​The Christmas Stories

Two of the four gospels, Matthew and Luke, tell the story of Jesus’ birth. And they don’t tell the same things or describe the same times. They speak of events, likely separated by as much as a year or two. Mark doesn’t tell the story of his birth at all. John does in a mystical way that lacks the sentimentality of what we see as the Christmas Story. But, ironically, his telling informs our view of “the Emmanuel” with an even greater weight than the others. 

It’s interesting to note that, in all probability, the disciples only knew Jesus as a man. His birth was just a story to them, as it is to us. Mark and Luke weren’t even part of the twelve. And any stories that Matthew and John knew would have been learned from Mary and her contemporaries as they all walked with Jesus and the group surrounding him. Other details may have only come directly by divine inspiration, never heard from human lips. We don't know, but the Christmas stories told in the gospels are not eye-witness stories. They heard about them just like we do. 

Later, others would write about Jesus too. Paul has powerful things to say of his nature. Any time we read of the nature of Jesus and the reason for his coming, it belongs as part of the Christmas story — even as an orienting part of it. 

The following is an attempt to combine the tellings into one account. And, as conditioned as we are to want to cite “chapter and verse” to make sure it’s not misquoted, this attempt just uses the words, mostly verbatim, from a couple different translations, to give us a seamless story.  My hope is that it would add focus to your celebration in this holy day season.

Merry Christmas,

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In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him, all things were made. Without him, nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

The light shines in the darkness and the darkness hasn't overcome that. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own didn't receive him. And yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. Children born not out of natural descent, nor of human decision, or a husband's will, but born of God. 

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We've seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son who came from the Father full of grace and truth.

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about:

His mother, Mary, was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. God sent the angel Gabriel to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored. The Lord is with you.” 

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and she wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Don't be afraid, Mary. You've found favor with God. You’re going to conceive and give birth to his son, and you're to call him Jesus. He'll be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob's descendants forever. His kingdom will never end.” 

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I'm a virgin?” 

And the angel answered, “The Holy Spirit's going to come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God, for no word from God will ever fail.”

And she said, “I'm the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.”  And then the angel left her. 

And then an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, don't be afraid to take Mary home as your wife because what's conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She'll give birth to a son and you're to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet Isaiah: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Emmanuel, which means God with us.” 

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him. He took Mary home as his wife, but he didn't consummate their marriage [at that time.]

In those days, Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world, and everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to be registered with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him, and was expecting a child.

While they were there the time came for the baby to be born. She gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Don't be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all 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 cloth and lying in a manger.” 

And suddenly 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."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherd said to one another, “Let's go to Bethlehem. Let's see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 

So they hurried off and they found Mary and Joseph and the baby who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him they spread the word concerning what had been told about this child. And all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. And when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the law required, Simeon took him in his arms and he praised God saying, “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people, Israel.” 

The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be spoken against so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” 

There was also a prophet, Anna, who was very old. She had lived with her husband seven years after their marriage and then was a widow until she was 84. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who are looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

[Later] during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and they asked, “Where's the one who's been born King of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose, and we've come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed and all Jerusalem with him. He called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, and asked them where the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem.

“In Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet Micah has written: ‘But you, Bethlehem, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah. For out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

Then Herod called the Magi secretly, and he found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and he said, "Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report back to me so that I too can go worship him." 

After they had heard the king, they went on their way and the star that they had seen when it rose, went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed on coming to the house. They saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened up their treasures and presented him with the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and he said, "Get up! Take the child and his mother, and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." And so he got up. He took the child and his mother during the night and they left for Egypt where they stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet Hosea: “Out of Egypt, I called my son.” 

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted, he was furious and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and his vicinity, who were two years old and under in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “A voice is heard in Rama, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted because they are no more.” 

After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, “Get up, take the child and the mother and go back to the land of Israel for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead.”

So he got up, took the child and his mother, and went back to the land of Israel. And there, having been warned in another dream, he withdrew to the District of Galilee and he went and lived in Nazareth. And so was fulfilled what was said through the prophets that Jesus would be called a Nazarene.

And there the child grew and became strong. He was filled with wisdom and the grace of God was on him. 

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities. All things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him, all things hold together. [He] is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being sustaining all things by his powerful word.

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. For to us a child is born. To us a Son is given. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

Amen.