Most children are familiar with the stories of the people they see in a traditional Nativity scene—Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men, and of course, Jesus. But do they know about Jesus’s ancestors who God used to bring about the birth of the Messiah? In this brief excerpt from Jesus and the Characters of Christmas, children will learn about just a few of the everyday men and women whose faith made it possible for Jesus to one day be born. Share this story with your child today.
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Jesus is kind and loving and perfect.
But others in His story are just normal people like you and me.
Abraham struggled but believed God’s promises.
David defeated a giant and was crowned king but made big mistakes.
Rahab had a dark past but believed in God’s promise to save and rescue those who are far from Him.
Ruth was from Moah, a country that opposed God’s people. But Ruth was faithful, and God used her too.
Thankfully, God had a plan for these misfits all along.
“A blessing is coming to save the world!” God’s messengers declared.
So the people hoped and waited. Waited and hoped.
Finally, after four-hundred years of silence, on an ordinary day, God revealed a big part of His amazing story . . . to one of the most unlikely people you could ever imagine.
A simple young girl named Mary lived in the little town of Nazareth. Mary wasn’t famous or rich. People probably thought she wasn’t noteworthy at all.
But God doesn’t care about what other people think. He doesn’t care if people have lots of money or cool toys or fancy clothes.
God uses regular, ordinary people to do incredible things.
Mary was one of those people.
And so are you!
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The above excerpt is from Jesus and the Characters of Christmas by Daniel Darling. Children will learn more about the unlikely people God chose to be part of the greatest, most miraculous story of all—the birth of Jesus. Reintroduce your family to the characters of Christmas, and experience anew the awe and wonder of Jesus’s birth.
Learn more about Jesus and the Characters of Christmas here.
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