The painted pebble nativity

1. The Painted Pebble Nativity

2. 2020 years ago God was sad because he
knew that people living on earth then didn’t
love one another or God, as he had hoped
they would. They didn’t know just how much
God loved each and every one of them.

3. God decided he must do something to change
this, so he sent his Son Jesus to live among
us, to show us how to love one another, how
to love God and to show just how much God
loves each and every person.

4. To make this happen God sent his Angel
Gabriel to a young woman called Mary. The
Angel Gabriel told her that she had been
chosen by God to be the mother of his Son
and that she was to have a baby boy.

6. Mary was very scared and surprised when
she heard this because she was not yet
married, but the Angel Gabriel told her not to
be scared as it would be God’s doing.
Mary believed and trusted in God. She knew
that if this was God’s plan everything would
be OK.

7. And this is how and why the very first
Christmas began ……….
But do you know what happened next?

8. Mary was engaged to be married to a man
called Joseph. He was a good man and
worked as a carpenter.
When he realised that Mary was pregnant,
Joseph decided that he would quietly call-off
their engagement.

9. But God wanted Joseph to be Jesus’
stepfather on earth and to be Mary’s husband.
So, in a dream God sent an angel to tell
Joseph that it was all OK to marry Mary as she
was going to give birth to God’s son and
Joseph was to call the baby Jesus.

11. Reassured and trusting and believing in God,
Joseph did just as God had asked him to in his
dream and he didn’t break off the engagement.
Now at this time, Caesar decided he wanted to
count all his people, so he organised a great
big census and every man with his family had
to go to his family hometown to be counted.

12. This meant that Joseph and Mary travelled on
a donkey from Nazareth in Galilee where they
lived, to Bethlehem (Joseph’s family town) 90
miles away, to be counted.

14. By now Mary was heavily pregnant, but when
they got to Bethlehem, they found all the
places to stay were full and they had nowhere
to go.

16. After much searching a local innkeeper said
that Joseph and Mary could have the use of
his stable, if they didn’t mind sharing it with his
animals.

18. Joseph and Mary accepted this offer –
although it was not ideal, it was their only real
option
Whilst they were staying in the stable the time
came for Mary to give birth.

19. She had a baby boy and Joseph named him
Jesus, just as God had asked him to in his
dream.

21. That night a new bright star shone in the sky
and far, far away Three Wise Men saw it.

23. They realised that it meant a new King had
been born. They knew that they must find the
new King and worship him; as they recognised
this King would be incredibly special. So, they
set out on a long, long journey to follow the
star and find the new King.

24. But it wasn’t just important people that were
made aware of the birth of this very special
King, because God sent Angels to a group of
shepherds who were out in the fields with their
sheep to tell them of Jesus’ birth.

25. At first the shepherds were terrified, but Angel
Gabriel told them not to be scared because
God had especially important news for them!

27. The angel said that their Saviour had been
born in Bethlehem and that the shepherds
would be able to know and find this new baby
because he had been wrapped in bands of
cloth and was lying in a manger.

29. The angels sang wonderful songs of praise to
God and when they left, the shepherds
decided they must go and find this new special
baby, their Saviour. So, they left their sheep
and ran to Bethlehem and found the stable and
Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus lying in the
manger, just as the Angels had told them.

30. The shepherds had nothing to give the new
baby King – just their love and praise. When
they left the stable, they told all those they met
about what had happened to them that night
and what God had told them of this new baby
boy. And they didn’t stop thanking and praising
God for everything that God had made happen
for them.

32. The Three Wise Men took a long time to reach
Bethlehem in search of the new King and
when they arrived, they went to the place they
thought such a special King would be – the
palace.

33. But Jesus wasn’t at the palace – this was the
home of King Herod and when he heard the
news from the Three Wise Men that an
incredibly important King had been born in his
country, Herod was cross and very worried
because he thought this new King would
threaten his kingly position.

34. So, he told the Wise Men to continue their
search and when they had found the special
King, to return to Herod to tell him where the
new King was so he too could go and worship
him. In fact, Herod had no such plans to
worship a new King, rather he wanted to know
the new King’s whereabouts to be able to get
rid of him and thus protect his throne.

35. The Three Wise Men followed the star until it
stopped above the exact place where Jesus
was living then with Mary and Joseph. When
they saw Jesus, they immediately worshipped
him and they gave him gifts of Gold,
Frankincense and Myrrh.

37. We remember the Three Wise Men visiting
Jesus at Epiphany which we celebrate on 6th
January.

38. The Three Wise Men never went back to King
Herod as they were warned by God in a dream
not to do so but returned home by another
route.

39. Joseph too was warned in a dream that he had
to get his family out of King Herod’s country
and so he, Mary and Jesus escaped to Egypt
where the family stayed until King Herod died.
Jesus grew up in his loving earthly family and
learnt more and more about his heavenly
father, God.

40. When he was about 30 years old, Jesus left
his job as a carpenter and began to travel and
tell people about God and God’s love for
everyone and how people could show their
love for God whom Jesus said to people to call
‘Father’.

41. Jesus did many loving things in the name of
God his Father. He helped lots and lots of
people come to know of God and to choose to
live their lives on earth as God wishes people
to.

42. At Easter, we remember God’s absolute gift of
love, when for all the things we do wrong, he
allowed Jesus to take the blame and to die for
us.

43. But God is greater than death because 3 days
later Jesus rose from the dead and showed
that God has power over everything, and that
God’s love is everlasting and is there for all
people always.

44. So this Christmas enjoy this wonderful story
because it is truly wonderful but to make it the
absolute best story ever – make it real and
know that God wants you to know him and to
know that you are loved by him just as much
as God wanted that for the people 2020 years
ago.

45. You can come to him at any time, no matter
what – as poor as a shepherd or as wealthy as
a Wise man – God loves you and no problem
is ever too big or too small for God to care
about and to manage.

46. If you want to find out more do contact anyone
in our local churches:
http://www.churchesindawlish.org.uk/
or pick up a bible and just start reading.

47. God Bless and Happy Christmas