Yasha (Jesus) Is Born

Luke 2:1-7

 

 

 

 

 

 

            At the time Yasha was born, Emperor Augustus ordered everyone to pay taxes in their own city. This was their first census, and everybody went to be counted and be made know as citizens, each to his own town. Everyone had to fill out a paper telling how many people there were in their family, each one’s birth date, and where they lived. It was also the time that everyone had to pay taxes on their property. If they didn’t pay taxes, they would lose their property.

          Joseph and Mary lived in the town of Nazareth, in Galilee.  They had to go all the way to King David’s home town, to a town called Bethlehem, in the land of Judea to pay their taxes because he and Mary were descendants of King David. It was not a good time for Mary to travel, because it was almost time for her baby to be born.

          When Mary and Joseph arrived in the big city of Bethlehem, Joseph went to the stable to leave his donkeys with all the other people’s donkeys and camels. This was a place like a parking lot for those who had traveled into the city to pay their taxes. In this stable, there were no chickens or sheep, for this place was not a farm. There were only animals that could be ridden or could carry supplies on their backs.

          In those days, there was an inn next to the stable for those who wished to be close by their riding animals, or for those who did not have a place to stay. While at the stable, Joseph asked the stable keeper if there was room in the inn for them to spend the night. But the keeper said, “There are no rooms available; they are all filled.”

Joseph told the inn keeper, “But the time has come for my wife, Mary, to have her baby and she needs a room.” The keeper of the stable said they could stay with the animals until there was a room emptied.

Joseph made a nice place in the stable for Mary to have Yahweh's Son. After Mary had Yasha, she wrapped him up in swaddling clothes. Swaddling clothes were wrapped tight around the baby so that he could not move. This made the baby feel like he was still in his mamma's womb and kept him from being so scared. Mary then laid baby Yasha in the stall, called a manger. The manger held the hay so the animals could eat it without spreading it all over the place.

Soon a room in the inn became empty. Mary, Joseph, and their new baby moved into a room in the inn and stayed until Mary felt well enough to travel.

 

 

1.  Who ordered everyone to pay taxes? ______________________

2.  Why did Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem?

     To fill out a  _________________  and to pay their ______________.

3.  In what town did Mary and Joseph live? ______________________

4.  In what town was Yasha born? _______________________________     

5.  The stable was for ____________________________________________

6.  What is a manger?                                                                              

7.  Draw a picture of the stable where Yasha was born.