Читать книгу The Story of Jesus The Christ - Helen Braun Hojt - Страница 9

father’s name. They made signs to Zacharias, asking how he

would have him called. Zacharias asked for a writing tablet and

wrote, “ His name is John.»

The friends wondered still more when the father also chose

that name, but they soon had still greater reason for surprise.

Zacharias, who had not spoken for so long, began to talk again.

Would you like to know what he said first? He thanked God

for what had happened, and then told the friends who were with

them that the Christ, the promised king, was coming very soon,

and that this child of his was the prophet who would teach the

people about their king. This story was told all through the hill

country of Judea, and the people asked, “ What kind of a child

will he be?»

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THE STORY OF JESUS – THE CHRIST

THE BIRTH OF THE CHRIST

In Galilee, in the northern part of the Holy Land, is the

little town of Nazareth. In this town lived a beautiful young

woman, loving and gentle and pure. She was named Mary, and

was the cousin of Elizabeth.

A little while before John was born, as Mary was sitting

alone one spring day, the angel who was sent to Zacliarias came

to her and said, «God is very kind to you, Mary, for he has

chosen you to be the mother of the Christ-child. You must call

his name Jesus (which means Saviour), for he will save the

people from their sins. He shall be great, and be called the

Son of God, and shall rule the world for ever and ever.»

Mary believed what the angel told her, and gently answered,

«Let it be to me as you have said.» Then the angel left her.

In the early part of the winter the Emperor of Rome, Caesar

Augustus, commanded that all the people should be enrolled,

which means that they should have their names written down on

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A CHILD’S STORY OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST

a roll of paper. Every Jew of the same tribe must have his

name written on the same roll. The Jews were very much

scattered, and to do this

each had to go to the city

or town where the fathers

of his tribe had lived, be¬

cause the tribal roll was

there.

Mary and her hus¬

band were both of the

tribe of Judah, and Beth¬

lehem was the city of

that tribe. You remem¬

ber, do you not, that

David was of the tribe of

Judah, and lived in Beth¬

lehem when he was a

shepherd boy? Because

the Jews were so fond of

David they called Bethle¬

hem the City of David.

Bethlehem was eighty

miles away from Naza¬

reth, and the roads be¬

tween the two places were

very rough and stony, up hill and down hill. It was a hard

journey to take. Mary and Joseph could not travel very fast,

and when they reached the city the houses were all full, for

strangers from every part of the country had come to Bethlehem

on the same errand as theirs. They were very tired when their

journey was over, but they found no one there ready to welcome

them. There was no room for them anywhere, except in a stable.

Arrival at Bethlehem