Christmas Resources

Mary is the first person in the nativity story to ‘REJOICE'; to outwork the joy she experiences in her heart in action. God appoints Mary to carry and give birth to His Son Jesus, the one who will be called the Son of the Most High.

The weight of responsibility placed on Mary's shoulders would send most of us running the other way, however, Mary is not deterred. Mary is not only faithful to the call God has placed on her life, but she also REJOICES in it. She sings this song in response to what God has asked her to do: 'My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit REJOICES in God my saviour...' (Luke 1: 46)

When faced with a monumental task, Mary praises God and finds the time to give Him thanks. Mary starts the nativity story as the story continues...with people experiencing joy in Jesus and rejoicing in Him as a consequence!   

“The next donkey to leave Platform 1 will be the 07:32 Nazareth Express to Bethlehem, calling at Beth Shaen, Jericho, Dead Sea North, Jerusalem and Bethlehem.”



It would have taken Mary and Joseph around a week to travel the eighty miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem at an average pace of 2.5mph. We don’t have their travel itinerary, but it’s safe to say an eighty-mile donkey ride for a pregnant woman in her third trimester would require plenty of pit stops!



At nine months pregnant, Mary faithfully rode into Jerusalem from the East, carrying the baby Jesus in her womb. In years to come, Jesus the Son of Man, would ride a donkey through the East Gate into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

Two donkey journeys bookend his life. But, before we get ahead of ourselves, Mary and Joseph have just arrived in Bethlehem. It’s time to find the station exit and look for somewhere to stay.

“Your attention, please. We are sorry to announce that the 14:55 Bethlehem Express to Damascus has been delayed.”

Those good old wise men, guided by a star, without it they wouldn't have gotten very far! 

They saw it in the sky, many miles off, so they mounted their camels and off they popped.

They got a bit confused along the way and asked where this new King was - to Herod's dismay! Herod asked around, as to where the baby could be found.

"In Bethlehem in Judea" his advisers said- after consulting the prophecies they'd read. 

So Herod directed them to Bethlehem, and that famous star shone bright again. 

Pointing to exactly where the baby lie, and they worshipped him in that smelly pig sty. 

Herod had asked them to share Jesus' location, but a dream warned the Magi to avoid consultation. They returned to the east on another road, with the hope in their hearts that God had drawn close.

The time has come, the labour pains have started and Mary is preparing to give birth to Jesus. The surroundings aren't quite as she would have imagined, but it is better than being out in the cold. It's not how Jesus comes into the world that is important, but that He does.

Jesus has many names, each representing what He was coming into the world to do: Messiah, meaning 'the promised deliverer, the one who will fulfil the prophecies spoken of in the Old Testament; Emmanuel, meaning 'God with us', God Himself come down to earth to live as a man; the Saviour, meaning the one come to save, save humanity from their sins and make a way for people to live a life of freedom.

Mary does it, she gives birth to Jesus and the course of humanity would never be the same...

Alone in the fields in the night, some poor dirty shepherds were probably feeling ignored, forgotten and excluded. What does God do? He SEES them.

An Angel appears and God's glory shines. The first to hear the news of Jesus' birth are the nobody's, the outcasts, the poor and rejected.

The Angel tells them that the news is for them and for ALL people; not just the nicely dressed, not just the rich, not just the goody goodies. It's all topped off by an angelic choir performance! 

God SEES you, and says that this news is FOR you. Don't rule yourself out, because God doesn't. 

Jesus gives us the greatest gift we will ever receive - His hope, mercy, and love today, and the promise of joy for eternity when we follow Him.

So it is only fitting that Jesus Himself received gifts when he was born and on into his infancy. The Shepherds outwork their joy by bringing Jesus gifts, and then years later the wise men bring Jesus gifts fit for a King of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

This Christmas, as you may give and receive gifts, what do you want to both give to Jesus and what would you like to receive from Him? Jesus, by His Spirit, continues to give us gifts, giving us all we need to empower us to live out of joy, rejoicing in all things. 

It was Mary and Joseph’s total surrender to God that allowed Jesus to come. 
It was the Angel of the Lord who announced the Good News.
It was the shepherds who were first to be seen.

It was the Magi who brought gifts but received the gift of hope.

Gathered around the Child in a manger. All eyes are on the King of Kings. Everyone present is only there because of Jesus, and all these years later, you too are invited to come closer and look at Jesus.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Saviour of the World knows you by name and says to you this Christmas, “Come, follow me.”