The Good News

[Kahn]

Introduction:

Dear Reader,

This is a modern day re-telling of the life of Jesus Christ, with every story from the four gospels.

This story is written as a way to express the life of the infamous Yeshua ben Yoseph, better known as Jesus son of Joseph. I have kept faithful to everything written about in him in the four canonical gospels. I have only brought the story into a modern day, North American setting. In doing this I had to make some minor alterations, but in the end the importance is the message. I also hope to bring to light the personalities of other people in the good shepherd's life, and fill in gaps left in the Bible. Of course anything I write can only be speculation based on my faith and revelation. I hope that what I write can be appreciated and not come off as blasphemous.

Prologue - A Preview Of He Who Is

Before the world was created, their existed something called the Word, who was with God and the same as God. With the help of the Word God created the world, everything in the world is made from the Word. The Word was the source of life, and by this life it gave light to humans. As long as there is the Word to give light, darkness will never cover humankind. And so God gave the world a man named John when the time for the Word to come came. This man's duty from birth was to tell the people about the light. The Word has walked on this earth, maybe walked where you have walked. Though nobody recognized him for what he truly was until he was gone. The people who did realize who he was became God's children, the Word's brother. This story will tell you how his life unfolded.

[Kahn]

Chapter One - The Birth and Early Years John Abijah and Joshua Christ

It was the year 1971, in a city like most all major cities in the United States of America. It was dirty, full of poverty, and the politics were full of corruption. But, in the midst of this metropolis was a church, the largest church in the country, which every year thousands of people flocked to visit. At the time this part of the story takes place, one of the clergymen in charge there was a man named Zachariah Abijah.

Zachariah was a simple, but faithful man. He lived out in the suburbs as so many people do, he loved his country, his church, and especially his God. It was reaching six in the evening as he was finishing up his sermon for that Sunday's service. He was packing up his papers, anxious to get home to his wife Elizabeth. He and Elizabeth had always been a happy couple, everybody they knew commented on it. But they had great sorrow in their marriage too. Elizabeth was unable to conceive a child. They had tried for years in vain despite what the doctors told them but it never happened. And now that Elizabeth was well into her sixties they had given up any hope left. They both loved children, but they made do with what the Lord had given them, and instead took joy at caring for their young cousins.

As Zachariah was making his way out, he knelt before the altar like he did every time he left the church. He knew the janitor would arrive soon, so he said a quick prayer,

“Lord God almighty, thanking for all of your blessings. Thank you for my loving wife, for our beautiful home, for our great bounty of food...”

As he was saying this, he looked up, and he saw suddenly before him a man, standing next to the altar. No, he thought to himself, this wasn't a man. He didn't understand, but somehow, he felt something about this creature. It was like he was omitting power. Such power that he felt suddenly like a lowly insect. But it was also omitting an illuminating white light, pure light like he could never have imagined. He felt all this confusion in about one second, but he knew, that this was an angel. He jumped up, in shock, and looked afraid.

“Don't be afraid Zachariah!” he said, shouting.

Zachariah stepped closer, and saw the wing creature in more detail. But he didn't feel any less frightened.

“God heard your prayers,” he said softly, “Your wife Elizabeth is going to have a child, as she has prayed for these long years. She will have a son, because God is gracious. He will make your proud and happy, and will bring happiness to lives of so many others. Because from the day he is born, he will be filled with the holy spirit, and he will bring the people of the world back to God. Promise that you will raise your son properly, because he is destined to be great.”

“Yes, of course...” he mustered, in complete awe in what was happening.

“He will go before the Lord, strong and mighty. He will bring parents and children together again. He will bring sinners back to the light. He will prepare the world for the Lord.”

'But, why now, now that we're so old. My wife couldn't possibly have a child at her age.”

“Do you not believe me? I am Gabriel, God's holy messenger. Everything I say was told to me by God in his holy Kingdom. What do I have to do to make you believe? I already know, you will not be able to say a word until the day what I promised comes true.”

Zachariah felt a strange sensation in his throat. He opened his mouth to apologize, but when he tried, he found, like the angel had said, he was unable to speak. He looked up, and the angel was gone. Suddenly he heard knocking on the door, and turned around. He went and answered it. It was the janitor.

“Reverend, where have you been,” he said disgruntled. “What do you think you're doing locking the chapel door. You know I don't have a key for it because it ain't supposed to be closed. I've been banging out here for five minutes and...”

The janitor looked at Rev. Abijah, and saw that he smiling. He was about to yell some more, but he ran as quickly as he could out the door, literally jumping for joy. He got in his car and drove home as quickly as he could. When he arrived he found his wife was waiting at the door.

“Honey,” she said the second he had entered. “I have something to tell you. Something you probably won't believe. I was at the doctor's today, and well ... Zachariah, I'm going to have a baby!”

Her husband just started laughing, or at least, making the movements of laughter, though no sound came out. She had expected he would be shocked and overjoyed, but she didn't expect him to start laughing. Quickly, he started waving his arms, trying to signal out a message for her. She had no idea what has happening, and wondered vaguely if she were dreaming.

Zachariah ran into the study, and pulled out a pen and paper. As his wife looked on in curiosity, he wrote something done, writing at a furious pace. After several minutes of writing, he handed it over to his wife, who read every word three times. Very solemnly she asked,

“Is this true?”

Zachariah nodded. His wife burst into laughter to, throw her hands in the air and screamed praise to God, and wrapped her hands around her husband and kissed him.

Six months passed after this, and Elizabeth's pregnancy was healthy. Everyone was shocked, of course, at this news, but they were also thrilled that they were finally having children of their own. Among these shocked people were Elizabeth's cousins, the Nazareths, who lived out in the country, Eli, his wife Anne, and their daughter Mary.

Mary was very happy to hear about this, but she hadn't had the chance to talk with her cousin who was more like a second-mother, because she lived so far away now and she was busy planning her wedding. Mary was nineteen years old, and was engaged to her high school sweetheart, Joseph Christ. Like all of her family Mary was pious, and so was Joseph, and so they were saving sleeping together for their honeymoon. Neither of them had a lot of money, but Joseph's family was well-respected family in their little community.

It was the middle of a lazy Saturday afternoon, she didn't have work today so she was relaxing. Her parents had gone out and wouldn't be home until late, so she was thinking of going to see Joseph or some friends. She wandered out of bed and looked out the window over the lush countryside, when she saw something. In the sky, something was coming towards her. It was a light. No, it was a man. No, it couldn't be a man. Mary backed away from her window, and it descended into her room. She knew quite suddenly it was an angel. It was in fact, the very same angel Gabriel who had appeared to Zachariah.

“Hail Mary Nazareth.”

Mary fell on her knees in fear.

“Mary, don't bow to me. The Lord's spirit is stronger in your than even me. Truly, the Lord has blessed you with his divine grace.”

“But, what, what...” she couldn't comprehend how this majestic apparition was saying so good things about a human being like her.

“Mary, don't be afraid,” he said smiling. “I have been sent here to send you the most joyous words you or anyone will ever hear. You will become pregnant, and you are going to have a son who you will name Joshua, because that name means “God is Salvation”, and no name suits him better. He will be the son of the Most High God and greatest of all men. He will become a great ruler whose rule will never end.”

“What do you mean,” she said. “I can’t be pregnant. I’m a virgin, I’ve never…”

“You will become pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. God is your son’s father. Don’t you remember your cousin Elizabeth? She could not have children but yet she is now six months pregnant! Her child will be, like yours, a great man of God. There is nothing that the Lord cannot do, if you allow him. What do you say Mary, will you take this honor?”

Mary didn’t know what to say. How could she say yes? How would she explain to people? How could she explain to her parents about this? Would Joseph leave her? Everyone would think that she was a harlot who slept around, and she would be left alone to take care of a baby by herself. It was all crazy, but, no, God himself had sent an angel. She couldn’t say no.

“I…I will do whatever the Lord wants. Let it happen like you said.”

Gabriel smiled and left her alone to ponder this, he was glad that the Lord had entrusted these great duties on to him.

And just as the angel had told her, Mary became pregnant. The baby inside her filled her with such joy, and she felt such power and love for him that she hardly cared about the troubles she would come upon. These things weren’t just because of the great supernatural aspect of her baby, but it was a pure mother’s love that she and any decent mother would have felt for any child.

But despite this, she was afraid. She didn’t want anyone to know, not yet anyway. Her wedding to Joseph would be too late to pass it off as his, and anyway, she didn’t want to lie to him. So soon after this virgin conception, she asked her parents if she could go and stay with their cousins the Abijahs, as she had so often when she was younger. They knew that now that she was close to giving birth to her son that it would probably be good to have a young woman around to help her. Joseph was sad to see her leave, especially since they were planning a wedding, but he understood that Mary wanted to help her cousin.

What they didn’t know was that she had spoken to Elizabeth the day after the angel visited her. She told her what had happened, and Elizabeth told her how an angel had visited her husband too. Mary wanted to leave for a while because she was just too stressed here and wasn't ready to tell her parents, or especially Joseph, the truth.

So, the next week she was packed and on a one-way bus. She came and knocked on their door, and Zachariah answered. Mary said hello, and Zachariah smiled and pointed to where Elizabeth was.

Quietly she came through the halls, into the study where Elizabeth was reading, she hadn’t heard the door knock.

“Elizabeth, it’s me, Mary!” she shouted.

Elizabeth turned around in shock and pressed her hands against her now large stomach.

“Mary! Oh Mary, you are the most blessed woman in the world, and blessed is your son! Oh don’t understand, when I heard your voice, I swear, my son jumped for joy inside me! Oh Mary, thank God that He has given us both these wonderful gifts!”

Than she came and hugged Mary as hard as she could. Mary felt filled with the Holy Spirit, and suddenly, she started singing a song,

“My heart praises the Lord!

My soul is glad because of God my Savior!

Oh so great is what he has given me his lowly servant!

From day this on I will always be happy!

Because of all the things Mighty God has done for me!

He is Holy forever!

He shows great mercy on all us sinners!

He is so powerful!

He will stop men from doing evil!

He will stop evil dictators!

And He will raise up the lowly!

He will give good things to those who pray to him!

And He will send the rich away empty handed!

He will keep the promises he has made to us!

And He will help his servants!

He has remembered to show mercy on his children forever!”

Mary stayed with the Abijahs for three more months, by this Elizabeth was very close to her date and Mary was starting to show. During the first two months of her stay she would occasionally go back home for the weekends, just to see Joseph, but now she was too afraid to let him see her.

[Kahn]

continued

Late one hot late June evening in 1972, Mary and Zachariah were watching “All in the Family” in the living room. Elizabeth had been in the bedroom, napping, when she appeared at the doorway, while Mary and Zachariah were still laughing at Sammy Davis Jr. kissing Archie.

“Zachariah, Mary...”

“Yes Beth?” asked Mary.

“I'm not sure, but I think, I think that the baby's coming...”

“Oh my,” said Mary. “Zachariah, start up the car!”

Zachariah nodded and rushed out. Mary got the suitcase from out of her cousin's room and fifteen minutes later they were at the hospital. Mary stayed by Elizabeth as she went through labor, while Zachariah waited outside(which was how it was back then.) After 18 hours, early the next afternoon, Elizabeth's son was born.

The next day all of the neighbors and relatives who lived nearby came to see the newborn. It was so exhausting, having a newborn baby, a pregnant woman, and a mute man, that all of these relatives, although well-meaning, were a lot to handle. Mary was afraid, of course, to let anybody see her pregnant, so she stayed hidden away.

On the third day after John was born, there came a familiar knock at the door. Mary fled upstairs into the guest room while Elizabeth answered the door. Faintly, she could here,

“Hello Elizabeth! Congratulations! I just can't wait to see the little bundle of joy!”

Mary's jaw dropped. That was Salome's voice. Salome her younger sister.

“Why, Salome, what are doing here? Are you're parents with you,” asked Elizabeth slightly nervous.

“No, they wanted to come, but they couldn't make it. And where's my sister anyway! It's been way too long...”

“Oh, well, uh Mary, went out, just now, to buy some diapers...” said Elizabeth.

“Too bad. I'll catch her later than, I guess. Hello Zachariah.”

“Oh, I'm sorry to say Zach has laryngitis,” Elizabeth said while Zachariah waved. Elizabeth hoped God would forgive her for telling these lies.

“So, where's the baby! It's a boy, isn't it?”

“Yes it is, he's right in here. He's sleeping right now so make sure not to make any noise.”

They crept into the nursery and looked at the baby.

“So, what is he called. My dad said you were going to name him after his father.”

“No, no. His name is John. John Baldwin Abijah.”

“John? But why John? That's such an old-fashioned common name.”

Zachariah heard this an got angry. He stood up, and pulled a little Baby Name book from a drawer. He turned to John and showed it to Salome. It read “God is Gracious”. Salome was confused, but she didn't take much notice of it.

Mary was listening to all of this from upstairs. She touched her stomach, and felt courage. She had to tell her, and everyone, eventually. And now was as good a time as any. Mary went halfway down the stairs before she became afraid again. So, instead she called out,

“Salome!”

Salome heard this and looked around.

“Mary, is that you? I thought you were at the store? Where are you?”

“I'm, I'm here upstairs.”

Salome ran to go see her, still talking before she even saw her.

“Oh Mary, it's so great to hear you again. I hope you come home soon. Can you believe Elizabeth having a baby, at her age? I...”

Salome had just came to the foot of the stairs. Mary wasn't far along yet, so she wasn't sure what she was seeing. So she closer.

“Mary...”

“Hello Salome.”

“Mary, are you pregnant!”

“Yes. Yes Salome I am. That's why I came here. I was so afraid of you, and mom and dad, and especially Joseph seeing me like this. But I knew I couldn't keep this secret forever.”

“Mary! Is, is it's Joseph's?”

“No,” was all she could say. She was so terrified, she knew she wouldn't believe the truth.

“No! Mary, how could you do this to poor Joseph! Who's the father than, is it that Billy from school, or...”

“No. No, sis, you don't understand. There is no father. Well, actually, there is, but not like you think. Salome, I, I don't know how to say this, but, this baby I'm carrying, it's ... it's the child of God.”

“What?”

“It's true,” said Elizabeth.

Elizabeth and Zachariah had appeared behind her. Zachariah nodded.

“What are you people talking about?”

“It's a very very long story, but you're going to have to believe me sis,” said Mary.

“Yes. Here, let us explain everything. I know you won't believe it, but you're going to have to have faith,” said Elizabeth.

Half an hour later, they had explained to Salome everything that had happened since the angel Gabriel had appeared to Zachariah. Salome was too shocked to say anything while they were speaking, but once they were done she said,

“I...I don't know why I believe this. This all sounds so impossible. But I do believe. This is awesome! I mean, it's just so groovy, you know, how God has chosen you to carry these babies. It's so incredible!”

“Oh thank goodness!” said Mary. “I'm so glad that you believe us. Please, please, please, you've gotta help me explain this to mom and dad!”

“Of course...”

“Let us praise the Lord our God!”

Everyone turned in shock. Zachariah had just spoken. He, like Mary felt so filled with the Holy Spirit he could not help but sing.

“He has come to help his people and set them free!

He has given us a Messiah!

Who will save us from our sins!

He has made good on his promise of long ago!

To save us from our enemies!

From the power of those who hate us!

He said he would show mercy on us!

And now he is fulfilling his covenant!

With a solemn vow he gave this promise!

And now we will all be saved!

Now we can serve him without fear!

And see him in all his holy righteousness!

And have eternal life!”

He paused, and went to the crib and picked up his son.

“You, my son, will be called a prophet of the Most High God!

You will go ahead of the Lord!

To prepare the way for him!

To tell the people His message!

And having them repent their sins!

God is merciful and caring!

He will shine the light of salvation on us!

The light of heaven to shine even on those in the darkness of death!

To guide us on the path to peace!”

Mary and Salome stay with the Abijahs one more night before going back home. And as for John, he grew up healthily in both body and spirit. But what will happen to him will have to wait.

[Kahn]

continued

When Mary and Salome returned home, Eli and Anne were surprised, to say the least. Through careful explanation, the two daughters were able to explain exactly what happened. It took a lot of convincing, of course, but after two phone calls to the Abijahs and three hour long conversation with each other daughters, they decided that they believed the story.

Now Mary knew that all that was left was Joseph. She knew Joseph was kind and understanding, and that if she could explain it to him carefully he might believe it. She always had her family to help her in case, anyway.

Mary had been spending all her time in her bedroom, because she didn't want any of the neighbor's to see and go blabbing it all over town. She had to be the one to tell Joseph, so the second day after she came home, she called up Joseph to come see her straightaway. Joseph was thrilled that he could finally see his fiancee and get back on track with their wedding.

Her family had all gone out to the store, thankfully, so she had the house all to herself. She waited anxiously at the door for Joseph to arrive. When he finally did she suddenly wished she had more time.

“Hello, Joe,” she said as she answered the door.

“Mary!” he screamed with joy, grabbing her into a kiss before he got a good look at her. Mary pulled away, and Joseph felt confused. “What's wrong Mary? Aren't you glad to see me?”

“Joseph, look at me.”

“I am looking at your sweetheart!”

“No, look at me carefully.”

Mary was only four months along, and Joseph hadn't been around a lot of pregant women in his life. He looked at her, and thought that she'd gotten fat. Than, a horrible thought entered into his mind.

“Mary...” he couldn't finish what he was going to say. It couldn't be true what he was thinking.

“Joseph, I have something very very important to tell you.”

“No. Don't tell me. Please, tell me I'm wrong!”

“Oh, Joe, I'm pregnant!”

“What, no! How could you do this! You run off during our engagement for months without even calling me, and now you come back knocked up! What, you met some great city boy down there or something! All your talk about saving something special for our wedding night, and now you do something like this to me! Where's the father now, huh?”

“No, no Joe, I swear, it's not like this...” she found she couldn't explain herself, she was so afraid.

“Where is he? Are you leaving me for this city boy, is that it?”

“No, Joseph, I'm not going to leave you, just listen...”

“No, no Mary! What, let me guess, the jerk left you, huh! Thought you could straddle me into raising some other man's baby! Is that it! Because you've got another thing coming!”

“Joseph, please, I was already pregnant before I went to the city!”

“Oh God! Now I see what you've been up to. You were afraid so you went running off to your cousin's house! How dare you, you cheated on me here in town, when we were still together! Who was it, was it that Billy, cause I knew he always liked you but I never thought...”

“Joseph, please, listen to me. Trust me, I love you. We're engaged!”

“No! No, we're not! I, I can't do this Mary! I loved you with all my heart and I can't believe you'd go and betray me like this! I...I don't want to look at you. Please, just leave me alone. The wedding's off.”

“NO! NO JOSEPH, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! JUST WAIT UNTIL MY PARENTS COME HOME! THEY'LL EXPLAIN EVERYTHING, PLEASE, THIS BABY IS...”

But Joseph was already out the door. She followed him up to the car begging him to hear her out, but he just couldn't stand to look at her.

Joseph drove straight home, and ran upstairs to his room. He spent the entire night up there, crying, wondering what he could have done to make Mary betray him like this. He'd never been this angry in all his life, it was like he'd turned into a monster back there. But he was so frustrated the whole time Mary was gone, avoiding him, it seemed to him like he had lost her and seeing her today like this just confirmed it all. He still loved her, but he couldn't do this. He couldn't raise another man's child.

Mary was even worst off than Joseph. She knew it was unhealthy for the baby if she got upset, but she couldn't help herself from crying. She lost the man she most loved, all because God had made her carry this baby for Him. She wanted to scream curses at God, but she couldn't do that. She tried more than once to call Joseph, all night long, but he would never answer. She even convinced Salome to go to his house and talk to him, but he told his mother not to let anyone in, and though Mrs. Christ didn't know what was upsetting her son, she too refused to listen to Salome.

Neither of them were able to get to sleep until very late that night. Neither of them were exactly relaxed. Joseph was tossing and turning in his bed while he was having a dream. He kept hearing Mary laughing but from far away, and he was completely alone. But than, quite suddenly the dream changed. In fact, he wasn't even sure if was still dreaming. He felt wide awake. But it still felt like a dream. In front of him was an angel, but as Joseph was dreaming he wasn't too bothered by this.

“Joseph Christ, don't be afraid to take Mary Nazareth as your wife.”

“But, she betrayed me.”

The angel continued as if he had not heard him, “The baby Mary is carrying is not the son of a man. It was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. You will marry her, and raise Him as your son. He is the Son of God. He has been sent to Earth to save all humanity from their sins.”

“So, Mary didn't cheat on me, than? Does she know this?”

“I told her everything I'm telling you, four months ago when she became with child. Mary loves you.”

BRRIIIINNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!

Joseph's alarm clock went off. He woke up, still confused. But, somehow he knew what just happened wasn't a dream. It was real. He ran to the phone, and dialed Mary's phone number. Mary had just gotten up, to miserable to sleep, and was surprised to hear the phone ringing this early.

“Hello, Nazareth residence,” she said dully.

“Mary.”

“Joseph! Joseph, please don't hang up. Listen to me. My baby...”

“It's alright Mary, I, I know everything. You see, a ... an angel appeared to me in a dream, he told me what happened. Mary, I'm so sorry. I can't believe the way I acted yesterday. Please, please forgive me. I love you, and I hope that you still want to marry me.”

Mary was so overjoyed. She had felt angry with God but he had set everything right. This was the kind sensitive Joseph she knew and loved.

“You know I'll marry you!”

“Than, let's forget about the wedding, let's get married, today, right now!”

“What?”

“We'll elope, I know a chapel nearby that does this sort of thing. Will you?”

Mary wasn't sure, she had always looked forward to a big wedding, a white dress, family, and dancing, and cake. But what she did know was that she didn't want to not be married to him for one more second. “Yes!”

“I'll be there to pick you up, are you folks up?”

“No.”

“Great. See you soon!”

Both the Nazareth and the Christ family were shocked when they woke up to find notes explaining what they'd done. The Christ family wasn't happy about this at all, but the Nazareths had gotten so many surprises lately that they were just happy when the newlyweds came home that evening.

About five months passed, and Mary knew the baby was going to come soon. They didn’t have a lot of money; Joseph was apprenticing to become a carpenter, and was working a second-part time job. Still, they had all the money saved up that they were going to spend on the wedding, so they had enough to buy a beat-up old pick-up truck, and they had a large sum of money saved so they could hopefully soon afford to buy a house of their own and move out of the Nazareths’ house.

During mid-November they received an invitation in the mail to go to the Christ Family Reunion. It was going to be held in the town Joseph’s parents had come from, halfway on the other side of the country.

So despite her family member’s protests, Joseph, and Mary, nine months pregnant, decided to travel a cross-country trip in a pick-up truck in the middle of December. They were almost halfway there, the sun had just set, when it broke down.

“Darn it!” yelled Joseph, who got out into the rain to look at the engine. “This thing’s gone! Piece of junk! Great, great, great! We’re in the middle of nowhere. There’s not a town in miles! Stay here, honey, I guess I’ll have to go do some walking.”

“Oh, no…”

“Sorry, but it’s all I can do. I don’t want you walking around out here, especially in the rain.”

“No, Joe, I thought I had felt a contraction earlier but I wasn’t sure, but now I’m positive that my water just broke.”

“WHAT?” screamed Joseph. “No. Oh no. Are you positive this isn’t false labor or something?”

“Joseph, everything from my waist down is soaked. I’m positive I’m having the baby!”

“Oh, no, no, what are we supposed to do?”

“I don’t know, but I can’t have kid in this tiny little truck, there’s no room.”

“Great,” said Joseph. I don’t see a light anywhere near here! At least if it weren’t raining, maybe we could put you on the back on the truck.”

“Joseph, my child is not going to come into the world in the middle of the road! Think of something!”

“Relax, please, please relax!”

“I’m trying! Come on! AHHH!”

“What?”

“What do you think, I’m in labor!”

“Ok, this usually takes hours and hours, so we have a lot of time here…”

“Joseph, look, over there,” said Mary. “I think I see a house, on the other side of that corn field.”

“Yeah, yeah, I think you’re right. Come on, let's go, quick!”

Joseph took off his jacket to shelter Mary from the rain and they ran across the corn field. However, as they got closer they found that it was just an old dilapidated barn.

“There might not be anywhere else for miles,” said Mary. “I don't know but maybe we should just stay here.”

“You're alright having your baby in a barn, but the middle of the road is off limits?”

“Look, out of the two options, this one is the best.”

The barn was dark, filthy, filled with insects and the roof leaked. Still, they managed to settle Mary in a pile of straw in a corner. They stayed there for hours, Joseph tried to ease his wife's pain, but still was still nervous, because he knew that he would have to be the one to deliver this baby.

Finally, when sunrise was only about an hour away, after a lot of screaming, worries, and anxiety, Mary gave birth to a baby boy. Mary and Joseph looked on him in awe. He was incredible. He was by far the cutest baby they'd ever seen. Mary couldn't stop crying, and Joseph, well Joseph had been afraid he wouldn't be able to love this child because he wasn't his, but the second he saw him, he knew he didn't care in the least whether they were related.

“So, I guess we call him Joshua, than?” said Mary smiling, as they looked down at the baby. They'd use Joseph's jacket as a blanket and as soon as daylight broke they would be leaving.

“Yeah. It's amazing really, that this all worked out.”

“We do need to get him to a doctor though.”

“I wonder what our folks will say?”

“Well considering that they already missed our wedding and now they've missed the birth of their grandchild, I can't imagine they're going to be too please,” laughed Mary. “Oh Joseph, isn't he just amazing?” she said, rocking him back and forth as he cried.

“Yeah, he really is.”

[Kahn]

continued

Meanwhile, out in a town near where the barn was, a group of young farmers were hanging out in one of their friends back porch. They had been up all night as they often did on Friday night, listening to music, shooting target practice.

“Shoot, it’s getting late,” said one of them. “I’m about dead on my feet.”

“Hey!” screamed on of them. He had been staring up at the stars. Everyone always thought he was a strange on.

“What is it now Buck?”

“Look, up there, what do you reckon that is?”

“Oh, you and you’re stories. Let me guess, it’s some UFO or something?”

“No, come on now, just look.”

Everyone was laughing, so they did look. There was a bright light in the sky. It was too bright to be a star.

“Could just be an airplane,” said one of them.

“No,” said Buck. “Look at it. It’s getting brighter. It’s like, like it’s coming down towards us.”

He was right. The light came getting closer and closer until they could see it looked like the body of a man. Everyone was terrified, too terrified to speak. They just stared up at in awe at the winged creature above them.

“Don’t be afraid,” said Gabriel, who descended in front of them. “I am here to send you great news that will bring joy to all the people: this very night, just outside of town, your savior was born, the Chosen Lord!”

“Oh, wow…” one of them managed to muster.

“You can find Him, out in a cross the corn field on the highway in an old barn.”

Suddenly, the whole sky became filled with angels. This was by far the greatest thing any of these farm-boys had ever seen. The sky was practically as bright as day, and the majestic army started to sing,

“Glory to God in heaven!

And peace to the people his is pleased with!”

Than, they saw as the angels flew like a flock of birds away to heaven.

“What just happened?” one of them asked.

“I don’t know, but it was tremendous!”

“We’ve got to go!” said Buck. “Come on! We’ve got to go see what they were talking about.”

“Yeah,” said another, “You saw how great those guys were. Or were they angels? I dunno, but whatever they were, if things that great were singing praises about this baby, we’ve got to go see it!”

So they all headed out and got into a car, and drove out to the field the angel had told them about, and ran across the field. The sun was just about to rise when they came and knocked on the door.

“Who could that be?” said Mary worried.

“It might be the owners,” said Joseph.

“I don’t think this place has an owner.”

Joseph got up, but as he did the door opened and the farmers came in.

“Wow, they’re here! That must be Him!”

“Who are you!” screamed Joseph.

“Oh, man, don’t worry or nothing. You see, well, I dunno if you’re gonna believe me or not, but like, there were these angels, right guys?”

“Yeah,” said Buck. “Angels, they came from heaven. They told us to come here, so that we could see the Savior who was just born.”

“Really?” said Mary.

“Yes.”

Mary looked down at her baby. Ever since she heard she was going to have Him she knew He was special. She felt so lucky to be the one able to have this son. She wondered, if he could bring all this attention as a newborn, what would happen as he grew older.

“Can, can we see Him?” asked Buck.

“Go ahead,” said Joseph.

The farmers circled around Mary and looked down at the baby. It filled them with so much joy just looking at Him, that they knelt down and started praying. Mary and Joseph too started praying.

After they were done, Mary realized,

“I really should bring Him to a doctor. His name’s Joshua. Our truck broke down, and we should really call our families, and do you think you could give us a lift to the nearest hospital?”

“Sure thing, what was the name?”

“Mary.”

“Come on, we’ve got a car out there.”

And so, they went out, singing the same song the angels had song, and all of them, especially Mary and Joseph, knew their lives would never be the same.

[Heroine of the Dragon]

Cool!!! Interesting reading... nice narrative style, too!!!! *gives ya marshmallows*

[Kahn]

Okay, this is getting too long to put it all here. You can read the rest if you want here:

http://www.fictionpress.com/read.php?storyid=1867485