CHRIST’S BIRTH, AS I UNDERSTAND IT

 

CHRIST’S BIRTH, AS I UNDERSTAND IT

A virgin named Mary, who was engaged to a man named Joseph, was

pregnant with the Son of God, which was the result of the miraculous
working of the Holy Spirit.  When Joseph, to whom she was engaged, found
out, he, being a just man and not wanting her to be stoned to death for
having committed adultery, was trying to think of how he could quietly
break off their engagement. 
But while he was thinking about it, he fell asleep, and the Angel of the
Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, of the family of
David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife.  The Child she is
carrying is a miracle, conceived of the Holy Spirit.  And she shall
bring forth a Son, and you are to call His name JESUS: for He shall save
His people from their sins.” 
Now all this was done that Isaiah 7:14 might be fulfilled, which was
spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Behold, a virgin shall
be with Child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call
His title, “Emmanuel,” which means “God with us.”  [Note:  Mary's
pregnancy, like all pregnancies, involved a child, not a fetus, not an
embryo, not even a fertilized egg; she was with Child!]
When Joseph woke up, he did as the Angel of the Lord had told him,
and he married Mary.  And Mary remained a virgin until she gave birth
to her firstborn Son: and Joseph called His name

 “JESUS” (Mt. 1:18-25).

And there were, in the same country, shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.  And suddenly, the Angel of the
Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord surrounded them: and
they were so afraid.  And the Angel said unto them, “Fear not: for,
behold, I bring great news, which shall be a blessing to all people.
Just as the Word of God promised, your Messiah, Christ the Lord, has
been born today in Bethlehem, the City of David.”  
And this is
how you will recognize Him; you will find the Baby wrapped in a
receiving blanket, lying in an animal’s feed trough.  And suddenly,
there was with the Angel, a multitude of the heavenly host praising God,
and saying, “Glory to God in heaven, and on earth, peace and good will
to all men.”  And it came to pass, after the angels were gone, the
shepherds said one to another, “Let us go and see this thing which has
happened, this thing which the Lord hath made known unto us.”
And
when they arrived in Bethlehem, they found Mary and Joseph, and
the Baby was lying in an animal’s food trough, just as they had been
told. And when they had seen Him, they told everyone what they had been
told concerning the Child, Israel’s Messiah (Lk. 2:8-17).

  Reblogged from  Paul Mutschler  on http://skipslighthouse.blogspot.com/2013/12/christs-birth-as-i-understand-it.html