As each of the Israeli groups arrived they received a welcome from our Jewish believing guides. We explained the traditions and origins of the Christmas holiday. Amongst mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, hot soup and Christmas cookies we compared the truth of the Christmas story with the current media images and culture. We explained that we don't celebrate the birth day of the Messiah we celebrate the birth of the Messiah. It’s an important difference.
The most important thing we explained was that the Christmas story is not a Christian story. It’s a Jewish story. It’s about a Jewish boy born to Jewish parents in a Jewish world. Yes, it’s a miraculous story but that is Jewish too. Many of God's heroes have miraculous birth narratives. Issac was born to a barren mother, as was the prophet Samuel and the judge Samson. Moses was rescued miraculously from the water into Pharaohs’ house. And even according to the Jewish midrash Noah is given a miraculous birth which is also recorded in the Book of Enoch, part of the Ethiopian Bible.
The church was full of Israelis from 7pm till midnight with many staying for the full service of Lessons and Carols. As a gift we gave everyone the first 4 chapters of Luke in Hebrew so everyone could take away the real story of Christmas. Hundreds of New Testaments were also taken and the most common question asked throughout the evening of our guides and volunteers was 'What is it you believe?' It was a Kingdom day in every sense of the word.