1 Again the Israelites did evil the eyes of the LORD, so the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Romans
for sixty years.
2 A certain man of Galilee, named Joseph, from the tribe of Judah, was betrothed to a young woman, a virgin who had not yet known a man. 3 The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, “You are a virgin, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son.” 4 The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you 5 and you will become pregnant and have a son and he will be called a Nazarene, dedicated to God. He will be the salvation of Israel.
6 Then the woman went to her betrothed and told him, “A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel, very awesome. I didn't ask him where he came from, and he didn't tell me his name. 7 But he said to me, “You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean.”
8 Then Joseph prayed to the LORD: “Pardon your servant, LORD. I beg you to let the man of God you sent to us come again to explain these things.”
9 God heard Joseph, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was out in the field; but her betrothed, Joseph, was not with her. 10 The woman hurried to tell her betrothed, “He’s here! The man who appeared to me the other day!”
11 Joseph got up and followed his betrothed. When he came to the man, he said, “Are you the man who talked to my betrothed?”
“I am,” he said.
12 So Joseph asked him, “If what you say is true, how can I be married to her?”
13 The angel of the LORD answered, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in here is from the Spirit of the LORD. 14 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people.”
2 A certain man of Galilee, named Joseph, from the tribe of Judah, was betrothed to a young woman, a virgin who had not yet known a man. 3 The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, “You are a virgin, but you are going to become pregnant and give birth to a son.” 4 The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you 5 and you will become pregnant and have a son and he will be called a Nazarene, dedicated to God. He will be the salvation of Israel.
6 Then the woman went to her betrothed and told him, “A man of God came to me. He looked like an angel, very awesome. I didn't ask him where he came from, and he didn't tell me his name. 7 But he said to me, “You will become pregnant and have a son. Now then, drink no wine or other fermented drink and do not eat anything unclean.”
8 Then Joseph prayed to the LORD: “Pardon your servant, LORD. I beg you to let the man of God you sent to us come again to explain these things.”
9 God heard Joseph, and the angel of God came again to the woman while she was out in the field; but her betrothed, Joseph, was not with her. 10 The woman hurried to tell her betrothed, “He’s here! The man who appeared to me the other day!”
11 Joseph got up and followed his betrothed. When he came to the man, he said, “Are you the man who talked to my betrothed?”
“I am,” he said.
12 So Joseph asked him, “If what you say is true, how can I be married to her?”
13 The angel of the LORD answered, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in here is from the Spirit of the LORD. 14 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people.”
15 Joseph said to the
angel of the LORD, “We would like you to
stay until we prepare a young goat for you.”
16 The angel of the LORD replied, “Even though you detain me, I will not eat any of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the LORD.” (Joseph did not realize that it was the angel of the LORD.)
17 Then Joseph inquired of the angel of the LORD, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?”
18 He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.” 19 Then Joseph took a young goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock to the LORD. And the LORD did an amazing thing while Joseph and his betrothed watched: 20 as the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Joseph and his betrothed fell with their faces to the ground. 21 When the angel of the LORD did not show himself again to Joseph and his betrothed, Joseph realized that it was the angel of the LORD.
22 “We are doomed to die!” he said to his betrothed. “We have seen God!”
23 But his betrothed answered, “If the LORD had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this.”
24 The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Jesus. He grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man and the LORD blessed him, 25 and the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him while he was in Nazareth, in Galilee.
16 The angel of the LORD replied, “Even though you detain me, I will not eat any of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the LORD.” (Joseph did not realize that it was the angel of the LORD.)
17 Then Joseph inquired of the angel of the LORD, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?”
18 He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.” 19 Then Joseph took a young goat, together with the grain offering, and sacrificed it on a rock to the LORD. And the LORD did an amazing thing while Joseph and his betrothed watched: 20 as the flame blazed up from the altar toward heaven, the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame. Seeing this, Joseph and his betrothed fell with their faces to the ground. 21 When the angel of the LORD did not show himself again to Joseph and his betrothed, Joseph realized that it was the angel of the LORD.
22 “We are doomed to die!” he said to his betrothed. “We have seen God!”
23 But his betrothed answered, “If the LORD had meant to kill us, he would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from our hands, nor shown us all these things or now told us this.”
24 The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Jesus. He grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man and the LORD blessed him, 25 and the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him while he was in Nazareth, in Galilee.
This is the sixth Alternate Nativity that I've written. It is based on the birth story of Samson, as found in Judges 13. It's surprising how few alterations had to be made in order to transform it into an alternate nativity story for Jesus.
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