Nativity Story Characters ~ Herod

Herod was the king of Judea.  We read about him in Matthews gospel.  The three wise men visited him in order to discover the whereabouts of the child they were seeking. Herod was a Jewish king.

Being an educated man and with access to the learned scholars of the land etc, it is surprising that Herod was not more in touch with his roots. 
He felt that the term used in the scriptures "a saviour for all mankind" was a direct threat to hi and saw Jesus as a threat and "not for him" when infact Jesus was coming to the earth as much for him as for anyone else, because God loved Herod too.

Herod made enquireies from the wise men asking where and when the star had appeared and made the pretence of wanting to go and see the baby too, but the wise men were warned in a dream not to return to Herod. 
Herods raging then saw him issue a degree that all male children under the age of two in the vicinity of Bethlehem were to be killed.

Joseph was also warned in a dream of Herods intention and took Mary and Jesus to Egypt to escape him.

Nativity Story Characters ~ The Inn Keeper's

Every school nativity play featured inn keepers with their famous "no room here".  In the bible however, the inn keepers do not really get a mention at all. 
"And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."
Mary and Joseph had been forced to travel to the Town of Joseph's ancestors.  The journey would have taken days and been treaturous for a heavily pregnant woman.  The thought of arriving and finding the place bustling with all the other people forced there, and being able to find no shelter other then an animal hold would be very frightening.

Nativity Story Characters ~ Joseph

Joseph gets the raw deal in my opinion.  He was a man betrothed to a woman and then he hears rumours that his wife to be is pregnant, and he knows that there is no way the child is his.  The moral code at the time meant that it was all very embarrassing.  Joseph decided to end the agreement of marriage,

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.”

 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.  But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Joseph is then shunted into the sidelines.  His part in Jesus upbringing is not heavily featured in the bible.  He is also overlooked by the writers of Christmas Carols.  There are incredibly few references to him in any carol old or new.  

Joseph's role though, was basically that of step father, a role that in modern times is prevalent and given value.

Nativity Story Characters ~ Mary

Mary was ayoung girl, probably only around 14 years old.  Imagine her surprise when an angel appeared before her and said
" Good morning!
   You're beautiful with God's beauty,
   Beautiful inside and out!
   God be with you."
 She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, "Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you: You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus.

   He will be great,
      be called 'Son of the Highest.'
   The Lord God will give him
      the throne of his father David;
   He will rule Jacob's house forever—
      no end, ever, to his kingdom."
 Mary said to the angel, "But how? I've never slept with a man."
 The angel answered,

   The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
      the power of the Highest hover over you;
   Therefore, the child you bring to birth
      will be called Holy, Son of God.
 ^"And did you know that your cousin Elizabeth conceived a son, old as she is? Everyone called her barren, and here she is six months pregnant! Nothing, you see, is impossible with God."
   And Mary said,

   "Yes, I see it all now:
      I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve.
   Let it be with me
      just as you say.
   Then the angel left her."

After going to visit her realtive Elizabeth, Mary said,
"   I'm bursting with God-news;
      I'm dancing the song of my Savior God.
      God took one good look at me, and look what happened—
      I'm the most fortunate woman on earth!
   What God has done for me will never be forgotten,
      the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.
   His mercy flows in wave after wave
      on those who are in awe before him.
   He bared his arm and showed his strength,
      scattered the bluffing braggarts.
   He knocked tyrants off their high horses,
      pulled victims out of the mud.
   The starving poor sat down to a banquet;
      the callous rich were left out in the cold.
   He embraced his chosen child, Israel;
      he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.
   It's exactly what he promised,
      beginning with Abraham and right up to now. "