Bloomsbury Publishing - A Guinea Pig Nativity

Now the birth of Jesus happened like this.

God sent the Angel Gabriel to a town called Nazareth, in Galilee; to a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. And the virgins name was Mary.

Going into Marys house, the Angel went towards her and said, Rejoice, most highly favoured lady, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!

Mary was greatly disturbed by these words, and wondered what sort of greeting this was!

The Angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. Behold! You will conceive and bear a son, and you shall call him Jesus.

He will be great, and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his forefather David, and of his kingdom there will be no end.

But Mary said to the Angel, How shall this be, since I am a virgin?

The Angel answered her, saying, The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overcome you. Therefore the child you bear will be called Son of God. For nothing is impossible for God.

Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you have said. And the Angel left her.

Joseph was an upright man; when he found out that Mary was with child before they had married, he was minded to avoid a scandal. He decided to separate from her quietly.

Whilst he was brooding over these things, the Angel appeared to him during a dream and said, Joseph, Son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child she will bear was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and he will save the people from their sins!

All this happened so that the words spoken by the Lord through the Prophet would be fulfilled: Behold, the virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and they shall call him Jesus, which means God is with us.

When Joseph awoke from his dream, he did as the Angel had told him and took Mary as his wife.

And it happened in those days that Caesar Augustus issued a decree that the whole world should be taxed, and that everyone should go to the town of their birth in order for this to happen.

So Joseph went out of the town of Nazareth and up from the land of Galilee with Mary, who was great with child. Because Joseph was a descendant of King David, they travelled to the City of David, Bethlehem, in the land of Judea.

And so it came to pass that whilst they were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to give birth.

And she brought forth her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn.

There were shepherds in the surrounding area, keeping their sheep and watching over their flocks by night.

And lo, the Angel appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. And they were very afraid!

The Angel said to them, Do not be afraid, for I bring news of great joy for all people!

For a Saviour is born for you this day in the City of David. He is Christ the Lord! You shall find him wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger.

Suddenly a multitude of the heavenly host appeared, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the Highest Heavens, and on Earth, peace to people of good will.

As the Angels returned into Heaven the shepherds said to one another, Let us go to Bethlehem, and see this great thing that has happened, which the Lord has revealed to us.