Christmas Narration 2008

Again, this is for preservation purposes. I wrote this last year for the Christmas program at our church. The punctuation is grammatically perfect because it is punctuated for being read aloud.



Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace: Isaiah gave Him these titles 700 years before He was even born. The Savior, The Redeemer, The King of the Jews, Jehovah, Jesus the Christ. He has been the subject of prophecy since the time of Adam and Eve. He is the Hope of the World, The Son of God, The Only-Begotten of the Father. His arrival had been anticipated for centuries, for he would lead all who would follow Him to salvation. His birth was prophecy fulfilled; Jehovah had entered into mortality. Few, though, could have anticipated how He would enter into His earthly ministry. Indeed, the least of Jesus’ titles was the heir to the throne of David and yet in Bethlehem, the city of David, He had to be born in a stable because there was no room at the inn. That he came into the world in the most humble of surroundings set the tone for His life and ministry. President Monson said ““No room in the inn” was not a singular expression of rejection—just the first.” And yet, Jesus spent His mortal ministry inviting all to come and follow Him. Yes, countless prophets testified of His coming, angels sang of the heavenly birth, trumpets had blared, a star had shone bright in the heavens. The Messiah had finally come… and He rested, a tiny new baby, in a simple manger full of straw.

-Sing Baby in a Manger

Bethlehem was filled to the brim. There must have been many there in the city of David the night of the Christ-child’s birth. Was it only the shepherds who came to worship the baby Jesus that first night? Why in a city overrun with people did so few come? Did they not see the star? Hear the angels singing “Hallelujah, Glory to God”? The wise men traveled from far away in the east to see the King of the Jews. Yet, so many, so close never participated. Why did the greatest event to happen on the earth thus far, go unnoticed by so many? Were they thinking of the taxes soon to be paid, how uncomfortable they were at the cramped inn, how tired they were? Was it the petty mundane concerns of life that blinded them to what was happening on their very doorstep? The miracle of the birth of the Savior of the World, the Messiah they had been long awaiting.

Where will we be on Christmas day? This, the a time set aside to celebrate Christ’s birth. Will we be too concerned with the trappings of world to look to the heavens? Will we be too busy to witness miracles? When the angels appeared to the shepherds and told them where to find the babe, did they worry about what to do with their sheep? They were shepherds and their sheep were their entire livelihood. Did they take some extra time and make arrangements for their flocks? Did they decide to go later after they got some much-needed rest? No. Luke 2:15-16 reads “And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.”

They did not delay one moment longer. They came with haste. The shepherds understood the significance of what they had just seen and what they were about to behold. How blessed were they to witness the holy child on the night of His birth. We would hope that we too would make haste to see the babe as the shepherds had done. The shepherds, though, were not the only ones to be told of the birth: Luke 2:17-18 goes on to read: “And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.”

The shepherds told others, many others, and they simply wondered. They did not come to view the holy sight that all the world had been waiting for, they wondered. They did not come with haste to worship their Redeemer, they wondered. They had the opportunity to participate in one of the most hopeful, inspiring, humbling, and divine moments in all human history and, instead, they wondered. May we be like the shepherds and come with haste when our Savior calls us. May we be humble enough to take part in the miracle of Christ’s birth.

-Sing Where You There That Christmas Night

“NOW when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. “ (Matthew 2:1-2)

The story of the wise men was one of faith. They were learned men, men that spent their lives studying prophecies and signs, men wealthy enough to be welcomed into King Herod’s circle. We do not know their names, but we know that they traveled far, probably for months to find the Christ-child. In a land where they were strangers, they had not but a star to guide them. They were traveling to a house they had never seen to find people whose names they did not know, but they wandered through deserts and mountains and unknown hardship because they had faith that the star would guide them to the King of kings. What probably made it even more difficult for them was that the coming of the Messiah was still so little known of in the Messiah’s own land. This must have astonished the wise men greatly. They had come so far by simply following a star just to offer their gifts and worship at the feet of the divine child and yet the people of Judea had little idea of an occurrence of any significance. The wise men came to see a king and found a child unrecognized by His own people, in humble surroundings.

-Sing Once Within a Lowly Stable

“With the birth of the babe in Bethlehem, there emerged a great endowment, a power stronger than weapons, a wealth more lasting than the coins of Caesar. This child was to be the King of kings and Lord of lords, the promised Messiah—even Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Born in a stable, cradled in a manger, He came forth from heaven to live on earth as mortal man and to establish the kingdom of God. During His earthly ministry, He taught men the higher law. His glorious gospel reshaped the thinking of the world. He blessed the sick. He caused the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear. He even raised the dead to life.” - President Thomas S. Monson

Oh, what a miraculous sight to behold! The holy birth marked a change in the world. The earth and it’s inhabitants were to be forever altered. “Lift up your head and be of good cheer…” Angels proclaimed salvation and “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”

-Sing Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

John 3:16-17. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

On this first Christmas, we were given the most wondrous of gifts. We were given the Son of God to teach us and atone for our sins. What will we give in return? The Savior himself counseled us that if we love Him we are to feed His sheep. There are spiritual and physical needs to be met all over the world this Christmas. The need is in our neighborhoods, our schools, our places of work and in our church. The most important gifts we give this Christmas season will not take the form of presents under the tree. They will be gifts we give from the heart.

The poet Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: “Rings and jewels are not gifts, but apologies for gifts. The only [true] gift is a portion of thyself.”

Food given, joy spread, a listening ear, but most importantly, time spent. President Monson reminded us, “There is no shortage of opportunities to forget self and think of others. Such opportunities, however limitless they may be, are also perishable. There are hearts to gladden. There are kind words to say. There are gifts to be given. There are deeds to be done. There are souls to be saved.” Don’t hesitate to give to your fellow man. For”…as ye have done it unto one of the least of these ye have done it unto me.” This is how we show our gratitude to our Savior for giving the greatest gift anyone can give. Themselves. Let us follow His example. Don’t rush through helping one another like another chore to be done during the Christmas season. This is what the season is about.

President David O. McKay said: “True happiness comes only by making others happy—the practical application of the Savior’s doctrine of losing one’s life to gain it. In short, the Christmas spirit is the Christ spirit, that makes our hearts glow in brotherly love and friendship and prompts us to kind deeds of service.
“It is the spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ, obedience to which will bring ‘peace on earth,’ because it means—good will toward all men.”

This Christmas, let us remember that our Heavenly Father gave His Only-Begotten as the Savior for our sins and what it means to give of ourselves. Let us never forget what a profound and wonderful gift was given to us all that holy night in Bethlehem


-Sing O Holy Night

“This is a glorious time of the year, simple in origin, deep in meaning, beautiful in tradition and custom, rich in memories, and charitable in spirit. It has an attraction to which our hearts are readily drawn. This joyful season brings to each of us a measure of happiness that corresponds to the degree in which we have turned our mind, feelings, and actions to the spirit of Christmas…”

“As we seek Christ, as we find Him, as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always. We shall learn to forget ourselves. We shall turn our thoughts to the greater benefit of others…”

“There is no better time than now, this very Christmas season, for all of us to rededicate ourselves to the principles taught by Jesus the Christ. It is the time to love the Lord our God with all our heart—and our neighbors as ourselves. It is well to remember that he who gives money gives much, he who gives time gives more, but he who gives of himself gives all.” –President Thomas S. Monson

-Sing I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day