THIS WEEK ON "JERUSALEM

DATELINE," IT'S CHRISTMAS

IN THE HOLY LAND.

A LOOK BACK AT CHRISTMASES

PAST

PLUS THE STORY FROM THE

PLACE WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

IN THE LITTLE TOWN OF

BETHLEHEM.

AND THE HISTORY OF A

CHRISTMAS CAROL CLASSIC,

AND ALL OF THE WOOD

CARVINGS.

HELLO, AND WELCOME TO THIS

EDITION OF "JERUSALEM

DATELINE."

I'M CHRIS MITCHELL.

COMING TO YOU THIS WEEK

FROM MANGER SQUARE IN

BETHLEHEM.

WE'RE TAKING A BREAK FROM

THE MIDDLE EAST

DEVELOPMENTS TO TALK ABOUT

A MORE IMPORTANT SUBJECT,

CHRISTMAS.

GERMAN AUTHOR AND VETERAN

ERICE SAYS WAR CAUSES THE

THE HORROR OF ALL

FEELINGS.

IT WAS WORLD WAR I THAT

LED TO THAT CONCLUSION.

BUT OUT OF THAT CONFLICT

CAME AN AMAZING CHRISTMAS

CELEBRATION THAT SHOWS THE

AMAZING DEPTHS OF

HUMANITY.

JOHN JESSUP REPORTS.

John: EACH YEAR

ANDREW HAMILTON LAYS A

WREATH AT THE WORLD WAR I

MONUMENT IN HIS SMALL

ENGLISH VILLAGE, A TRIBUTE

TO THE GRANDFATHER HE

BARELY KNEW.

WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER OF

HIM?

I JUST REMEMBER AN OLD

MAN WHO SHOUTED A LOT

BECAUSE HE WAS DEAF.

AND HE LOST HIS HEARING

REALLY DURING THE FIRST

WORLD WAR.

AND SO IT WAS REALLY QUITE

FRIGHTENING.

AND WHEN I READ HIS

DIARIES, I WAS AMAZED, I

SUPPOSE, AT THE LIFE HE

HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN.

THIS ONE IS THE ORIGINAL

ONE, WHICH HE WOULD HAVE

KEPT IN HIS TOP POCKET.

John: AS HAMILTON

WRITES IN HIS BOOK, "MEET

AT DAWN, UNARMED," HIS

GRANDFATHER, CAPTAIN

ROBERT HAMILTON, KEPT

DIARIES FROM 1913 TO 1950.

MOST YEARS WERE FAIRLY

MUNDANE WITH ONE

REMARKABLE EXCEPTION:

1914.

WEDNESDAY, THE 5TH OF

AUGUST, TO MOBILIZE AT

5:30 a.m.

John: HAMILTON WAS

PART OF THE INITIAL WAVE

OF BRITISH TROOPS IN WHAT

CAME TO BE KNOWN AS THE

FIRST WORLD WAR.

THE GENERAL CONSENSUS AT

THE TIME WAS THAT THE

FIGHTING WOULD BE OVER BY

CHRISTMAS.

JUST ONE DAY EARLIER,

GERMAN TROOPS HAD INVADED

BELGIUM, AND THEN ENGLAND

JOINED THE FIGHT.

IRONICALLY, THE LEADERS OF

THE OPPOSING SIDES WERE

FIRST COUSINS.

GERMAN'S KAISER WILHELM

THE SECOND, AND KING

GEORGE THE FIFTH OF

ENGLAND.

CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE, THE

TINY COUNTRY OF BELGIUM.

THIS VERY PROVINCIAL,

RURAL AREA OF BELGIUM WAS

ALMOST AT THE CENTER OF

THE WORLD'S ATTENTION.

I GREW UP LISTENING TO

STORIES OF ELDERLY PEOPLE

IN MY VILLAGE THAT HAD TO

DO WITH THE WAR.

John: GERMAN TROOPS

CUT A PATH OF DESTRUCTION

THROUGH BELGIUM INTO

FRANCE.

ALLIED FORCES STOPPED THEM

INSIDE OF PARIS, PUSHING

THEM BACK, BUT ONLY SO

FAR.

A STALEMATE EUED WITH

BOTH SIDES DIGGING IN,

LITERALLY.

TRENCH WARFARE ON THE

WESTERN FRONT HAD BEGUN.

SEPTEMBER 18th,

SEVERAL MEN KILLED AND

WOUNDED IN THE TRENCHES BY

SHELL FIRE.

THIS WAS, WITHOUT

EXCEPTION, THE MOST

MISERABLE NIGHT EVER

SPENT.

I STOOD ALL NIGHT IN

WATER, UP TO MY ANKLES,

AND THE RAIN POURING DOWN.

John: THIS IS ONE OF

THE ORIGINAL TRENCHES FROM

MORE THAN 100 YEARS AGO.

TWO PARALLEL, ZIG-ZAGGING

LINES BUILT BY THE GERMAN

AND ALLIED FORCES,

STRETCHING MORE THAN

450 MILES.

IN SOME PLACES THE

OPPOSING ARMIES WERE ONLY

50 YARDS APART.

BOTH PARTIES HAVE DUG

IN.

AND THE COLDEST IS COMING

IN.

AND SO ALL OF A SUDDEN THE

FIRST ENEMY IS NOT YOUR

OPPONENT ON THE OTHER SIDE

OF THE NO-MAN'S LAND, BUT

IT IS THE COLD.

John: BY THE END OF

NOVEMBER, THERE WERE OVER

1.5 MILLION CASUALTIES ON

THE WESTERN FRONT.

AS THE STALE MILITANT STALEMATE

CONTINUED, IT BECAME CLEAR

THAT THE WAR WOULD NOT BE

OVER BY CHRISTMAS.

THE OUTSIDE WORLD PUSHED

FOR AN OFFICIAL CHRISTMAS

TRUCE, INCLUDING POPE

BENEDICT THE FOURTH, WHO

ASKED IF THE GUNS MAY FALL

SILENT, AT LEAST UPON THE

NIGHT THAT THE ANGELS

SANG.

A BRITISH GENERAL,

HOWEVER, ISSUED A

DIRECTIVE FORBIDDING

STRATEGYIZATION.

John: HE WAS A

MACHINE GUN OFFICER IN THE

ROYAL REGIMEN.

HE RECOUNTED HIS

EXPERIENCES IN THE BOOK

"BULLETS AND BILLITS."

I REMEMBER BEING DOWN AT

THIS TIME.

John: BUT THE GERMANS

DIDN'T LET WAR STOP THEIR

CELEBRATION.

THEY DISPLAYED CHRISTMAS

TREES IN THEIR TRENCHES,

AND ON DECEMBER 23rd

HELD A CHURCH SERVICE IN A

BOMBED OUT SUGAR REFINERY.

LIKE HAMILTON, HE KEPT A

DIARY DURING THE WAR.

WE SANG THE SONG, "THIS

THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS

MADE," AND THE CELEBRATION

BROUGHT MANY TO TEARS.

> I THINK CHRISTMAS, IN

THOSE DAYS, WAS MUCH MORE

OF AN IMPORTANT FESTIVAL

IN THE GERMAN CULTURE THAN

IT WAS IN FRENCH OR

BELGIUM OR AN ANGLO-SAXON

COUNTRIESMENT.

>COUNTRIES.

I ORDERED MY MEN ON

CHRISTMAS EVE AND

CHRISTMAS DAY, NO SHOTS TO

BE FIRED IF IT WAS

POSSIBLE.

NO SOONER HAD WE SETTLED

INTO THE TRENCHES, WE AND

THE BRITS TRIED TO DRAW

ATTENTION TO EACH OTHER.

* SILENT NIGHT.

* HOLY NIGHT

THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS

PERMEATED US ALL.

AND WE TRIED TO MAKE THE

DAY OF CHRISTMAS IN SOME

WAY DIFFERENT FROM THE

OTHERS.

AN ENGLISH MAN CALLED OVER

TO OUR TRENCHES, I WISH

YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND

A HAPPY NEW YEAR.

TO WHICH I REPLIED, THANK

YOU VERY MUCH.

I WISH THE SAME TO YOU.

Reporter: AFTER

MONTHS OF INDICATIVE

SNIPING AND SHELLING, THIS

EPISODE CAME AS AN

INVIGORATING TONIC AND A

DAILY RELIEF TO THE

ANTAGONISM.

> ON CHRISTMAS MORNING I

WOKE VERY EARLY.

IT WAS A PERFECT DAY.

A BEAUTIFUL, CLOUDLESS

DAY.

DECEMBER 25th, A DAY

UNIQUE IN THE WORLD'S

HISTORY.

I MET THEIR OFFICER, AND

WE ARRANGED A LOCAL

ARMISTICE FOR 48 HOURS.

AS FAR AS I CAN GATHER,

THIS EFFORT OF OURS

EXTENDED ITSELF THROUGHOUT

THE WHOLE LINE, AS FAR AS

WE COULD HEAR.

AT CHRISTMASTIME, THE

SOLDIERS UNDER HIS COMMAND

HAD A ROTTEN TIME, AND HE

WAS DEEPLY CHRISTIAN

HIMSELF, AND SO IT WAS

NATURAL TO ALLOW IT TO

HAPPEN.

SO STARTED THE

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION, A

CELEBRATION OF LOVE, WHEN

ENEMIES BECAME FRIENDS FOR

A SHORT TIME.

HERE THEY WERE, THE

ACTUAL PRACTICAL SOLDIERS

OF THE GERMAN ARMY, AND

THERE WAS NOT AN ACTION OF

HATE ON EITHER SIDE THAT

DAY.

John: ALTHOUGHúú

FIGHTING CONTINUED ON MOST

OF THE WESTERN FRONT, THE

UNAUTHORIZED TRUCE

EXTENDED TO ALMOST THE

WHOLE LENGTH OF THE

BRITISH LINE.

BOTH SIDES HELPED BURY THE

DEAD, AND THEY EXCHANGED

FOOD, LIKE TOBACCO AND

BUTTONS, AND SOME SECTORS

THEY EVEN PLAYED SOCCER IN

NO-MAN'S LAND.

IT MAKES THEM HAPPY

BECAUSE THEY FEEL HUMAN

AGAIN.

WHEREAS THE INDUSTRIAL

WARFARE OFTEN REDUCES THEM

TO CANNON AND FADDER,

REDUCES THEM TO KILLING

MACHINES.

THIS WAS ALL SO

BEAUTIFUL, YET STRANGE.

I WILL NEVER FORGET THIS

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION.

THE LAST I SAW OF THIS

LITTLE AFFAIR WAS A

MACHINE GUNNER, CUTTING

THE UNNATURALLY LONG HAIR

OF A GERMAN.

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS,

AND A MOST EXTRAORDINARY

ONE, BUT I DOUBLED THE

CENTURIES AFTER MIDNIGHT.

John: THERE WOULD BE

THREE MORE CHRISTMASES ON

THE WESTERN FRONT BEFORE

THE WAR CAME TO AN END,

BUT NOTHING QUITE LIKE

THIS WOULD EVER HAPPEN

AGAIN.

SIR ARTHUR DOYLE ONCE

DESCRIBED IT AS ONE HUMAN

EPISODE AMID ALL OF THE

ATROCITIES OF THE WAR.

Chris: UP NEXT, A

LOOK AT THE BIRTHPLACE OF

JESUS AND THE HISTORY OF

THE NATIVITY.

Chris: WELCOME BACK

TO THIS "JERUSALEM

DATELINE" CHRISTMAS

EDITION.

WE'RE COMING TO YOU FROM

BETHLEHEM, AND RIGHT-HAND

BEHINRIGHTBEHIND US IS THE CHURCH OF

NATIVITY, AND THAT'S THE

PLACE WHERE MANY PEOPLE

BELIEVE JESUS WAS BORN.

IT IS ONE OF THE OLDEST

CHURCHES IN THE WORLD, THE

CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY.

THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE

JESUS CHRIST WAS BORN.

Chris: THIS PROFESSOR

TEACHES HISTORY AT

BETHLEHEM UNIVERSITY AND

IS AN EXPERT ON THE CHURCH

OF THE NATIVITY.

THE CHURCH OF NATIVITY

WAS BUILT OVER THIS PLACE

IN 326, WHEN HEM PRO EMPEROR CONS

KONSTANTIN DECLARED

CHRISTIANITY.

SINCE THEN PILGRIMS FROM

ALL OVER THE WORLD STARTED

COMING TO BETHLEHEM TO

VISIT THIS PLACE.

Chris: INSIDE THE

PLACE, THE ORIGINAL

COLUMNS STILL STAND.

WE KNOW THE

IDENTIFICATION OF THE SITE

WHERE JESUS WAS BORN

ALREADY TRADITIONALLY GOES

BACK TO THE MIDDLE OF THE

FIRST CENTURY A.D., AT

LEAST.

Chris: IN THE FIRST

CENTURY, THE ROMAN EMPEROR

EMPEROR, HEDREAN,

DESTROYED THE TOWN OF

BETHLEHEM.

AFTER HE DESTROYED THE

TOWN, HE BUILT A TEMPLE

AND PLANTED TREES OVER THE

SITE WHERE CHRISTIAN

PILGRIMS HAD COME TO HONOR

THE PLACE WHERE JESUS WAS

BORN.

WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE

HOUSE, WHICH WAS ONLY A

CAVE, WHERE THE VIRGIN

GAVE BIRTH TO THE CHILD,

AND PEOPLE REMEMBERED

THIS.

PEOPLE ALREADY, WITHIN 15

YEARS, WERE GOING BACK TO

THAT SITE TO VISIT IT.

IN FACT, THIS TEMPLE,

INSTEAD OF DESTROYING THE

PLACE, PRESERVED THE

PLACE.

Chris: JEROME WROTE

IN 396 A.D., "EVEN AMONGST

THOSE WHO ARE STRANGER TO

THE FAITH, IT IS KNOWN HE

WHO IS IN THAT GRATO, AND

ADORNED BY CHRISTIANS, WAS

BORN."

IT IS STILL ONE OF THE FEW

CHURCHES IN THE HOLY LAND

THAT NEVER WAS COMPLETELY

DESTROYED.

1400 YEARS AFTER QUEEN

HELENA BUILT THE CHURCH,

CHRISTIAN PILGRIMS COME

FROM AROUND THE WORLD.

MANY RECORD THEIR

PILGRIMAGE.

MANY BELIEVE THIS IS THE

VERY CAVE WHERE JESUS WAS

BORN.

A STAR MARKS THE EXACT

LOCATION.

MANY CROWD DOWN THE NARROW

STAIRS TO GET INSIDE THE

CAVE.

DOWN BELOW PILGRIMS OFTEN

TOUCH THE STAR AND RECORD

THE MOMENT THEY GOT TO SEE

THE BIRTHPLACE OF JESUS.

FOR MANY, IT IS A

PROFOUND, EMOTIONAL, AND

SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.

WHAT DID IT MEAN TO BE AT

THE BIRTH PLACE OF JESUS?

SOMETHING I CANNOT

DESCRIBE.

EVERYTHING MAKES SENSE.

NOW WHEN I OPEN MY

BIBLE, AS I DO EACH

MORNING, WHEN I'M HEAR AND

I'M READING, NOW I CAN

PICTURE THE PLACES.

IT IS JUST

UNBELIEVABLE.

IT IS A LIFE'S DREAM.

I NEVER EXPECTED TO BE

HERE, BUT IT'S JUST

AWESOME.

Chris: FATHER PETER

VASCO LEADS PILGRIMS TO

BETHLEHEM.

HE SAYS IT IS ESPECIALLY

MEANINGFUL DURING THE

CHRISTMAS SEASON.

IT IS A WONDERFUL

OCCASION FOR PILGRIMS TO

COME, ESPECIALLY SO CLOSE

TO CHRISTMAS, TO BE HERE

AND PRAY AT THE SPOT WHERE

JESUS WAS BORN AND BRING

THAT PRAYER BACK TO THEIR

OWN LIVES.

Chris: BUT OTHER

EVENT RECORDED IN THE

BIBLE TOOK PLACE AFTER

JESUS WAS BORN.

THE PROFESSOR GAVE US A

RARE LOOK UNDERNEATH THE

CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY.

THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE

WE HAVE THE TOMB OF THE

INNOCENT CHILDREN.

HEROD KILLED AROUND 6,000

CHILDREN FROM THE WHOLE

AREA, IN ORDER TO KILL

JESUS CHRIST, BECAUSE HE

DON'T WANT TO HAVE A NEW

KING THAT WILL REPLACE

HIM.

Chris: WE FOLLOWED

THE PROFESSOR DOWN TO SOME

OF THE TOMBS BELOW THE

CHURCH.

HERE ARE THE TOMBS OF

THE INNOCENT CHILDREN.

THESE ARE THE BONES OF

SOME OF THE CHILDREN THAT

WE BELIEVE WERE KILLED BY

HEROD.

Chris: BUT ANOTHER

SIGNIFICANT EVENT TOOK

PLACE JUST OUTSIDE

BETHLEHEM.

A LOCAL PASTOR SHOWED US

CAVES MANY BELIEVE WERE

USED BY THE SHEPHERDS ON

THAT HOLY NIGHT.

LUKE 2, 8-11: "AND THERE

WERE SHEPHERDS LIVING OUT

IN THE FIELDS NEARBY,

KEEPING WATCH OVER THEIR

FLOCKS AT NIGHT.

AN ANGEL OF THE LORD

APPEARED TO THEM, AND THE

GORE OGLORY OF THE LORD SHOWN

AROUND THEM, AND THEY WERE

TERRIFIED.

BUT THE ANGELS SAID TO

THEM, DO NOT BE AFRAID.

I BRING YOU GOOD NEWS OF

GREAT JOY THAT BE WILL FOR

ALL PEOPLE.

TODAY IN THE TOWN OF

DAVID, A SAVIOR HAS BEEN

BORN TO YOU.

HE WILL BE CALLED THE

LORD."

THE SHEPHERDS WERE VERY

CLOSE TO THEIR SHEEP.

Chris: THOSE

SHEPHERD'S WERE VERY CLOSE

TO THE PROPHECY GIVEN 700

YEARS BEFORE.

"THEREFORE THE LORD

HIMSELF WILL GIVE YOU A

SIGN.

THE VIRGINIA WILL BE WITH

CHILD AND WILL GIVE BIRTH

TO A SON AND WILL CALL HIM

EMMANUEL."

TODAY THAT CHRISTMAS

MESSAGE IS STILL THE SAME,

FOR PILGRIMS, PROFESSORS,

AND PASTORS.

A REMINDER THAT GOD,

HIMSELF, CAME TO EARTH TO

DIE ON THE CROSS, AND TO

BE BORN IN THE MANGER.

PEOPLE'S LIVES WILL BE

CHANGED IF THEY HEAR ABOUT

JESUS CHRIST.

Chris: UP NEXT, A

LOOK INTO THE BACKGROUND

OF ONE OF CHRISTMAS'

FAVORITE CAROLS, "O COME,

O COME, EMMANUEL.

EMMANUEL."

Chris: WELCOME BACK.

CHRISTMAS IS A REMINDER OF

THE POWER OF JESUS CHRIST

TO CHANGE LIVES.

ONE CHRISTMAS CAROL, ONE

OF MY FAVORITES, SUMS UP

THAT POWER, "O COME,

O COME, EMMANUEL."

HERE IS CLAIRE FONT

EXPLAINING THE SONG, AND

PERFORMED B BY A VIOLINIST

IN "JERUSALEM DATELINE"'S

ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH.

IT IS REALLY A BELOVED

HYMN.

THIS HYMN WAS COMPOSED TO

BE AN ADVENT SONG, NOT A

CHRISTMAS CAROL AT ALL.

EACH ONE OF BASED ON ONE

OF THE TITLES OF THE

MESSIAH THAT IS FOUND IN

THE OLD TESTAMENT.

O COME O COME, EMMANUEL --

EMMANUEL IS THE TITLE GIVE

TO THE MESSIAH IN ISAIAH

CHAPTER 7, WHERE ISAIAH

PROPHESIED THAT SHE WILL

BEAR AND CONCEIVE A SON

AND CALL HIM EMMANUEL.

THE GOSPEL APPLIES THIS TO

JESUS AT HIS BIRTH.

ANOTHER ONE OF THE TITLES

APPLIED TO THE MESSIAH

THAT WAS ADAPTED INTO THE

SONG IS THE ROD OF JESSE.

O COME THOU ROD OF JESSE,

REFERRED TO IN ISAIAH

CHAPTER 11, AND IT REFERS,

OF COURSE, TO THE@@

KINGSHIP, TO THE RULING.

JESSE WAS THE FATHER OF

DAVID.

SOWE'RE SINGING OF THE

DESCENDENTS OF DAVID.

*

ONE OF THE VERSES FOR

THE DAY SPRING FROM ON

HIGH TO ARRIVE.

THE DAY SPRING REFERS TO

MALACHI 4, WHERE WE READ

THAT THE SON OF

RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL RISE.

THIS VERSE DOES NOT REFER

AS MUCH TO THE KINGSHIP OF

THE MESSIAH, BUT IT REFERS

TO HIS TENDERNESS, TO HIS

PERSONALNESS, TO HIS

COMPASSION FOR THOSE WHO

ARE WEARY, FOR THOSE WHO

SUFFER AND TOIL, FOR THOSE

WHO ARE ILL.

THE SON OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

WILL COME WITH HEALING,

NOT ONLY FOR OUR BODIES,

BUT FOR OUR HEARTS, OUR

SOULS, AND OUR SPIRITS.

MANY OF THE TITLES THAT

ARE USED IN THE HYMN COME

FROM THE BOOK OF ISAIAH.

ANOTHER ONE IS THE KEY OF

DAVID.

O COME NOW, THE KEY OF

DAVID, AND OPEN THE WAY TO

OUR HEAVENLY HOME.

IT COMES FROM ISAIAH 22,

AND IT SPEAKS OF THAT

OPENING TO PASSAGE, TO

FREEDOM OF ACCESS, THAT IS

EECHOED IN REVELATION.

WHEN JESUS GIVES THE KEY

OF DAVID, WHICH OPENS

DOORS THAT NO ONE CAN

SHUT.

ANOTHER VERY BEAUTIFUL

THEME THAT IS TOUCHED ON

IN THE HYMN IS WHEN THEY

REFER TO THE MESSIAH AS

THE LORD OF MIGHT.

THE LORD OF MIGHT, OF

COURSE, COMES FROM ISAIAH,

CHAPTER 11, UPON HIM WILL

REST THE SPIRIT OF COUNSEL

AND WISDOM AND MIGHT AND

UNDERSTANDING.

THE HYMN REFLECTS ON THE

LORD OF MIGHT AND BEING

THE ONE WHO GIVES THE WORD

OF THE LORD.

ON SINAI HEIGHTS GAVE THE

LAW.

AND, OF COURSE, THE WORD

OF THE LORD IS NOT SIMPLY

THE LAW, BUT IT IS REALLY

JESUS HIMSELF.

JESUS IS THE WORD OF GOD.

*

THE SONG, "O COME,

O COME, EMMANUEL," IS

EVOKING THAT EXPECTATION

THAT WE HAVE.

WE KNOW THAT SOMETHING IS

NOT YET COMPLETE.

SO IT'S A VERY BEAUTIFUL

SONG BECAUSE IT HAS AN

ECHO OF THE PAST, BUT A

TREMENDOUS SENSE OF

ANTICIPATION OF THAT

GLORIOUS COMING, WHEN THE

ROD OF JESSE, THE KEY OF

DAVID, THE ONE WHO IS

ALMIGHTY, GOD WITH US,

WILL ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM

ON EARTH.

I LIKE TO THINK OF

EMMANUEL, GOD WITH ME

TODAY.

GOD'S PERFECTLY PRESENT.

GOD WHO BRINGS HIS

SALVATION AT THIS MOMENT.

GOD WHO BECAME JESUS, WHO

SHOWS HIS LOVE FOR US IN

LAYING DOWN HIS LIFE.

WHO CALLS ME BY NAME.

WHO CALLS EACH OF US BY

NAME.

WHO LOVES US AS A FATHER.

WHO LOVES US AS A

SHEPHERD.

WHO LOVES US AS A KING.

TODAY HE CRIES OUT FOR THE

SALVATION OF EACH HUMAN

BEING.

TODAY IS THE DAY OF

SALVATION.

WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT

UNTIL TOMORROW.

WE CAN CELEBRATE EMMANUEL,

GOD WITH US, TODAY.

Chris: COMING UP, ALL

OF THE NATIVITY SCENES

FROM THE BIRTHPLACE OF

JESUS.

Chris: WELCOME BACK

TO THIS SPECIAL "JERUSALEM

DATELINE" CHRISTMAS

EDITION.

HAVE YOU EVER RECEIVED A

NATIVITY SET FOR

BETHLEHEM?

WE VISITED ONE OLIVE WOOD

SHOP THAT HAS BEEN CARVING

CHRISTMAS SCENES FOR

GENERATIONS.

ASHRAF HAS BEEN WORKING IN

THIS OLIVE WOODWORK SHOP

SINCE HE WAS A BOY,

INHERITING AN ART PASSED

FROM GENERATION TO

GENERATION.

THIS WORKSHOP HAS COME

FROM FATHER TO SON.

THERE IS NO SCHOOL TO

LEARN THIS JOB.

IT COMES FROM INSIDE, FROM

YOUR HEART.

Chris: MOST OF HISñ

CARVINGS REPRESENT THE

SCENES AND THE CHARACTERS

FROM THE BIEBLTION.

BIBLE.

AND AS HE SAYS, IT IS WHAT

IS IN HIS HEART.

I FEEL LIKE THE HOLY

SPIRIT COMES INSIDE ME.

AND I AM HAPPY WITH JESUS.

Chris: HIS MAIN

CARVINGS ARE NATIVITY

SCENES.

HE HAS PRODUCED A NUMBER

OF DIFFERENT STYLES, BUT

ALL CELEBRATING THE SAME

EVENT: THE BIRTH OF JESUS.

THEY'RE ALL MADE FROM THE

OLIVE WOOD TREE, THE

BIBLICAL SYMBOL OF PEACE.

HE SHOWED US HOW ONE PIECE

OF WOOD CAN BECOME A

CHRISTMAS SCENE.

FIRST HIS CUTS THE WOOD,

AND NEXT HE SANDS IT TO

MAKE IT SMOOTH.

AND THEN WITH THE SKILL

FROM 35 YEARS OF CARVING,

HE CUTS BY HAND SMALL

FIGURES REPRESENTING THE

CHARACTERS OF THE

NATIVITY.

FINALLY HE WRITES A

PERSONAL GREETING.

HIS CARVINGS AND THE ONES

HE SELLS HAVE GONE ALL

OVER THE WORLD, FROM THE

UNITED STATES TO EUROPE

AND SOUTH AMERICA.

HE HOPES THEY'RE AN

INCENTIVE FOR PEOPLE TO

COME AND SEE FOR

THEMSELVES THE LAND WHERE

JESUS WAS BORN.

I HOPE TO SEE YOU HERE

IN THE HOLY LANDMEN LAND.

TO COME AND TO SEE WHERE

JESUS WAS BORN AND WHERE

HE WALKED AND WHEN HE

LIVED HERE.

Reporter: HIS

CARVINGS MAKE SPECIAL

GIFTS AT CHRISTMAS OR ANY

TIME OF THE YEAR.

BUT HE WANTS PEOPLE TO

REMEMBER THE TRUE MEANING

OF THE SEASON.

THE REAL MEANING OF

CHRISTMAS, TO GO TO THE

CHURCH AND TO PRAY FOR

JESUS.

AND TO BE BORN AGAIN.

TO CLEAN EVERYTHING

INSIDE.

TO BECOME A NEW PERSON.

Chris: THAT'S IT FOR

THIS "JERUSALEM DATELINE"

CHRISTMAS EDITION.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

REMEMBER, YOU CAN FOLLOW

US THROUGHOUT THE WAY WEEK

ON Facebook AND TWITTER.

I'M CHRIS MITCHELL.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON

"JERUSALEM DATELINE," AND

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM

BETHLEHEM, THE BIRTHPLACE

OF JESUS.