4. The word is out!

By Annette Osborne -
Looking up at the ceiling in the Church of the Annunciation.

Luke 1:30 The angel greeted Mary and said, “You are truly blessed! The Lord is with you.
The word is out! Mary is going to have a baby. Everyone is very confused. Mary is going to get married to a man named Joseph. He is a nice guy. But they are not married yet.

Mary’s parents have told everyone that the most unexpected thing has happened. The angel didn’t just tell Mary a message, the angel told Mary that she was going to have a baby.

Oh the conversations going on around town! Some people think this is the most amazing story. Some people don’t believe it for a moment. Angels showing up in town? Angels delivering news about babies?

How can this be? 
The Church of the Annunciation, Nazareth.
Now: Years later people will remember this time. They built a church to remember the time that an angel visited Nazareth. It is called the Church of the Annunciation. That means the church of the angel’s announcement. It helps people to remember that Mary was visited by an angel. The church has a tall roof which you can see the inside of in the bottom photo. It is shaped like a lily. The name Nazareth means flower, and it also reminds people of what a beautiful person Mary was and why God chose her to be Jesus’ Mum.

The ruins of the whole of Nazareth in Jesus’ day lie underneath the church. That’s how small it was. People have dug up the ruins, and have discovered silos, which are places where grain was stored. They have also discovered cisterns for holding water (bottom photo) and what appears to be the remains of a house. 

What is left of Nazareth. We are standing on a
bridge taking a photo under the church building.
A water cistern.
Episode Five...

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