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. After traveling on a donkey for several days, Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem and were told there were no places to stay. The inns were full. Seeing that Mary was due to give birth at any moment, an inn owner told Joseph they could stay in his stable. Mary went into labour, and Jesus was born in the stable. The only place for the sleeping baby to rest was most likely in the animals’ trough, known as the manger. During this time, an angel appeared to shepherds who were watching their flocks in the fields near Bethlehem. The angel told them the good news of the birth of the Savior and Messiah, Jesus Christ. The shepherds immediately went to find baby Jesus, who the angels told them they would find sleeping in the manger. Then they ran off to share the good news with everyone.
Jesus is resting by the well after a long journey while his disciples go into town to buy food. It is the middle of the day. A woman comes to draw water from the well and Jesus asks her to give him some water to drink. She is surprised because a Jewish man wouldn’t normally talk to a Samaritan woman.
Jesus talks to the woman about living water, spiritual fulfilment. He says that anyone who drinks this living water will have eternal life. Jesus knows all about her private life, which convinces her that he must be a prophet. She asks about worship, and Jesus reveals his identity as Messiah to her. She becomes like an evangelist and goes off to share the good news with the whole town. Because of her witness, many people come to hear Jesus speak and many people become Christians.
The story is about a Moabite woman named Ruth who, after the deaths of her husband and father-in-law, chooses to stay with her Israelite mother-in-law, Naomi. She accompanies Naomi back to Bethlehem, where Ruth gleans in the fields to provide for them. Ruth catches the eye of Boaz, a wealthy landowner and relative of Naomi’s family. They marry, and Ruth becomes an ancestor of King David and, later, Jesus Christ.