The Greatest Story Ever Told
Have you ever heard The Greatest Story Ever Told? Today, you can on this episode of the Grafted Podcast… The Greatest Story Ever Told.
Have you ever heard The Greatest Story Ever Told? Today, you can on this episode of the Grafted Podcast… The Greatest Story Ever Told.
We have entered the season of Advent! It is the time of expectant waiting and preparation to celebrate the Nativity of Christ for Christmas, and the return of Christ at the Second Coming. Because of this, we are going to take a break from our study in Romans. Instead, we are going to hear the first part of the Greatest Story Ever Told. This episode is good for the whole family. So gather your family, enjoy a hot cup of coco, and enjoy this story.
“The Greatest Story Ever Told”
Matthew 1:18-2:23 & Luke 1:26-2:40
An original adaptation, compiled and paraphrased by Adam Weatherly
To tell the greatest story ever told, we have to go back in time, over 2000 years ago. It's a dark starry night in a vast desert wilderness of the East known as Persia. There, a group of wise men, people called Magi, studied the stars. On this particular night, they witnessed an astronomical phenomenon in the sky. “Look! A new star has appeared,” one of them said. The Magi started discussing this rare phenomenon. They knew something special had happened. As they interpreted the meaning of this new star, one of the Magi addressed the group, “this must be a sign from God.” They noticed that the star appeared over the land of Judah, which meant that the new Jewish King had been born. Not only that, but the birth of a new star revealed this new king was special. He would be the King of all Kings. “We must go and worship this great and mighty king,” a third Magi declared. So that night, they set out on a journey heading west as they followed the star.
That very same night, in a small town named Nazareth, sat a young woman named Mary. She was engaged to a hardworking carpenter named Joseph, who just so happened to be the 26 times great-grandchild of King David. Mary was pure and innocent and waited for Joseph to become her husband. That night, Mary sat at her window, staring at the stars, dreaming of the life that she and Joseph would have together. All of a sudden the room began to shine with a bright light. Mary turned to see an angel of the Lord standing next to her. He wore a white tunic, elegantly decorated armor, with a sword hanging from his belt, and a trumpet made of horn at his side. The glory of God shone all around him, illuminating the room.
“Greetings favored woman. The Lord is with you,” he said. Mary was shaken up a little and didn’t know what to think about this weird greeting. She wondered why the angel had come to her. Then the angel spoke again saying, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. I am the Guardian Angel of Israel, Gabriel. The Lord has sent me to speak with you. God has chosen you to be blessed. You will become pregnant and will give birth to a baby boy. You will name him Jesus. The boy will be very great and will be called the Son of God. God will give him the throne of King David, he will rule over Israel forever, and his kingdom will never end.”
After hearing all that Gabriel said, Mary thought, “How can this be?” Then she asked Gabriel, “How exactly is this going to happen? I’m not married yet.”
Gabriel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of God the Most High, will overshadow you. This is why the baby will be called the ‘Son of God’. You see Mary, with God, nothing is impossible.”
Mary believed what the Angel Gabriel had told her and responded, “I’m the Lord's servant, and am ready to serve. Let it happen just like you say it will.”
A few months later, Mary’s belly began to grow. When she couldn't hide it any longer, Mary told Joseph, “Joseph, I need to share something with you, and you may want to sit down.” “Okay,” Joseph replied. Mary dropped the bomb, “I’m pregnant.” She told him everything that the Angel had said to her, but Joseph did not believe her. Because Joseph was an upright and moral man, he decided to take care of the situation secretly so that Mary wouldn’t be humiliated.
During the middle of the night, Joseph tried to figure out how to handle the news of Mary’s pregnancy. Frustrated and exhausted he fell asleep. As he drifted into a deep sleep, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him. “Joseph, son of David. Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife!” the angel said. “The child she is pregnant with has come from the Holy Spirit. The baby will be a boy and you should name him Immanuel — which means, God is with us. This baby will save His people from their sin to fulfill the message of God’s prophets that said, 'watch for this sign, a virgin will become pregnant and will have a son, who will be named Immanuel.'”
When Joseph woke up the next morning, realized that the dream was a message from God. So he did exactly what the angel had said in his dream. He married Mary but he vowed to not embrace her until after the baby was born.
Around that same time the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus declared that a census was to be taken. This meant that every family needed to travel to their father's hometown. Because Joseph was the 26 times great-grandson of King David’s royal line, he packed up his very pregnant wife on a donkey and walked a full day (about 6.5 miles) from Nazareth to the small town of Bethlehem in Judea.
As they arrived in Bethlehem early that evening, it was time for Mary to give birth. There was only one place for travelers to stay, a small Hotel. Joseph went inside to the Hotel owner. “Do you have an available room for my wife and I, so we can be counted in the census?” Joseph asked. To which the owner replied, “There are no rooms left in the Hotel.” “But sir!” Joseph argued. “Can’t you see my wife is about to give birth!? We need a place to stay!” “Mister, I’m sorry, but we have no rooms left. You’ll have to find someplace else.” the Owner sternly replied. Then Joseph begged, “Please. It’s dark outside, and we have no place to go. Surely you have something somewhere. Anywhere.” “Okay, Okay.” the owner answered as he saw the desperation on Joseph's face. “There is one place left, but you're not going to like it.” Joseph said, “We’ll take it!” “There's an empty stall in the stable. It’s around the back. Stay there if you want.” “Oh, Thank you,” Joseph said as he signed with relief.
Mary and Joseph walked around the hotel and saw a stable that was built in the opening of a small cave. It wasn’t ideal, but it worked. It was better than nothing. As they got settled in the stable, Joseph built a small fire to keep them warm and provide a little light. About that same time, Mary went into labor. "Joseph!" Mary shouted. "It's time. The baby is coming!" she said. Joseph grabbed all the blankets he could find and brought them to Mary. It was there, in that dark and dirty stable where Mary gave birth to her firstborn child. A baby boy. Mary swaddled the baby snugly in one of the blankets and nursed him. Joseph lined an empty feeding trough (manger) with blankets. When Mary was finished feeding the baby, she laid him in the feeding trough.
Not too far away, in a field just outside of Bethlehem, there were some shepherds. They sat under the stars next to a crackling campfire watching their sheep. Suddenly a bright light appeared, and an angel appeared out of nowhere and stood in front of them. He was wearing a long flowing white tunic, and the light of God’s glory shone around him. The shepherds were frightened.
“Don’t be afraid,” the Angel told them. “I’m here to give you good news that will bring joy to the whole world. ‘The Messiah was born tonight in Bethlehem. Go, look for the baby. He is wrapped in a blanket and lying in an empty feeding trough.”
As the Angel finished speaking, a choir of angels appeared behind him. They were all dressed in long flowing choir robes, and shining with the Glory of the Lord. They began to sing a heavenly hymn with their voices that brought praises to God. They sang the chorus, “Glory to God in the heavenly heights. Peace to all people on earth who please him.”
When the Angels ascended back to heaven, the shepherds looked at each other in awe. "Umm, did anyone else see that?" one of the shepherds asked. "YES!" the others all said at the same time. “We must go and see this baby,” one of them said. Another shouted, “Yes! We must go and worship this Savior!” “I think I know where he is,” another one proclaimed. They all jumped up and ran as fast as they could to find the baby in Bethlehem. When they arrived at the stable, they saw Mary and Joseph and stared in awe at the baby lying in a feeding trough. The shepherds believed what the Angel shared with them, and they began to worship the baby. Later in the evening, on their way back to their camp the Shepherds praised God for what they had seen. They told everyone they met about the child and what the angel told them. The people were captivated by what they heard.
Over the next week, Joseph found an acceptable place for Mary and the baby to stay. He also registered his family for the census. On the eighth day, early in the morning, Joseph and Mary took the baby to the temple in Jerusalem. They went to present the baby to the priest according to the Law of Moses.
As they entered the temple, a man named Simeon was waiting for them. Simeon was a good man, old in age, and was full of the Holy Spirit. Simeon constantly prayed that help would come to Israel. Earlier that day, the Holy Spirit fell on him. The Holy Spirit showed him that he would see the Messiah before he died, and led him to the temple. With a big smile on his face, Simeon took the baby from Mary. He held the baby tight in his arms as he began to praise God. Simeon prayed, “O Lord, I can now live out my days in peace as you promised. Now, I have seen your salvation, that you have given for everyone. He is the light that will reveal you to the nations, and is the glory of your people.” When he finished praying, Simeon looked at Mary and Joseph. He blessed them saying, “This child has been destined to cause many to rise and many to fall. He is the sign from God, but many will stand against Him. Because of this, the deep thoughts of many hearts will be discovered. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”
When Simeon finished speaking to Mary and Joseph, an eighty-four-year-old widow walked in. She spent her life worshipping God by praying and fasting day and night in the temple. Her name was Anna and she was a prophetess. Anna cherished the baby and began praising God. She shared about the child with everyone in the temple.
Mary and Joseph treasured everything that had been said about their baby. Now it was their turn to present the baby to the priest in the Temple. “Who is presenting this baby in the presence of the temple today?” the priest asked. “His mother, Mary, and I do,” Joseph replied. “And what is the name given to the child?” asked the priest. Joseph answered, “His name will be Jesus.” The Priest took Jesus, circumcised him, and said, “It has pleased God to give Joseph and Mary the gift of this baby who is called Jesus. We dedicate and set Him apart as being holy to God as the firstborn child. We give thanks to God for this child.” At the end of that day, after fulfilling the requirements of the Law, they returned to Bethlehem.
Two years passed and the Magi, from the East, were still following the star. On their journey, the star led them to Jerusalem. When they entered the city they asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We witnessed his star appear from the far-off eastern lands and have followed it so we can worship him.” Herod had become king of Judea at the time. But there was a problem, he was not a descendant of King David. The Jews didn’t like him, and they did not fully accept him as king. When Herod heard the rumors about what the Magi were asking, he knew his job was in danger. He thought that another king had come to take over, which made him extremely upset. Herod would do anything to stay king, so he called all the priests and scribes to look into where this newborn king was to be born. One of the priests spoke up quoting from the prophet Micah, “And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.”
King Herod summoned the Magi to a private meeting, and he pretended to be a devout believer. “When exactly did this new star first appear?” Herod asked. The Magi answered, “We first saw the star two years ago.” Next, Herod revealed the prophecy from Micah to the Magi and sent them on their way to Bethlehem. On their way out of the palace, Herod said, “Send a messenger back to me when you find the child, so I can come worship him too.”
The star appeared again as the Magi set out towards Bethlehem. It led them straight to a little house in Bethlehem where Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus were living. "KNOCK, Knock, knock." "Who could that be?" Joseph thought as he went to answer the door. "Can I help you?" Joseph asked the wise men. "We are from the East," one of them said. Another said, "Two years ago, we saw the star of a new king appear." "We have been following the star for two years, to worship and give presents to the new king," the third Magi said. "The star has led us here, to your house. May we come in?" The first Magi asked. Joseph remembered what the Angel who appeared to him in the dream had revealed. Joseph said, "Please come in."
As they entered the house, the Magi, they saw Mary holding Jesus. They bowed down in front of Jesus and worshipped him. The first wise man opened his bag and pulled out a beautifully carved wooden box. He opened the box as he sat it in front of Jesus. It was inlaid with purple cloth and filled with gold. The second wise man sat an ornately forged circular metal container in front of Jesus. He opened the metal container to reveal frankincense. Finally, the third Magi unwrapped an ornately painted bottle. As he sat it in front of Jesus, he pulled the cork out which allowed the sweet smell of myrrh to fill the room. Each gift was costly, luxurious, and suitable for celebrating the birthday of a new king. Mary and Joseph were amazed by what the Magi had brought.
Late that evening, after the Magi had left, everyone had fallen asleep. The Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a second dream. “King Herod wants to kill the child.” the Angel warned. “Get up now and take Mary and Jesus to Egypt. Stay there until I come back to you.” Joseph sat up startled. He woke up Mary, and they set out that night to take Jesus to Egypt.
Early the next morning, King Herod heard that the Magi disobeyed him. In a fit of rage, Herod called his soldiers. “Go to Bethlehem, and kill all the boys there who are two years old and younger!” he ordered them. The soldiers went to do as the king ordered. This brutal action fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah. “People will cry out in Israel, weeping for their children, because they were killed.”
Several years had passed since Joseph moved Mary and Jesus to Egypt. Late one evening the Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a third dream. “Get up!” The Angel said. “King Herod has died. It is now safe to take Mary and Jesus to your home.” Joseph woke up the next morning. “Mary! Mary!” He happily shouted. “Well, you sure woke up in a good mood,” Mary said with a little laugh. “The Angel of the Lord came to me in a dream last night. Guess what he said.” Joseph said. “I don’t know,” Mary replied. “What did he say?” Joseph excitedly said, “We can go home! The Angel said it was safe to return to Israel!” Mary and Joseph were excited that they could take Jesus to their home in Israel. So they packed up all their belongings and returned to their home in the small Galilean town of Nazareth. It is there where Jesus grew up. He became strong and was known for wisdom beyond his years, and God poured out his blessing on him.
I hope you enjoyed hearing The Greatest Story Ever Told. My prayer is that each of us has an amazingly blessed Advent Season as we celebrate Christmas and prepare for Jesus to come again.