Christmas Musicals for Church
Issue link: http://read.jwpepper.com/i/141394
14 N A R R AT I O N 1 (begins without music) Can you hear it? It's the cry of hope echoing down through the ages: "Come, Messiah. Come and set us free." For generations preceding the birth of Christ, the words of the prophets breathed faith into the hearts of the people of Israel, who had been longing for the promised Emmanuel to arrive. PL E 35 SA M Then, in the small town of Nazareth, in Galilee, God answered the cry of a desperate people. He sent the angel Gabriel to visit a young virgin named Mary, who was engaged to a simple carpenter named Joseph. The angel came to Mary and said, "'Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you.' But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. Then the angel told her: 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end. The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.' 'I am the Lord's slave,' said Mary. 'May it be done to me according to your word.' Then the angel left her" (Luke 1:28-33,35,38). "In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. This first registration took place while Quirinius (music begins) was governing Syria. So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. (Luke 2:1-3). Among those making the long and tiring journey were Mary, now great with child, and Joseph. As they pressed on toward their hometown, Bethlehem, the cry of generations before had become Mary's earnest prayer. BreathofHeaven_CHBK.indd 17 3/15/13 3:42 PM