THE CHRISTMAS STORY
Luke
Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. In the time of Herod king of Judea, [Luke 1:1-5]
naRRATOR
God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, [Luke 1:26-28]
Gabriel
Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. [Luke 1:28]
NARRATOR
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. [Luke 1:29]
Gabriel
Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will 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 the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end. [Luke 1:30-33]
Mary
How will this be, since I am a virgin? [Luke 1:34]
Gabriel
The Holy Spirit will come upon 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. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God. [Luke 1:35-37]
Mary
I am the Lord's servant, May it be to me as you have said. [Luke 1:38]
NARRATOR
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. [Luke 1:39-42]
ElIZABETH
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 what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished! [Luke 1:42-45]
Mary
My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me-holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers." [Luke 1:46-55]
LUKE
Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home. [Luke 1:56]
Matthew
This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, [Matthew 1:18-20]
Angel
Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. [Matthew 1:20-21]
Matthew
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet Isaiah [Matthew 1:22]
Isaiah
The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him "Immanuel"-which means, "God with us." [Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23]
Matthew
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she would give birth to a son, and his name would be Jesus. [Matthew 1:24-25]
LUKE
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. [Luke 2:1-3]
nARRATOR
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 register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. [Luke 2:4-5]
LuKE
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. [Luke 2:6-7]
naRRATOR
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, [Luke 2:8-10]
Angel
Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. [Luke 2:10-12]
LUKE
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, [Luke 2:13]
Heavenly hosts
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. [Luke 2:14]
nARRATOR
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,
Shepherds
Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.
LUKE
So they hurried off and 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 them 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. [Luke 2:16-20]
Matthew
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, [Matthew 2:1-2]
MAGI
Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him. [Matthew 2:2]
Matthew
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. [Matthew 2:3-4]
King herod's council
In Bethlehem in Judea, for this is what the prophet Micah has written: [Matthew 2:5]
micah
But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel. [Micah 5:2, Matthew 2:6]
Matthew
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, [Matthew 2:7-8]
king herod
Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him. [Matthew 2:8]
Matthew
After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east 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 their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. [Matthew 2:9-11]
Note: all text comes from the New Living Translation
Edited by Mark Main and stored on
www.christmas-story.info
You can email me at:
Click here to download an MS Word document version of The Christmas Story.