Jesus is born

Audio file, a reading of the Christmas story, from Luke 2

Story of the birth and childhood of Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth

Joseph goes home to Bethlehem

Luke 2

1About the time Mary got pregnant, Caesar Augustus ordered a census. He wanted to count everyone in the Roman world. 2This was the first census the Romans took after Quirinius became Syria’s governor.  3Folks went to their hometown to register.

4Joseph did too. He left Nazareth, a city in the region called Galilee. He went south to Bethlehem.  That’s where he came from—the hometown of his famous relative, King David. 5Joseph went there to register. He took his fiancée, Mary, who was pregnant.

6They got to Bethlehem just in time for her to give birth.  7Mary had her first child. A boy. She wrapped him tightly, swaddling him in cloth. Then she laid him in a feeding trough—a manger—for his bed. She had no choice. There were no guest vacancies in the town.

Shepherds get a birth announcement

8Near the village, shepherds had set up camp and were keeping an eye on their sheep at night. 9All of a sudden an angel showed up, right there in front of them. Heaven’s glory lit the camp like a spotlight, terrifying the shepherds.

10“Don’t be afraid,” the angel told them. “I’ve got great news—joy to the world for people everywhere. 11Born today, in David’s hometown, is your Savior. He’s the Messiah, your Lord. 12Here’s how you can know it’s him. You’ll find a baby wrapped in cloth, lying in a manger.” 

13Suddenly, all heaven broke loose. The lone angel wasn’t alone anymore. He brought company. Angels everywhere—a skyful—happy and saying wonderful things about God:
14“Praise God from here to high heaven.
Peace has come to earth for everyone who loves God and wants nothing more than to please him.” 

15When the angels left, the shepherds couldn’t stop talking. “What are we doing still standing here? We need to get our feet moving right now to Bethlehem so we can see for ourselves what the Lord told us.”

Running to Jesus

16They did not walk, they ran until they found Mary and Joseph. There he was, the baby, lying in a manger. 17When they saw this with their own eyes, they were all mouth. They couldn’t stop talking about what God’s angels had told them about this child.

18The people who heard what the shepherds said were amazed beyond amazing.

19Mary scooped up every word like a treasure and stored them in her memory. Quietly, she pondered all of this in her heart. 20The shepherds went back to their flock. They didn’t go quietly. Still talking. Still laughing. Still thanking God for everything he let them hear and see on that remarkable day.