Excerpt from The Jubilee Illustration Family Bible
Based on the New International Version Bible

²⁰But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

²²All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" — which means, "God with us."

²⁴When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

¹In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (²This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³And everyone went to his own town to register.

⁴So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

⁶While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

UNDERSTANDING THIS STORY
By marrying Mary, Joseph fulfills the prophecy that the Messiah will be the "Son of David" because his adopted son becomes a descendant of King David. The Messiah will not be the political or military figure so many Jews expected, but a savior who will deliver people from sin and evil.

CHAPTER 1 VERSE 18
"Pledged to be married"
In Israel, to be engaged to someone was a form of marriage. Although the couple did not live together, they needed a divorce to break their relationship. In the Bible, a woman pledged to be married is called a wife, and Matthew calls Joseph and Mary "husband and wife" before they are married.

CHAPTER 1 VERSE 19
"To divorce her quietly"
Joseph could not see how he could marry a woman who was pregnant by someone else. No one would believe what had happened to Mary and, according to the Law, she might even be stoned to death. Joseph was too kind to expose her.

CHAPTER 1 VERSE 20
"Joseph son of David"
The Gospel of Matthew ends a genealogy of Jesus Christ the Son of David, by listing Joseph "the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ." Jesus was the legal son of Joseph, who was a descendant of David.

CHAPTER 1 VERSE 23
"They will call him Immanuel"
The prophecy Matthew refers to comes from Isaiah (Isaiah 7:14). The Gospels see Jesus fulfilling this prophecy—Immanuel means "God with us."

CHAPTER 2 VERSE 1
"Caesar Augustus issued a decree"
Augustus was the first Roman emperor, ruling from 31 BC until AD 14. A census was conducted every fourteen years for military and taxation purposes, although Jews were exempt from military service. Women had to pay a poll tax from the age of twelve, so Mary as well as Joseph had to register for the census.

CHAPTER 2 VERSE 7
"Placed him in a manger"
Jesus may have been born in a stable, but the birth could also have taken place in the home of a poor family, where animals were kept under the same roof. Early Christian tradition suggests that Jesus was born in a cave that was used as a stable.

Excerpt from The Jubilee Illustration Family Bible
Based on the New International Version Bible

¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

¹⁶So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

UNDERSTANDING THE STORY
Poor and scorned by society, the shepherds are nevertheless highly honored. God chooses them as the first to hear of the birth of Jesus. The baby they go to worship is a descendant of David, who had been a humble shepherd in Bethlehem before becoming a great king.

CHAPTER 2 VERSE 8
"Shepherds living out in the fields"
The angel appeared to people who were very lowly in the eyes of society. Shepherds roamed year round with their flocks, which made it impossible for them to keep the ceremonial law. Considered unreliable and often regarded as thieves, shepherds were not allowed to give evidence in the courts.

CHAPTER 2 VERSE 8
"Watch over their flocks at night"
It was not necessarily a warm time of year. Animals reserved for temple sacrifices were kept outdoors even in winter, and shepherds watched over flocks to protect them from thieves and wild animals.

CHAPTER 2 VERSE 10
"Do not be afraid"
Angels always offered a word of reassurance to those they visited unexpectedly, understanding that people would be afraid.

CHAPTER 2 VERSE 11
"A Savior has been born"
The prophets had taught the people of Israel to expect a savior. Many expected him to deliver them from Roman oppression, others wanted to be cured of disease. Jesus the savior will be much more than a political leader or a healer, he "will save his people from their sins."

CHAPTER 2 VERSE 11
"He is Christ the Lord"
The Greek name "Christ" has the same meaning as the Hebrew word "Messiah," which means "The Anointed One." The priests, prophets, and kings of the Old Testament were anointed with a sacred oil to signify their consecration to God. A "Messiah" was appointed to accomplish acts in favor of his people under God's authority and on God's behalf. This was to be the calling of Jesus.

CHAPTER 2 VERSE 14
"Glory to God in the highest"
The angels' words are celebrated by the Christian Church in the hymn "Gloria in Excelsis Deo." Most hymns were originally written as poems and later set to music. In medieval times, hymns were sung by a small choir made up of male singers only, who sang in unison (plainsong).

NOËL: THE FIRST CHRISTMAS
The word "Christmas" comes from the old English "Cristes Maesse," which means Mass of Christ. In carols, Christmas is often called Noël , taken from the French word for "brithday," which also gives "Nativity." Since the 4th century, Christmas has been celebrated on the 25th of December, but the exact date of Jesus' birth is not known.