A Miracle on 34th Street: A Lesson in Believing

"A Miracle on 34th Street" is on my list of favorite Christmas movies. I've watched both versions numerous times. It's the kind of movie I can watch over and over.
If you've never seen it, the short version of the story is a man who looks remarkably like Santa is hired to play the part of Santa Claus in a New York department store. The store's human resource manager and her daughter, due to past circumstances, are a bit reluctant to believe him when he tries to convince them that he's the real Santa. Through a series of events, Santa warms their hearts and convinces them that he's the real deal. In a nutshell, he teaches them to believe.
When Jesus was on earth, he got similar reactions from the people he interacted with. Few people believed he was the Messiah. The Messiah they expected was a warrior king who would rescue them from the centuries of persecution they had endured, not a poor carpenter's son. In Matthew 21:32 Jesus is quoted "For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn't believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins."
It took a lot of effort to get people to believe Jesus was who he proclaimed to be when he walked on earth with them. But those who followed him had a remarkable story to tell. The disciples truly believed in Mark 13:10 "For the Good News must first be preached to all nations," and Matthew 28:19 "Therefore, go out and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."
I think, at least in my mind, the chronicles of Jesus' followers are what make the Bible so believable. The disciples gave up their lives as they knew it, and some of them died for sharing Jesus's life story. Why would anyone go to such extremes unless they had proof that the account of Jesus's life they were sharing was true? These men witnessed Jesus' life, miracles, death and resurrection. No one is willing to be imprisoned, tortured or martyred for something they know is not true. That's something worth believing!

Luke 2

New Living Translation (NLT)

The Birth of Jesus

2 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. ² (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. ⁴ And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. ⁵ He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.

⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. ⁷ She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.

The Shepherds and Angels

⁸ That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.