Baby Jesus and the Seventeen Bears

Can you find the seventeen "bears" in the following story? Read it aloud to a circle of friends. You might have a teddy bear to pass around the circle. Whenever the word "bear" is heard, the person holding the bear passes it on to the person to his right.

One day when God’s people could hardly bear the oppression of Rome any longer, an angel appeared to a young girl named Mary. Mary was told that she would bear a son, the promised Messiah, who would bear the weight of the world on His shoulders, just as her Jewish forebears had prophesied long ago.

So it was that Joseph took his donkey bearing Mary to Bethlehem to be registered in the mandatory census. They arrived barely in time to find shelter in a barn before the Baby was born.

That night angels suddenly showed up in the field bearing the good news of great joy. The poor shepherds, lacking but the bare necessities of life, rushed to offer their worship.

Then some very wise and important foreign dignitaries arrived bearing extravagant gifts for the Child.

When King Herod’s anger was brought to bear upon all baby boys in the region, Joseph quickly removed his family to Egypt for a period of time.

The child grew up to be a great teacher. He encouraged people to bear fruits befitting repentance, to quit bearing grudges, and to bear one another’s burdens. More than that, this man Jesus was cruelly killed on a cross, bearing the blame of our sins. He was buried and descended into hell.

However, the gates of hell could not bear the weight of His powerful love for us. He arose and lives forever.

Thousands of people bear witness to the fact of His resurrection, that He was and is indeed the Son of God, the promised Messiah.