A few months ago I was given the opportunity to work with our choir leader to develop narration for our Christmas Cantata. I poured over the scripture accounts in Matthew and Luke as well as the Old Testament prophecies. Thoughts that, "countless others have written about this, why should I?" Plagued my mind. I talked to my husband about my insecurities, and he simply said, "why not you?"
I sat with his encouragement and put pen to paper. This narration is given by a cousin of Mary.
**
Many have given their account of the miraculous birth of our Lord. I’ve come to tell you my family’s side of the story.
A little over two thousand years ago, the men and women of
Israel were waiting for the arrival of their promised Messiah. He would be a mighty king who would free
them from their cruel oppressors, but all kings, no matter how mighty, begin
their lives as precious babies.
From the Holy Scriptures, there was a whisper of the
deliverance to come.
Isaiah 9:6-7
For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his
shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, [a] Mighty
God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His government and its peace
will never end.
He will rule with fairness and
justice from the throne of his ancestor
for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the
Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen!
**
God sent the angel Gabriel to
Nazareth, a village in Galilee. To our young virgin cousin, Mary, who was
engaged to be married to a man named Joseph. Joseph was from the kingly line of
David.
The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So, the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For the word of God will never fail.”
To which our cousin Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Soon after her divine encounter, Mary hurried to go and visit her Aunt Elizabeth. As she traveled, she replayed all that she had seen and heard in her mind. It seemed too incredible to believe, but she knew in her soul that what had happened was real. She also remembered the many times her parents had talked with her about the promised Messiah. Never did she think she would be so honored to be the vessel to carry the Eternal King.
When Mary reached her aunt’s home, Elizabeth was overcome with the Holy Spirit. She exclaimed in a loud voice, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promise to her!”
Mary was strengthened in her Spirit
to hear confirmation of her wonderful news.
They drew great comfort and encouragement from each other over the three
months that followed. When Elizabeth was
soon to deliver John, Mary went home to Galilee.
**
Mary’s arrival home brought proof
that she was pregnant. Her young body
had begun to swell, revealing the glorious secret she was keeping. She was steadfast in her conviction that this
was God’s child and was excited to share the news with Joseph.
Joseph was shaken when she told him
she was pregnant with the Son of God. He was heartbroken with the thought that
Mary may have been unfaithful. Her story
was unbelievable to him. He had forgotten the prophecy of Isaiah 7, that the
virgin shall conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him
Emmanuel—God is with us. As he wrestled with the decision to
divorce her quietly or not, exhaustion overtook him, and he fell asleep.
Mary told us that while Joseph
slept an angel appeared to him too! The angel reassured him that this was part
of God’s glorious plan. He told Joseph that the baby within her was conceived by
the Holy Spirit. Mary was to give birth to a son, and he was to give him the
name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. Joseph woke up determined
to go through with the marriage and to take care of Mary and the baby.
Mary shared that while they were planning
for their future life together, there was an order from Rome that there was to
be a census taken. Since Joseph was a descendant of David, he needed to report
to Bethlehem to be counted. Unfortunately,
they couldn’t wait until after she had the baby to present themselves. It was
during the last trimester of her pregnancy that they needed to set out. The journey would take them a week to traverse
over rough terrain.
While they covered the distance, she
and Joseph would talk often about the prophecy of Micha 5:2.
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah who
are too little to be among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one
who will be ruler of Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.
Days into the journey, Joseph
could see on Mary’s face that the arduous trek was taking its toll on her heavily
pregnant body. Her face would flash between
expectant hope and winces of pain as the labor began. He was concerned that they wouldn’t find lodging
before the baby arrived. The town of Bethlehem was so filled with fellow census
travelers. At last Joseph was told of a
stable where they could stay.
A stable! How outlandish to think
that the Sovereign One would lower himself so completely as to share a space
used by animals. Young Mary was so brave
that night as her body labored. At last,
her son was born.
All heaven took a deep breath as
our Savior filled his lungs for the first time.
When his cry pierced the night the fabric between heaven and earth was
torn.
**
In a field nearby, shepherds were keeping
watch over their flocks. A small campfire
emitted a comforting glow and offered a respite from the cold night.
The calm was broken when an Angel
of the Lord suddenly appeared in their midst. The men fell to the ground dumb
struck by the brilliance of the Glory of the Lord that shone around them.
The angel comforted them with his
words: Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for
all the people. Today in the town of David
a Savior has been born to you, he is the Messiah, the LORD. This will be a sign to you, you will find a baby
wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
The rift between heaven and earth
opened further and a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the
angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on
earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
The fear that the shepherds first
experienced was replaced with awe and joy.
Their voices soon joined the angels in singing praise to the Eternal
One, the Ancient of Days, Merciful Yahweh.
After a time, the Glorious Light and
echoes of the Heavenly chorus faded back into the quiet night.
The shepherds came back to
themselves and immediately decided to go and find the child spoken of. On the way, they wondered how they would find
Him. Arriving on the outskirts of town,
they were drawn to an ethereal glow emanating from a stable and headed towards
the light.
**
Following the birth of baby Jesus,
Joseph tenderly fussed over Mary and helped her to get comfortable. Together they swaddled the newborn baby and
marveled at his perfect fingers and toes.
They laid him in a manger filled with fresh hay.
A holy hush had overtaken the
atmosphere. Even the animals seemed to
sense how profound the moment was.
A commotion just outside got
Joseph’s attention. He went to the doorway
and was surprised to see a group of shepherds milling about. They were trying to find the courage to cross
the threshold when Joseph stepped outside.
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