Walk Through Bethlehem

Another of our family's annual traditions is to go to a wonderful event called Walk Through Bethlehem, put on by a local church. We love including this event in our schedule because it brings the time of Jesus to life in a very real and visual way. The people there do an amazing job with their roles.

We were taken through the town of Bethlehem at the time of the census - including the tax on each person, the Roman guards and all! We were shown the various shops that would have been at their market and the types of goods they offered as well as how they are made, how they live, what their everyday lives would have been like. And all the while, we were hearing rumors of a baby born in a stable - could it be the Messiah, the promised one? Following the path, we found the stable, the baby and his parents and stood in awe at the miracle of the first Christmas gift - for God so loved the world that He gave.

What I love about their production is that they don't stop the story at the manger. They take you to the cross. Because, although it wouldn't be Christmas without a manger and a stable full of hay, Christmas isn't Christmas without the reality of the cross. That is why He came.