About the Birth of Christ

About the birth of Christ, what can be known?
It was a chilly night when Christ was born,
Swaddled in cloths, laid in a trough of stone,
His virgin mother, Mary, travel worn.
Her husband, Joseph, was the household head,
To pay the taxes he did not neglect.
To a tree nailed, Jesus His blood would shed,
Thereon, His Father, God would Him reject.
The angels sang to shepherds with their flocks,
Praising, “Glory to God in the highest!
On earth, peace and good will to men,” in smocks.
Led by the star, on Him their eyes did rest
In a shelter made for tired, sweaty beasts,
For the vacant rooms within the inn had ceased.

Then later, in a house with Jesus grown,
Perhaps a toddler with His ruddy cheeks,
A group of wise men there themselves made known,
Not long after with Herod they did speak.
King Herod learned of Jesus’ birth foretold
When with those men he had an audience.
They carried myrrh and frankincense with gold,
The star had led them there with great suspense.
And present with the Christ child, gifts they gave,
They’d brought Him gold and frankincense with myrrh.
The offspring of the virgin did behave
As wise men bowed before the Son of her.
When in a dream forewarned, the wise men left,
King Herod of Christ’s address was bereft.

When Joseph in a dream was warned to flee
The fear of the Lord this man’s heart had gripped.
He heeded God and took his family,
Till King Herod’s time of death, to Egypt.
In fury, Herod killed the baby boys
From newborns to the age of Jesus Christ.
With tears of lamentation there was noise,
But Herod’s heart with hatred remained iced.
Perhaps the time to hear from God is now,
This season when we celebrate Christ’s birth.
His mark within our foreheads He’ll endow,
The end times we are nearing, filled with dearth.
For baby Jesus’ birth let’s praise the Lord,
For in our hearts there’s room we can afford.