Based on Matthew 1:18-2:19 and Luke 1:23-38; 2:1-21. Special thanks to my friend Sashel for the introduction and concluding statements.

Throughout the ages, we have longed for a Messiah, a savior to rescue us from oppression. The holy scriptures foretold that He shall be called Emmanuel, God with us. Now in the fullness of time, our Messiah has arrived. Now, we shall bring forth the tale of our Saviour’s coming. Listen to the story of God’s perfect plan unfolding.

………………..

Mary reached underneath the table and swept the dust that had blown in from her family coming in and out of the house. Her mother was out to the market and her father was out to work. She wanted the home spotless. Her father would be returning from work with Joseph, her betrothed. He would be having dinner with them. 

As she cleaned, her back towards the cooking area and the outside door, she heard a shuffling behind her.

“Is that you, Chedba? If you need to borrow spices again, they’re up on the shelf!” she called out without looking up from her task. 

Suddenly, a great light came and overshadowed the room. Mary turned around and was face to face with a being that was otherworldly. Her eyes widened in shock and she stumbled backward.

“REJOICE,  HIGHLY FAVORED ONE! THE LORD IS WITH YOU, FAVORED ARE YOU AMONGST WOMEN!” came the booming figure before her.

Mary’s body trembled as she took in the man before her. Her breath caught in her throat and her legs gave out beneath her. “W-wha-?”

“I AM THE ANGEL GABRIEL. BE NOT AFRAID FOR YOU HAVE FOUND FAVOR WITH GOD. WITHIN YOU IS A SON AND YOU WILL CALL HIM JESUS. HE WILL BE GREAT AND CALLED THE SON OF THE HIGHEST. THE LORD GOD WILL GIVE HIM THE THE THRONE OF DAVID. HE WILL REIGN OVER THE HOUSE OF JACOB FOREVER, AND HIS KINGDOM WILL KNOW NO END.”

“What?!” Mary exclaimed in astonishment. She clutched her stomach. “H-how can this be? I’ve never-”

“THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL COME UPON YOU, AND THE POWER OF THE HIGHEST WILL OVERSHADOW YOU. THAT HOLY ONE WHO IS TO BE BORN OF YOU WILL BE CALLED THE SON OF GOD. ELIZABETH, YOUR RELATIVE, HAS ALSO CONCEIVED A SON IN HER OLD AGE; AND THIS IS NOW THE SIXTH MONTH FOR HER WHO WAS CALLED BARREN. FOR WITH GOD NOTHING WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE!”

Mary took in everything the angel had to say, clutching her garments as the angel finished his proclamation. Her chest heaved again and again as her heart threatened to leap out of her chest. Slowly, she released her clothing and pressed her forehead to the floor. 

Tears began to bubble up in her eyes. “I…I am the maidservant of the Lord. Let it be according to your word!” she managed to speak out.

Gabriel grinned and with a whirlwind of light, disappeared from the abode.

After a few moments, Mary raised her head. She looked around, astonished. A mixture of anxiety and joy welled up within her, only to be stopped by one thought:

What was she going to tell Joseph?

………………..

Joseph paced back and forth. It was late and there was but a single candle providing its dim light to his home. He should have been sleeping, but the conflict within him kept him awake. 

Mary was pregnant. His betrothed was pregnant, yet he hadn’t touched a single hair on her head. 

When she had told him, many things came to his mind: hurt, betrayal, anger… but then there was just sadness. How could she have done this? Didn’t she know the risks?

She had tried to explain, said she had been visited by an angel and made pregnant by God, but how could Joseph believe that?

He knew that the punishment for adultery was stoning. If he brought the charge against Mary, she’d be made into a pariah. She would be executed outside the city gates. The thought of seeing her broken body in the dirt hurt him more than the idea of her betrayal.

‘I’ll put her away quietly,’ Joseph thought. 

Exhausted, he blew out the wavering candle and laid down to sleep.

“JOSEPH.”

Gabriel hovered before the man in all his glory.

“JOSEPH, SON OF DAVID, DO NOT FEAR TAKING MARY AS YOUR WIFE. SHE HAS TOLD THE TRUTH, FOR WHAT SHE HAS CONCEIVED IS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. SHE WILL BEAR A SON AND YOU WILL CALL HIS NAME JESUS, FOR HE WILL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS. ALL THIS HAS OCCURRED ACCORDING TO THE PROPHECY.”

Joseph sat up in his bed, cold sweat dripping from his face. “Hallelujah,” he said in a hushed tone.

He looked around in amazement before hurriedly getting up. “Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!” he exclaimed again and again as he grabbed his robe and rushed toward the door.

“I’ve got to tell Mary we’re pushing forward the wedding!” he said as he dashed out of the house.

………………..

Knock, knock, knock!

“Do you have any spare rooms?”

“Sorry, we’re full.”

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

“Please, do you have any spare room?”

“Sorry buddy, not even for a mouse.”

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK!

“Please! My wife and I-!”

“I don’t even have room for my own family.”

Joseph turned back to the street as yet another door closed in his face. 

“Ugh,” Mary groaned upon their donkey as the contractions wracked her swollen abdomen.

Joseph caught Mary’s pained expression and pulled at the donkey’s reigns. “Come on. There must be somewhere,” he said as he gazed down the darkened street.

His fist rapped on another door. After a few moments, a woman answered the door.

“Please, do you have any spare room?”

“Nope. We’re stuffed like a pheasant. We don’t have room for anybody else.”

“AH!” Mary gasped in pain.

The woman looked over Joseph’s shoulder. “What’s wrong with-” she caught sight of Mary’s pregnant stomach. “Oh, she’s about to blow!”

“Yes! So please, there must be somewhere, anywhere, we can stay! Just for the night!”

“Well…” the woman hesitated. “We should have space out back in the stable. But that’s no place-”

“AH!”

“We’ll take it!”

“Follow me,” she said with a wave of her hand. She leaned back and shouted into the house. “Nava! Niva! Heat up some water and bring some clean rags! It’s gon’ be a long night!”

………………..

“Ah….!”

“It’s okay Mary; you’re almost there!” Joseph soothed, gripping his wife’s hand as her body shuddered with effort. 

“One more good push, the head’s almost through!” called the innkeeper from the other end of the bed of hay.

Mary braced herself and pushed. “Ah…! AH!”

“WAAAH!”

The sound of crying rang out into the stable. Mary and Joseph sighed in relief. The innkeeper cut the cord and placed the wailing baby in Mary’s waiting arms. The child calmed as soon as it rested against his mother’s chest.

“Congratulations on your baby boy,” the innkeeper said before cleaning up and leaving the new family alone.

“He’s beautiful,” Mary commented.

“Yes,” Joseph agreed as their son’s little hand grasped his finger. 

“And his name?”

“Jesus. Just like the angel said. Jesus.”

Mary held the baby until he fell asleep. Joseph filled a nearby manger with the freshest hay he could find. She wrapped Jesus in swaddling clothes and laid him in it. Mary and Joseph rested beside their child as the lowing cattle kept vigil.

“Eehah!”

“Moooo….!”

“Baah!”

The family was awoken by the livestock’s baying.

Joseph stood up between his family and the entrance of the stable. “Who’s there?”

Three figures moved out of the shadows, each one holding a curved staff.

“Sorry to wake you,” said one of the men. “But we are seeking a child who has been born today. The angels told us that he was to be found in a manger and is to be Christ, our Lord.”

“Angels told you…about a child in a manger…..” 

Joseph stepped to the side, and behind him lay Jesus in the manger. Starlight streamed in from the gaps in the stable’s roof and illuminated his face.

“Our Lord,” the shepherd gasped.

The shepherd went to the manger and fell to their knees in worship.

…………………

Field, fountain, moor, mountain….They had come so far.

The wise man gazed upon the bright, shining star as he and his companions made camp for the night. His camel grunted. He patted the beast’s side as he continued to contemplate their journey.

From their distant home, they had watched the star rise on the horizon and continue to shine night after night. They consulted their charts and records and took the light as an auspicious sign of a new king. They gathered their things and traveled across the world to Jerusalem, only for the king to know nothing of the birth. However, it was fortunate that the priests and scribes shared with them the prophecy of Bethlehem.

Now they sat just outside the city, the star having guided them throughout their journey. With the person they had sought so near, he wanted nothing more than to go into the city, but instead, he closed his eyes and anticipated the coming morning.

When they awoke in the morning, the star continued to shine. They followed it, entering the city and eventually coming to a house. When they entered, they found a woman caring for a young child. Instantly, they knew that this was the child they had been searching for.

The wise men fell to their knees and worshipped. “Hallelujah! King of the Jews! Awaited Child!”

“W-what’s going on?!” Mary exclaimed, startled by the men’s sudden appearance. She clutched her son to her chest.

“Please, Mother of the King, have no fear, for we have come from afar to offer gifts to the King!”

The men rushed out and came in with three ornately decorated boxes. The three kneeled before the Christ child and opened the boxes. The first wise man offered gold. The second offered frankincense. The third offered myrrh. Mary accepted the gifts and marveled as they continued to worship Jesus.

Joseph returned and Mary explained what had happened. They offered their guests food before waving the wise men off as they departed back to their home country. They pondered all the things that had occurred surrounding their baby’s birth and hid them in their hearts.

………………..

Our King was born, clothed in righteousness and humility. He came as a babe, fully God and fully man. He can understand and sympathize with our weaknesses.  Though He is the great King of Heaven, He chose to arrive in the most vulnerable of circumstances. Because He came, we have a living hope.

He is our great King, Our Blessed Redeemer. The only response to Him is worship. Because He came, we have an example of pure love. Christ is our source of unspeakable joy. Christ is our Prince of Peace. So let us adore Him. Let us forget about ourselves and worship Him.

Through faith in Him, we are reconciled to God. We have great hope. Joy has captured our hearts. The captives have been made free. Because of Jesus, we have victory. The only response due to Him is worship. We surrender all of our hearts, minds, souls, and strength to His control. For He is our perfect example, our great High Priest who left the glory of Heaven, to come to earth with the purpose to seek and save those who are lost. The only response due to Him is worship. We worship the King of Kings for he is worthy of our worship. He is worthy of our praise.

Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, goodwill to all men!