

There is another character in our story, however, who was not pleased to learn of the Messiah’s coming birth. This man was Herod, a Roman-appointed king and dictator, who saw this baby as a tremendous threat to his power.

Near the time of Jesus’ birth, some star-gazing wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.”

King Herod was so disturbed when he heard this that he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

After this, the star guided the wise men to Bethlehem. Once there, they bowed down and worshiped Jesus, giving him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. When it was time to leave, the wise men returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior has been born today in Bethlehem.” 

Suddenly, the angel was joined by others praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

Mary and Joseph had reached Bethlehem. And while they were there, the time came for the baby to be born. Mary gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

After the birth of Jesus, the manger where he lay became a place of worship. Those who had been searching, the shepherds and the wise men, had finally reached the throne of the newborn king.

The birth of this baby, Jesus, was good news, not simply because of what happened that night in Bethlehem, but for what was to come some 30 years later. Jesus grew to be a man with a ministry; he taught truth and performed miracles. He suffered death on a cross, rose from the grave and is seated with God in Heaven.

Because of Jesus’ miraculous birth, life and his death and resurrection we have the opportunity to be a part of God’s story. God loves you so much, and invites you to put your trust in Jesus Christ His Son, so you can know his peace in your heart, both now and forever.