Presented by the children of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church

December 14, 2014

THE BIRTH OF CHRIST

THE ANNUNCIATION

And now the children of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church proudly present the story of Christ’s Birth.

The Birth of Jesus on Christmas Day is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The story begins this way:

2

JESUS LOVES ME THIS I KNOW – PRE-SCHOOLERS

Jesus loves me! This I know,For the Bible tells me so;Little ones to Him belong;They are weak, but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!Yes, Jesus loves me!Yes, Jesus loves me!The Bible tells me so.

3

GABRIEL AND MARY

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.

4

GABRIEL

And he came to her and said, “Hail, O favored one, the Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be agraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.

He will be great and called the Son of the Most High.

5

MARY

And Mary said to the angel “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

And the Angel departed from her.

6

ELIZABETH

Mary went with haste to the hill country, and she stayed with her cousin, Elizabeth. When Elizabeth met with Mary for the first time in many years, her own baby leaped in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she loudly exclaimed:

“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

7

ELIZABETH AND MARY

And Mary said, “My should magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden, for behold, henceforth, all generations will call me blessed.”

8

JOSEPH

Her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered this, behold an angle of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.

9

JOSEPH AND THE ANGEL

And the Angel said to him, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.”

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

10

CONGREGATIONAL HYMN

“It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”

11

CAESAR AUGUSTUS

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first census, and required everyone to his original hometown.

12

TRAVELERS

And so the people throughout the empire began making their way back to their hometown or village, the town where their family began.

At that time, travel consisted mainly of walking, as there were no cars, airplanes, busses or trains or any of the other modern means of travel that we know today. You carried everything that you needed, including the food to last the entire trip.

13

JOSEPH AND MARY

And so Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

14

DONKEY

It was a long and tiring trip for Mary who was expecting her first child and someone in her traveling group let Mary ride their donkey as they traveled together.

15

INNKEEPER

And then, finally Bethlehem was in sight, they could sleep easy tonight knowing that they had reached their destination and would not have to wake up early in the morning and walk again.

There were no hotels or Holiday Inns at that time, only small inns, really small buildings with a few rooms that the owner would rent to a traveler.

16

INNKEEPER WITH JOSEPHA AND MARY

Mary and Joseph tried many inns, but every place was taken. One innkeeper did have a place out back, a cattle stall, where they could spend the night.

17

JESUS IN THE MANAGER

It was there in that cattle stall where Jesus was born. Mary wrapped Jesus is swaddling clothes and laid him in the feeding trough, a manager, with fresh straw.

18

AWAY IN THE MANGER

Away in a manger,No crib for His bedThe little Lord JesusLaid down His sweet head

The stars in the bright skyLooked down where He layThe little Lord JesusAsleep on the hay

19

CONGREGATIONAL HYMN

“Silent Night, Holy Night”

First two verses only.

20

SHEPHERDS

Sheep were common in the Holy Land. They were an essential part of life for the people living there. It was the job of the shepherd to find water and food for the flock in the rocky and barren land, and to protect and watch over them at all times.

Thus the shepherds were involved in the lonely and monotonous business of watch the sheep, day in and day out and of course through long winter nights.

21

DECREE AND TRAVEL TO BETHLEHEM

All children memorize and recite Luke 2: 8-14

[Watch Charlie Brown snippet to see what this might look like]

22

ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGHAngels we have heard on high

Sweetly singing o'er the plains,

And the mountains in reply

Echoing their joyous strains.

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!

23

SHEPHERDS

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem to see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

24

GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAINREFRAIN:

Go tell it on the mountain,

Over the hills and everywhere,

Go tell it on the mountain,

Our Jesus Christ is born.

When I was a seeker

I sought both night and day,

I asked the Lord to help me,

And he showed me the way.

REFRAIN

He made me a watchman

Upon a city wall,

And if I am a Christian,

I am the least of all.

REFRAIN

25

WISE MEN

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?”

For we have seen his star in the East and have come to worship him.

26

KING HEROD

Now when King Herod heard from the Wise Men about this new King, he was troubled.

King Herod summoned the Wise Men and lied to them saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”

27

STAR IN THE SKY

But the Wise Men are called Wise Men, and not fools. So, they set forth in search of this new King, by following a new star in the sky with no intention of going back to King Herod.

28

GOLD, FRANKINCENSE, AND MYRRH

When the Wise Men finally found Jesus it was 12 days after the birth. They brought gifts for a King – Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh.

29

CONGREGATIONAL HYMN

“Joy to the World”

30

CREDITS

Joseph . . . . . .

Mary . . . .

31

THE BENEDICTION

And now as you prepare to celebrate the birth of the Christ child in your life and in your home:

Go in Joy and Peace, and the Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord life his countenance upon you and give you his peace. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

32