When in Rome ...

BASED ON MATTHEW 5:41

THE MIGHTY ROMAN EMPIRE RULES PALESTINE, THE HOME OF GOD'S PEOPLE, THE JEWS. THE ROMANS HAVE APPOINTED HEROD TO GOVERN PALESTINE FOR THEM. HEROD IS CLEVER, BUT HE IS ALSO CRUEL. THE JEWS HATE HIM AND THE ROMAN OFFICIALS WHO WORK FOR HIM.

HERE, OLD MAN! CARRY THIS FOR ME.

THAT CHEST IS TOO HEAVY FOR THAT OLD MAN TO CARRY. HE MIGHT HAVE A HEART ATTACK!

THE ROMANS DON'T CARE.

HOURS LATER, THE OLD MAN REACHES HOME.

GRANDFATHER! WHAT'S THE MATTER?

A ROMAN SOLDIER MADE HIM CARRY A HEAVY CHEST TO HEROD'S PALACE.

BUT WHY?

IT'S THE LAW. A ROMAN SOLDIER CAN MAKE A JEW CARRY HIS LUGGAGE FOR A MILE IF HE ASKS. IT ISN'T RIGHT, BUT THE ROMANS DON'T CARE.

THE ROMANS! THEY TAX US FOR EVERYTHING AND WE HAVE NO VOICE IN GOVERNMENT. WHEN WILL THIS END? BACK IN THE DAYS OF THE GREAT KING DAVID, WE WERE THE RULERS OF OUR LAND!

SHH! SOMEONE MIGHT HEAR YOU.

GOD, YOU PROMISED TO SEND A DELIVERER. WHEN WILL HE COME? WHEN?

THE PROPHET MALACHI SAID GOD WOULD FIRST SEND SOMEONE TO PREPARE US FOR THE DELIVERER.

THAT PERSON HAS NOT COME YET. WE MUST WAIT.

Angel Promises

BASED ON LUKE 1:5-56

AS JEWS IN JERUSALEM GATHER IN THE TEMPLE FOR PRAYER, AN OLD PRIEST NAME ZECHARIAH ENTERS THE HOLY PLACE TO MAKE AN OFFERING OF INCENSE.

THIS IS THE GREATEST DAY OF MY LIFE! AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, IT'S FINALLY MY TURN TO OFFER INCENSE ON GOD'S HOLY ALTAR.

BUT ZECHARIAH STAYS SO LONG IN THE HOLY PLACE THAT THE PRIEST BEGIN TO WONDER.

WHY IS ZECHARIAH PRAYING SO LONG?

I HOPE HE HASN'T DIED IN THERE. NO ONE ELSE IS ALLOWED IN THE HOLY PLACE.

MEANWHILE, THE FEARSOME ANGEL GABRIEL HAS APPEARED TO ZECHARIAH IN THE TEMPLE.

DO NOT BE AFRAID. YOU AND ELIZABETH WILL HAVE A SON. GOD WILL MAKE HIM MIGHTY AND FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.

HIS NAME WILL BE JOHN, AND HE WILL PREPARE THE PEOPLE FOR GOD'S DELIVER.

BUT WE'RE TOO OLD TO HAVE A BABY?

BECAUSE YOU DON'T BELIEVE, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TALK UNTIL THE BABY IS BORN.

AT LAST ZECHARIAH COMES OUT AND FACES THE PEOPLE. BUT HE CANNOT SPEAK! NO WORDS COME FROM HIS MOUTH.

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE HOLY PLACE OF GOD?

ZECHARIAH! WHAT'S WRONG? WHY DON'T YOU SPEAK TO ME?

ZECHARIAH CAN'T TELL ELIZABETH WHAT HAPPENED, SO HE WRITES DOWN EVERYTHING THE ANGEL TOLD HIM.

OVERJOYED BY THE GREAT NEWS THAT THEY WILL HAVE A BABY, ZECHARIAH AND ELIZABETH GET READY FOR THE BIRTH OF THEIR SON.

MEANWHILE, THE ANGEL GABRIEL APPEARS TO ELIZABETH'S RELATIVE MARY, WHO IS ENGAGED TO JOSEPH, A CARPENTER.

GREETINGS! YOU ARE HIGHLY HONORED!

WHAT? WHO ARE YOU?

DO NOT BE AFRAID, MARY. GOD HAS CHOSEN YOU TO BE THE MOTHER OF HIS SON. HIS NAME WILL BE JESUS, AND HE WILL RULE A KINGDOM THAT WILL NEVER END.

I AM THE LORD'S SERVANT. I WILL DO WHATEVER HE ASKS.

MARY CHERRIES THIS SECRET IN HER HEART, BUT SHE DOESN'T DARE TELL ANYONE ABOUT THE ANGEL'S PROMISE. JOSEPH IS A GOOD MAN, BUT IF PEOPLE FIND OUT SHE IS PREGNANT, SHE COULD BE KILLED.

I KNOW JOSEPH LOVES ME. BUT WOULD HE BELIEVE ME?

THE ANGEL HAD TOLD MARY THAT ELIZABETH WAS GOING TO HAVE A SON TOO. SO MARY GOES TO VISIT THE ONE PERSON SHE HOPES WILL UNDERSTAND. THE MOMENT ELIZABETH SEES MARY ...

MARY! YOU ARE BLESSED AMONG WOMEN! YOU ARE THE MOTHER OF OUR LORD!

MARY REALIZES THAT ELIZABETH KNOWS AND BELIEVES HER WONDERFUL SECRET. JOYFULLY SHE SINGS PRAISE TO GOD.