In any story, there is a cast of characters. Each character has a part to play, including the protagonist, antagonist, and those who are in supporting roles.
Doing a thorough study of characters in a story helps the reader or member of the audience understand the little parts that make up the big picture.
Of course, the Christmas story is not a regular story. It is true, meaning that it happened in history, and the Bible accurately recorded the events.
However, by studying the key people in the biblical account, Christians can gain further understanding of the events surrounding Jesus’ first coming when He came to make His dwelling among us.
1. Mary
In the Gospel accounts, Mary is presented as a normal, young Israelite woman. Like many other women her age, she was engaged to be married (Luke 1:27). However, her life changed when the angel Gabriel visited her and said that she (a virgin) would give birth to the Messiah (Luke 1:30-35).
God had chosen her, a common Jewish girl, to be the mother of the Savior. This was a great honor since many women in the past had longed to fill this role to fulfill the prophecy in Genesis 3:15.
Mary gave birth to Jesus in Bethlehem (Matthew 1:22-23; Luke 2:4-7). His coming was heralded by a heavenly host of angels and a visit from shepherds (Luke 2:8-18).
Mary absorbed all the miraculous events surrounding Christ’s birth and His later presentation at the Temple. Scripture tells us that she pondered these events in her heart (Luke 2:19).
She may not have fully understood the significance of the events, but she firmly trusted in the Lord and obeyed Him. We all can learn from Mary’s attitude of humbleness, trust, and wonder.
2. Joseph
Like Mary, Joseph was a normal Israelite man. He was not wealthy and did not have great status. Although some scholars have argued that Joseph was much older than Mary or that he had been married previously, there are no details in Scripture about his age or previous marital status.
We do know that he was a descendant of David in the line of Judah. Jesus was counted as a descendant of David through Joseph’s ancestry (Matthew 1:16-17).
Joseph was a follower of God and genuinely loved Mary. So, when Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant, he planned to divorce her quietly to avoid placing her in a position of public scandal. However, God had a different plan.
The Lord sent an angel to inform Joseph in a dream of how Mary had become pregnant. He learned that Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and that Mary had not been unfaithful — she was still a virgin.
The role of Joseph in the Christmas story might seem small, but God used him to protect Mary and Jesus when Herod sought to kill Jesus.
The family escaped to Egypt and only returned once an angel informed in a dream that Herod was dead (Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23). Because of the faithful obedience of a seemingly ordinary man, Jesus was born into a loving family who protected Him from Herod’s evil plan.
3. Jesus
The most important person in the Christmas story is Jesus Christ. Of course, His birth into the world was not the beginning of His existence. As God, He has always existed. However, He added humanity to His divinity at His earthly birth (John 1:1, 14). Mighty God humbled Himself and became a baby.
Unlike what most people would expect, Jesus was born to a common Israelite girl and placed in a manger. The first visitors to see the King of Israel were not political leaders or priestly scribes but shepherds who were poor and despised.
Not a single religious leader hailed the arrival of the Messiah or brought Him gifts. Yet foreign wise men from the East did. Through these events, Christ identified Himself with the outcasts of society, as He regularly did in His earthly ministry (Matthew 11:19).
Christ was no ordinary baby. He was born of the virgin Mary as the prophesied Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:21-23). He came into the world to free us from slavery to sin and give us new life. We rightly place Jesus at the center of Christmas because He is our Savior and Lord.
4. Gabriel
Within the Christmas story, the angel Gabriel served as a messenger. He appeared to Zechariah and Mary to bring important news from God that foretold the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus.
His role as a messenger is nothing new since he had appeared to Daniel in Old Testament times (Daniel 8:15-26; 9:21).
Although Mary responded to Gabriel’s messages with trust, Zechariah did not. Gabriel is an angel, one who stands constantly in the presence of God (Luke 1:19).
Yet even with an angel appearing to tell him that his wife would give birth to a son, Zechariah did not believe. As a result, Gabriel made him mute until after John the Baptist was born (Luke 1:20, 64).
Despite the modern obsession with angels, Gabriel’s role in the Christmas story is minor. He did not seek any glory or praise for himself. Instead, he urged others to trust in God.
5. Zechariah, Elizabeth, and John the Baptist
Zechariah was from the priestly line of Abijah (1 Chronicles 24:10; Luke 1:5). Likewise, Elizabeth was in the tribe of Levi as a descendant of Aaron (Luke 1:5). Scripture tells us that they were both righteous in that they sought to follow God’s Law.
These details are important because they provide John the Baptist with a priestly background. He was the foretold prophet who would prepare the way for the Messiah (Isaiah 40:3; Luke 1:76).
When Gabriel appeared to Zechariah in the temple, he brought the news that Zechariah and Elizabeth were going to be parents in their old age. Zechariah responds in disbelief at first, while Elizabeth responds to her pregnancy in wonder and praises God (Luke 1:24-25).
Although Zechariah had doubts at first, during his period of silence, he had time to ponder the words of the angel. When the time came for their son to be named, Zechariah wrote that his son should be named “John,” just as Gabriel said (Luke 1:62-63).
At that time, speech returned to him (Luke 1:64). The man who had once stood in doubt before an angel prophesied in the power of the Holy Spirit about the Lord’s salvation and his son’s role as a prophet (Luke 1:67-79).
Elizabeth also demonstrated steadfast faith. She not only praised the Lord for enabling her to have a child but recognized that her relative, Mary, was the mother of the Messiah. When Mary greeted her, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and blessed Mary and Jesus (Luke 1:41-45).
Just as the movement of the Spirit led to an exultation of praise from Zechariah, so did Elizabeth’s words move Mary to pronounce her famous song known as the Magnificat (Luke 1:45-55).
Zechariah and Elizabeth had vital roles in the Christmas story as the parents of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus.
6. The Shepherds
In a nativity play, the shepherds are easily recognizable with their shepherd crooks and sheep. Although Christians today could not imagine a nativity play without the shepherds, their part in the story would have been unexpected. They were just ordinary shepherds guarding their flocks at night (Luke 2:8).
The extraordinary happened, though, when they were visited by an angel who told them that the Messiah had been born (Luke 2:9-12). A host of angels appeared offering praises to God (Luke 2:13-14). After hearing where the Savior was, they immediately left to find him (Luke 2:15-16).
Amazingly, the first visitors to see the infant Christ were not royalty but simple shepherds. They were not popular in society or wealthy, yet they responded in wonder to Jesus and offered praises for what the Lord had done (Luke 2:17-20). We can learn from their faith and willingness to tell others about the Messiah.
7. The Magi
Another crucial part of a nativity play is the figures of the Magi. Traditionally, people assumed that there were three Magi since three gifts were given to Jesus.
However, there is nothing in the Bible that specifically says there were three of them. Also, they did not visit Christ on the day of His birth (Matthew 2:1).
The Magi were men from the East who treasured knowledge and learning. Most scholars believe they were from Persia or Arabia.
If they were Persian, they could have had access to the prophecies of the coming Messiah because of Israel’s exile in Babylon (Babylon was later overthrown by the Medes and Persians). Daniel and other Israelites had lived among them, so it does seem possible that the Persians had access to parts of the Old Testament.
Although the Magi assumed that the royalty of Israel would be interested in the Messiah and the star that guided them to Him, Herod used the Magi to try to find out where Jesus was born (Matthew 2:1-8).
They visited Christ at Mary and Joseph’s home, most likely a year or two after His birth. Recognizing Jesus’ identity, they worshiped Him and gave Him gifts that held symbolic significance (Matthew 2:11).
After their visit, they did not return to Herod since they had a dream warning them not to (Matthew 2:12).
Unlike the political and religious leaders of the day, Gentile men recognized the significance of the birth of the Messiah. Their part of the Christmas story reminds us that Jesus came as the Savior of Israel and the entire world (1 John 4:14).
8. King Herod
King Herod, also known as Herod the Great, was known for his paranoia and cruelty. He killed members of his family to keep them from gaining his throne. It is not surprising, then, that when Herod heard about the Messiah, the rightful King of Israel, he plotted to kill Him.
After inquiring of the chief priests and teachers of the law, he learned that the prophet Micah foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2,4; Matthew 2:4-6).
Herod tried to trick the Magi into informing him where the child was once they visited Him, lying about wanting to worship Him (Matthew 2:7-8). However, the Magi were warned of Herod’s purpose and did not return to him.
Since Herod already knew the timeframe of when the Messiah was born and the location, he ordered all male children in Bethlehem aged two and below to be killed (Matthew 2:16).
This event is known as the Massacre of the Innocents, and it fulfilled the prophecy in Jeremiah 31:15 (Matthew 217-18).
Secular historians do not believe this massacre happened because of a lack of records. However, Bethlehem was known for being a small town, which is why it was likely not included in records.
We can trust the biblical account because it is God’s Word. It also aligns with what we know of Herod’s murderous and jealous character.
9. Anna
An individual who is sometimes overlooked in the Christmas story is Anna. She was a prophetess from the Tribe of Asher (Luke 2:36).
When she was younger, she had been married, but her husband died after only seven years of marriage, leaving her as a widow (Luke 2:36-37).
Scripture informs us that she lived at the temple, devoting herself to worship, prayer, and fasting (Luke 2:37).
Like so many others in the biblical account of Jesus’ coming, Anna had been waiting for the Messiah. Old and widowed, she finally experienced the answer to her prayer when Mary and Joseph presented Jesus at the temple.
She could not help but tell others about Jesus and the redemption He would bring to Israel (Luke 2:38).
Through the story of Anna, we see a model of how we can worship the Lord as we wait for Jesus’ Second Coming. Like her, we can devote ourselves to worshiping God and serving Him.
10. Simeon
Simeon, a devout follower of God, also anticipated the coming of the Messiah. Scripture tells us that “He was waiting for the consolation of Israel” (Luke 2:25).
The Holy Spirit told Simeon that he would see the Messiah before he died and directed him to be at the temple when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus (Luke 2:26-27).
Upon seeing the infant Christ and holding Him, Simeon praised God for His salvation. He prophesied that Jesus would be a light for the Gentiles and Jews (Luke 2:32).
Also, he said that Jesus would cause many to fall and rise (Luke 2:34). Even Mary would be painfully affected (Luke 2:35).
Just as Anna waited for the coming of the Savior, so did Simeon. He was a man who was familiar with the movement of the Holy Spirit. He listened closely to the Spirit’s direction, which is something we can all learn from.
Why Does This Matter?
Reading the Christmas story year after year, we become familiar with all the biblical characters. However, if we stop to take a closer look and put ourselves into their perspective, we can reawaken the wonder and joy of the news that Christ the Savior is born.
We look back to His first coming with praise and turn our eyes to the future with anticipation that He is coming again.
May we have the faithful trust of people like Mary, Joseph, and Elizabeth. May we seek to worship the Lord and praise Him as Zechariah, the shepherds, and the Magi did. And may we wait patiently, as Anna and Simeon did, in service to Christ until He comes again.
For further reading:
Why Did God Choose Mary as the Mother of Jesus?
5 Remarkable Women in Jesus’ Genealogy and What They Teach Us
What Is the Significance of Mary Visiting Elizabeth?
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