2 - Once Upon A Time in Galilee
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GALILEE
JOSEPH:
Once upon a time in Galilee,
There lived a young woman foretold by prophecy,
She was meant to be the mother of God incarnate,
Birthing light into the darkness—
Oh did I mention she was just a teen when all this started?
A virgin, chosen by God to bear the burden of the burden lifting Savior—
Jesus is the name He gave her to give to Him.
It meant salvation, eternal life for every nation
Every tribe and tongue and member of creation.
The angel Gabriel was sent from God to Nazareth,
A small city, insignificant, and powerless,
To a woman engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David,
The line that was prophesied to produce the Man who would rise up and save
Israel, the chosen nation of the One True God,
The children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
the ones who followed to Canaan and beyond.
Through thick and thin God’s faithfulness remained,
And now He meant to send His Son so all men could be saved.
The girl’s name was Mary… You may have heard of her.
The angel appeared to her in her home, and then he spoke to her, saying,
“Greetings, favored one of God; the Lord is with you!
Do not be afraid, daughter of God: the Lord has picked you
To conceive, and bear a son—you’ll call His name Jesus.
He’ll be great, the Son of the Most High, and He’ll be seated on the throne of David,
Forever reigning as supreme.”
The woman answered Gabriel, “How then will this be?
You see, I’m a virgin, betrothed but not yet wed.
I haven’t flirted with a man much less taken one to bed.”
He said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
The power of the Most High will overshadow you;
That is why the Child will be called… holy, the very Son of God—
And behold, your aunt Elizabeth in her old age has conceived a son!
For nothing—do you hear me? Nothing!—nothing, will be impossible with God.”
MARY:
Wait. Just, wait a second. Did that just really happen?
And what did I say? “Behold, I am the servant of God.
May it be to me, according to all you’ve said.”—What else could I have said?
And what did he say?
He said “The Lord is with you; do not be afraid, for you’ve found favor with God.”—
Favor. What does that mean?
I have a feeling we have different ideas of the word.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to know my prayers are heard
But I just want to be assured that He won’t let me go through anything I can’t endure.
(SPEAKER: I won’t let you go through anything you can’t endure.)
And there again I think we’re thinking different things.
I doubt my own ability to stand up under what I think God has for me.
As for me, He’s asking me to stand my husband asking me ‘How can this be?
You were my spotless bride and now you’re my catastrophe!’
Do you think that he’ll believe me? Or will he turn around and leave me?
I want to know that You’ll be with me. I know You said that You’ll/’d be with me.
Joseph… Joseph. He and I are betrothed. Now where will I go?
He will not have me any more. He will send me away.
I don’t want to go away. Don’t send me away!
When I think of life alone, on my own without a husband or a home
I know the world will close its doors to me, leave me out in the cold.
A single mother sent away, accused of adultery will find her way
Blocked at every turn, Impossible to earn a living, unforgiving
But I trust. I obey. I listen, I hear You say…
SPEAKER:
Trust in Me.
MARY:
Will he turn around and leave me?
SPEAKER:
Trust in Me.
MARY:
I want to know that You’ll be with me.
SPEAKER:
Just trust in Me.
MARY:
I’ll trust in You.
I do.
I know that You are with me.
NARRATOR:
Joseph, her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, had planned to send her away secretly. But an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” And Joseph awoke and obeyed.