The season of Advent is full of anticipation for the arrival of God’s promised One, and so we are all on our way to Bethlehem. Prophets listen to God, so they can help show us the way. Isaiah was a prophet who listened and spoke the word of God. Isaiah foretells the future event of the coming of the Christ.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Around 2,000 years ago a young woman named Mary, from the town of Nazareth, was visited by an angel named Gabriel.

Luke 1:26-33 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

An angel also visited Joseph and told him that Mary would be pregnant from the Lord and that she would have a son named Jesus who would save the people from their sins. Remember scene one?

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”) Matthew 1:22

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. Luke 2:1-5

So Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem because of an order from the Roman emperor that a census, or record, of all people, be taken in their hometown. The Bible does not tell us if they walked or had a donkey. The distance between Nazareth and Bethlehem was about 90 miles and would have taken the young couple at least a week to walk.

Before you proceed to the next scene, did you find the gift wrapped present? What does the gift say on it? Write the answer on page 9 of your guidebook. Proceed once you have found it.

...there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:7b

After traveling several days, Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem and were told that there was no room in the “inn.” An inn in those days was more like a guest room in a two room house. In these homes, the animals were kept below the main floor, in a kind of half-basement with a floor of dirt. Seeing that Mary was due at any moment, this in-home “stable” was possibly her only option.

You are now viewing a field where shepherds are watching their flocks near Bethlehem.

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”  Luke 2:8-12

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”  Luke 2:13-14

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” Luke 2:15

Let’s proceed to find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.

You have reached the stable! Do you see baby Jesus?

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger ... Luke 2:6-7a

Look, the shepherds have found Him just as they were told—wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. Did you know that a manger is used as a feeding trough for animals?

And the shepherds went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Luke 2:16-20

Have you found the gift wrapped present? “Jesus, Best Gift Ever” Write down the words on page 9.

After some time, some wise men, also known as magi, saw a brilliant star in the sky that rested over where Jesus was born. The wise men traveled from a distant eastern country to find the new King.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:1-2, 10-11

Tonight, we celebrate the birth of Jesus and the coming of our savior at Christmastime. Did you find the third gift wrapped present? Read it out loud.