Stories of the First Christmas

Mary hummed as she bustled about the kitchen. There is no one in the world like a young lady in love, and Mary was very much in love.

Marriages at that time were usually arranged between families. Yet Mary''s parents had told her they prayed for wisdom to choose a good husband for her.

When they told her about Joseph''s family and that both sets of parents believed he was the one for her, she was thrilled. Mary knew Joseph. He was a carpenter. He was a gentleman, worked hard, and loved the Lord. She could also tell he was interested in her.

Mary gathered the ingredients for a honey cake. Joseph would stop by later. Honey cake was his favorite. As Mary prepared, she thought about their many conversations.

After they became engaged, they talked about what it would be like when they married. These conversations were always fun. They talked often about having children. Mary thought about strong young boys doing carpentry like their father or girls cooking and making clothes.

As Mary prepared the honey cake and looked forward to married life, she suddenly felt uneasy. Someone else was in the room with her.

She turned to see a large, powerful-looking man standing in the middle of the kitchen. He wore a dazzling white garment. Mary instinctively backed away.

"Who are you?" she asked fearfully.

The man spoke:

Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. (Luke 1:28)

Who is this man? Mary thought. And what does he mean that I''m highly favored?

And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. (Luke 1:29)

The time of the first Christmas was one of mighty miracles in the lives of ordinary people. Stories of the First Christmas is a dramatization, based on Scripture, of that wonderful time.