The Christmas Story as told by the Messengers
Narrator: This is the story according to the messengers of God, present then and present now. We remember the angel appearance to Zechariah, husband of Elizabeth and cousin to Mary, foretelling the birth of their son, John:
Messenger: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink; even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will turn many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Narrator: And so it was! Elizabeth, even in her old age, was finally pregnant with John who would prepare a way for Jesus’ teachings many years later. Six months later in Nazareth, a city in the rural province of Galilee, the heavenly messenger Gabriel made another appearance. This time the messenger was sent by God to meet with a virgin named Mary, who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David himself. The messenger entered her home and said:
Messenger: “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you… Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end… “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Narrator: At first perplexed by this, Mary resolved to offer herself as the vessel through which more love was born into the world. But Joseph, her fiancé, needed some encouragement too, for becoming pregnant before their marriage was a serious offense in the eyes of the community. A message was needed:
Messenger: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this takes place to fulfill what has been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”
Narrator: And so Joseph stood by her and she grew with the presence of God within her. The story continues: “In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius
was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angels said to them:
Messenger: Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people!
Messenger: To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord!
Messenger: This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.
Narrator: And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, [indicate for the people to stand] Yes! YOU are the multitude of messengers who have gathered this night to proclaim this Good News! [wait until the people have stood]. And the angels of God praised God and said:
Congregation: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth, peace and goodwill among all people!”
Narrator: Yes, we can all be messengers of God and we give thanks this night that God has given us the wings of love to help us carry this message.
When the angels had left them the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Excerpts from Luke & Matthew
Christmas Eve Candlelight Service – #Do not be afraid
