THE Romans set up a strange king over the Jews. His name was Herod, and he was an Edomite—that is, a descendant of Jacob's brother Esau. He believed in the true God, and began to make the Temple much more beautiful than it had been since it had been built up after the Jews came back from Babylon. But he was a very wicked and cruel man, who killed his own wife, and made everybody afraid of him; and the Jews were very unhappy under him.
THE BIRTH OF JOHN.—Luke 1:62-64.
They had one hope, and that was, that it was just about the time when God had promised to send a Holy One into the world to save them and set them free; and they thought He would be a great, mighty king, like David, who would conquer Herod, and drive away the Romans, and have a crown and throne brighter than Solomon's.
And just then an angel was sent from God to the little town of Nazareth, where there lived a young maiden, quite a poor woman, but most good and holy, a descendant of the great King David. The angel told her that she was highly favored, for she was to be the mother of the Son of the Highest, for the Holy One who was to be born of her should be the Son of God; and when He was born, she was to call His name Jesus, which means the Lord our Saviour, because He should save His people from their sins; and Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word."
THE ANGEL ANNOUNCING THE BIRTH OF JESUS.—Luke 2:10, 11.
QUESTIONS.
1. Whom did the Romans make king of the Jews? 2. What nation did Herod belong to? 3. Who was the forefather of the Edomites? 4. Whose son was Esau? 5. What sort of man was Herod? 6. What did he do to please the Jews? 7. But how did he treat them? 8. Whom did he put to death? 9. What were the Jews hoping for? 10. Who had promised that Holy One? 11. What did the Jews think He would be? 12. Who came to say He was coming at last? 13. To whom was the angel sent? 14. What was her name? 15. Where did he live? 16. What did the angel tell her? 17. Who would be born of her? 18. Whose Son would He be? 19. What was she to call Him? 20. What does Jesus mean? 21. What did she answer?