Mary gave birth to the baby boy Jesus Christ while she was still a virgin, just as the prophet Isaiah had said it would happen many centuries earlier. No one else has ever been born into the world in such circumstances. The birth of Jesus Christ was unique. There has been no-one else like him.

His mother Mary was chosen by God to bring Jesus Christ into the world.  The angel Gabriel came to her and told her the news. The angel told her that she would be pregnant with a boy.  His name should be Jesus. Mary asked how this could happen because she was a virgin. She was astonished at the message.  However, the angel explained to her that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and that she would become a mother whilst still a virgin. This child would be wonderful.  He would be the heir to the kingdom as promised to his ancestor King David. His kingdom would never end. Mary was a young woman who trusted God so she said ‘I shall serve the Lord. May it happen to me just as you have said.’

Mary was betrothed to Joseph when all this happened. He was planning to divorce her, but an angel spoke to him in a dream. The angel said that Mary had not been unfaithful. The child was present in Mary’s womb because of the miraculous power of God. ‘His name will be Jesus,’ the angel said, ‘because he will save the people belonging to him from their sins.’

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Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, a village near Jerusalem. An angel announced His birth. Angels appeared to some shepherds who were with their flocks at night. The glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified. But the angel said to them – ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Saviour has been born – He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you – you will find a newborn baby. They have wrapped the baby in cloths and he will be in a feeding trough.’ They left their sheep and went to see him. They found everything just as the angel had said.

When Jesus was thirty years old, the prophet John helped Jesus to go down into the waters of the River Jordan, and Jesus received the Holy Spirit who came down on him like a dove. John saw this and pointed him out as God’s sacrificial Lamb. He would remove the sin of the world. Jesus worked so many miracles, that the people were completely astonished. People came in large crowds in order to be healed of their diseases. Jesus healed the blind, the deaf, the dumb and the lame and freed people from evil. ‘The time has come’ he said, ‘the kingdom of God is near to you. You must repent and you must believe the good news which I bring.’

Jesus was with his twelve followers when they saw a man who was blind from birth. Jesus said he was the light of the world. Jesus formed mud from the ground, and put it on the man’s eyes. ‘You must go and wash in the Pool of Siloam’, he said to the blind man. So the man went and washed his eyes. His eyes were opened and he returned to his house. Now he was able to see!

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Jesus healed a boy who was extremely troubled and he couldn’t speak. The boy had a spirit which made him deaf and dumb. Jesus ordered the spirit to leave him and he was restored from that moment. Jesus said, ‘Everything is possible to him who believes.’

Some people came to Jesus bringing a man who was deaf and could hardly talk. Jesus healed him and he spoke plainly. People were overwhelmed with amazement. ‘He has done everything well’, they said.

There was a man who was paralysed and he lay on his bed. His four friends lifted the man to the house where Jesus was speaking. When they arrived at the house, they couldn’t even get near the door because there were so many people who were trying to listen. So they took him up on the roof of the house. The friends dug a hole in the roof. Then they lowered the paralysed man into the presence of Jesus. Jesus said to him, ‘The sins which you have committed are forgiven’. He told him that he should stand up, pick up his mat and go to his house. The man got up, picked up the mat and walked out in front of them all. They were all amazed and praised God saying – ‘We have never seen anything like this before!’

Isaiah the prophet said that when the Messiah came, the eyes of the blind would be opened, the deaf would hear,  the lame would be able to jump, and those who weren’t able to speak, would be able to sing. Jesus healed the blind, the deaf, the lame and those who weren’t able to speak and very much more.  Once he spoke to a woman from Samaria at Jacob’s well. She told Jesus, “When the Messiah comes, he will explain everything to us.”  Jesus replied  “I am speaking to you now, I am the Messiah.”

Material sourced from Matthew 1, 2 & 14 Mark 1, 2, 7 & 9 Luke 1, 2 & 3 John 1, 2, 4, 5 & 9 Isaiah 7, 9 & 35

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