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Take one.

Take one.

- Hey, y'all-- - We're the Kingdom.

Hey, I'm Jordan Feliz.

The Bonner Family.

I'm Leanna Crawford.

We are Dawson Hollow.

Hey, I'm Phil Wickham.

We're Brian and Katie Torwalt.

We are Maverick City Music.

- This is Joel & Luke here with King & Country

I'm Brandon Lake.

Hi, I'm Matt Maher.

And we're Cain.

- Christmas as a kid, it always felt magical.

Feeling the gravity as an adult of knowing

that the magic is, God is here.

- This is the start of God being with us.

That hope arrived, love arrived.

Knowing that Christ was born as the lowliest of the low.

What a breathtaking start

to the most amazing story ever been told.

People must know about it.

- Hey, there, Dallas Jenkins here.

And welcome to "Christmas with The Chosen."

I'm on our incredible set here in Utah,

where we filmed half of Season 2

and all of tonight's event,

including the special episode coming up soon.

You're going to see some great stuff tonight.

We've got some of our favorite musicians

bringing you new and classic Christmas songs,

all pointing towards a celebration.

You'll also hear beautiful monologues

featuring four of the iconic names of God from the Bible,

and why they matter to us today.

There are so many cool things about tonight,

and it means a lot that you're here with us.

Christmas is by far my favorite season.

I believe the birth of Christ

is the single greatest event in human history.

My favorite movie of all time is

"It's a Wonderful Life,"

the first film I ever directed is a Christmas film,

and as you hopefully know,

"The Chosen" was actually launched by "The Shepherd,"

a short film I made for my church's Christmas Eve service

on my friend's farm

20 minutes from my house in Illinois.

In that little film

that became the pilot episode of "The Chosen,"

there's a line near the end

where the shepherd says to Mary and Joseph three great words,

"People must know."

- People must know, people must know.

People must know.

- That's a simple but important truth,

which ultimately leads to what I know you're eager for,

a very special Christmas episode of "The Chosen."

And that episode

is all about the reality of the birth of Jesus,

to portray, as authentically as possible,

what it might have been like for Mary and Joseph.

Authenticity is what we're after tonight.

It's our number one goal with "The Chosen,"

to show the world the authentic Jesus.

It's why we chose the musicians we did tonight.

They all share our passion to get rid of the artificial

and some of the walls we've put up between us,

and also between ourselves

and what actually happened on that night

so that you can focus solely on the One

who is the reason we're all here.

So what's our response to all that,

to all the great songs,

to understanding the incredible names of God,

to the story of what actually happened on that simple night,

where two overwhelmed peasants stuck in a stable

brought the Son of God into the world?

People must know.

If you don't already passionately believe that,

I'm confident you will

by the time you leave here tonight.

I'm so glad you're here and Merry Christmas.

GIAVANI CAIRO: You know that feeling

when the electricity cuts out unexpectedly

and you are plunged into sudden darkness?

As a child, alone in your room,

your first instinct might be to cry out,

"Mom! Dad!"

Or maybe even God.

Many thousands of years ago,

a woman named Hagar did just that.

The light of her life was abruptly snuffed out

when she found herself pregnant under dubious circumstances...

not unlike someone else

we'll be hearing and singing about tonight.

She was frightened, alone, and on the run...

feeling invisible, small, and abandoned.

So Hagar cried out to God for help,

and when He comforted her,

she responded in relief by calling Him,

"Adonai El-Roi," the God Who Sees Me.

Hagar felt seen and known--

which is all anyone really wants--

and it gave her the courage to face her dire circumstances

with the confidence that God was with her,

watching over her,

never going to let her go.

Sixty-five generations later,

a prophet named Malachi--

whose name means "My Messenger"--

wrote down these words,

"Behold,

"I will send you Elijah the prophet

"before the great and awesome Day of the Lord comes.

"And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children

"and the hearts of children to their fathers,

"lest I come and strike the land

with a decree of utter destruction."

And with that final word, "destruction,"

fittingly,

the lights clicked off.

The people of God were plunged into darkness,

as there would be no more words from the prophets--

God's messengers--

for hundreds of years.

The silence cast a shadow over Israel

that seemed to only deepen when Alexander the Great

rode in with his Macedonian army and conquered Jerusalem,

followed by the Ptolemies of Egypt,

the Syrian Seleucids,

and finally Rome.

Ruler after ruler, oppressor after oppressor,

it was hard to fathom the name Adonai El-Roi--

the God Who Sees Us.

Was He really watching?

Paying attention?

Had He turned His face away or shut His eyes?

That's the thing about being mortal.

We can't see in the dark.

But God can.

Somehow, David knew this,

and he wrote about it in Psalms,

"Even the darkness is not dark to you.

"The night is bright as the day,

for darkness is as light with you."

Even when we can't see God, He sees us.

Even when we can't see a way forward through the night,

He's preparing a way.

The oppression that crushed the people of God

during the 400 years of silence

made Israel feel small, vulnerable, covered in blood,

kicked out of the house and told to sleep in the barn.

Little did we know,

the God Who Sees even when we can't,

was preparing a Savior

who would arrive the same way...

small, vulnerable, covered in blood,

and hidden away in a lowly stable

on a cold night, in a small town.

BRANDON LAKE: When I think about Jesus

and I think about the Christmas story,

I think people must know that this is a miraculous story

and that miracles are just as present and alive

and possible today as they ever have been,

because Jesus is alive.

- Going to church, you hear the story of Jesus

over and over again,

and when we think about that story,

if someone asks me,

"What must people know about Christmas?"

It's that reality that--

that the Nativity

isn't a piece of porcelain that can be broken,

that you have to keep on a shelf.

It's a very real encounter with God,

that He wants you to roll up your sleeves

and get down into the middle of it with.

I mean, that's the gospel.

And so, getting back to the real heartbeat, if you will,

of what people must know,

I think--we think people must know

that there's this incredible love story

that God is engaging with humanity

through all of this.

And this incredible love story started with a baby

that literally turned BC into AD.

We must know that God is offering each of us redemption

and a fresh start.

- People must know that God loves them,

sent His Son to save them,

so that they can experience what real living, real hope,

real joy, real humanity truly is.

LARA SILVA: No one could agree on anything.

During the 400 years when God stopped speaking,

people took it upon themselves

to fill the dead air with their own ideas,

splintering into factions--

Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Zealots,

and more,

all obsessing over minutiae

and casting judgment on the other groups.

Everyone was completely certain

that their way of following God

was the right way, the only way,

and anyone who differed in the slightest

was an aberration,

a pariah, irredeemable,

not to be associated with,

perhaps even a pagan enemy.

The word "nuance" didn't exist yet,

and even if it did it wouldn't have mattered,

because no one was willing to come to the table and listen,

choose generosity of spirit,

or pause to consider another's point of view.

Sound familiar?

Everywhere we look in the world today,

it feels like there is no peace.

Hunkered down in silos of discord and division,

everyone seems to have decided they have a corner on the truth,

all others be damned.

But we must not give in to hopelessness.

If you think the world looks scary today,

take a look at the period of the Judges.

The people of God were being massacred, besieged,

and attacked from every direction,

to the point that they were hiding themselves

in the mountain cliffs, caves, and strongholds.

And yet, in the midst of all the chaos,

there was a man named Gideon who called God Jehovah-Shalom--

the Lord is Our Peace.

Can you imagine?

Jehovah-Shalom, when war was raging all around.

An angel of the Lord, a Messenger,

came to Gideon at Ophrah

and assured him that God was with him,

that Gideon could lead his people into battle

and defeat their enemies.

In faith that the word of the Lord would prove true,

Gideon built an altar to God and called it Jehovah-Shalom.

Shalom.

It might be the most beautiful word in the universe.

It means peace, wholeness,

perfection, and tranquility...

the opposite of what the world often reflects today

and during the 400 years of crushing silence

between the Old and New Testaments.

It's a word that Hebrew-speaking people,

both then and now,

use to say "hello" and "goodbye."

It marks the beginning and end of an interaction.

The Alpha and Omega.

And so it is with all of redemptive history,

the world began in Shalom...

a garden unblemished by sin.

And we know it will end in Shalom...

a new heaven and a new earth,

where God will wipe away every tear from our eyes

and death shall be no more,

neither shall there be mourning, nor crying,

nor pain anymore.

And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it,

for the glory of God gives it light,

and its lamp is the Lamb.

By its light will the nations walk

and there will be no night there.

The Apostle John wrote those words

while in exile on the Isle of Patmos,

but the Man whose death and resurrection

would make it possible for people

to access the renewed kingdom of which he wrote

was prophesied centuries before Christ's birth.

Isaiah described a coming Messiah

who would be called Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God,

Everlasting Father,

Prince of Peace.

We needed Him then, and we need Him now,

more than ever.

Our Prince of Peace.

Jehovah Shalom.

People must know

that God's mercy and love is infinite.

- He loves you so much and He loves me so much.

Like, so, so much more than I could ever imagine,

and way more than I deserve.

- There's nothing that disqualifies us from His grace,

His love, and His mercy.

- He's for you, no matter who you are

or where you're from, Christ is for you.

- I've experienced a lot of loneliness

and a lot of brokenness.

And the way that Jesus entered into my story

and became my friend,

He's made me whole,

and He's given me purpose.

And it just makes me want to cry thinking about it,

knowing that I have a friend.

- But I believe that a lot of people

think of Jesus and God our Father as a hard man,

and He's just not that way.

And I think that people must know

that Jesus is always going to be a safe place to land,

and open arms.

- Even from the Old Testament

they believed that He was just distant.

He shut the heavens; we can never really reach Him.

But then like Jesus was Emmanuel,

He's God with us, God in the flesh.

And it's like that shows, you know,

He's actually like close.

People must know that

He's actually close and present and loving.

- People must know that when God,

the Creator of the universe, chose to send His son,

that He was thinking about me, He was thinking about you,

when He chose to come as a helpless baby.

That has changed everything for me,

that He was thinking about me when He said like,

"Okay, We're going to go;

We're going to do this thing."

He's here.

And He's with us in every season,

not just Christmas,

not just when you've lost someone

that's close and near and dear to you,

Not just when things are going well,

but in every season,

He's here with you.

AUSTIN REED ALLEMAN: God has a name.

It's composed of four Hebrew characters--

Yod, Heh, Vav, Heh,

sometimes called the tetragrammaton.

It is considered so holy and sacred

that the Jewish people would not even say it out loud,

instead referring to God as simply "The Name"

or HaShem.

Like, if they said His real name,

their tongue might fall out of their mouths

or their vocal chords twist into a knot

and explode.

That's how seriously they took it.

They took to using descriptive terms instead

to identify Him, as we've learned--

Adonai El-Roi-- the God Who Sees Me.

Jehovah Shalom-- the Lord is Our Peace.

El-Elyon-- The Most High.

El-Shaddai-- Almighty God.

On a lonely hillside far from polite society,

a kid who smelled like sweat, wool, and mud

came up with another one--

Jehovah Raah-- the Lord is My Shepherd.

Bold choice.

Never was the phrase,

"It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it"

more befitting of an occupation than that of a shepherd.

They worked and slept outdoors,

moving their sheep to cooler pastures

when the sun threatened to kill them from heat exhaustion,

sheltering their flocks in caves

to protect from hyenas and jackals,

remaining hyper-vigilant

to keep them from falling into ravines or crevasses.

It was not a relaxing work environment,

contrary to what you may have seen

in sentimentalized paintings.

They did triple duty as watchmen, defenders,

and midwives, delivering lambs from pregnant ewes--

a slippery, messy, bloody affair,

and one that came with stipulations.

Every firstborn male lamb was considered sacred

and would be set aside for sacrifice in Jerusalem.

Even though shepherds were at the bottom

of the economic food chain,

they did get onepiece of special attention

from the highest aristocratic class of priests.

The priests furnished the shepherds

with consecrated temple cloths to swaddle the newborn lambs

as they laid in a manger to inspect for blemishes.

So...

when John the Baptizer called Jesus

"The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,"

he was simultaneously

foreshadowing a future of sacrifice and atonement,

while also calling back to his Cousin's humble birth...

the Lamb of God, wrapped in swaddling clothes,

and lying in a manger.

It's almost like Someone planned it.

Now, when David first penned

"Jehovah Raah-- The Lord is My Shepherd,"

he went on to describe

"the valley of the shadow of death--"

a dark place.

In the years before the Light came into the world,

the people of God had become like sheep without a shepherd,

dying from the heat exhaustion

of Rome's oppressive taxation and brutality,

their souls led astray by hyenas and jackals

dressed as false teachers,

falling into the ravines and crevasses

of tribalism and division,

untended in our valley of the shadow of death.

We needed a Shepherd;

we knew that much.

We just never would've guessed that shepherds themselves

would be the first ones to find out He was here.

JORDAN FELIZ: So how I view the story of Jesus now,

compared to how I viewed it as a child,

I feel like they're very, very different.

- A lot of it was wrapped around

the details of the manger and the animals.

I think we had experienced like a Nativity story

re-enacted in church so many times.

- And inevitably I ended up being a sheep or a star.

Not even the Star of Bethlehem, just an ancillary star.

- All of our cousins, we'd get together

and our grandma had a book, the same book, passed it around,

and we read through the whole story.

It had depth and meaning, but it kinda felt fun

and just kinda something we did.

- I just categorized that story of the Nativity,

there's Narnia, and there's Frodo,

and there's the Nativity.

It's just another story we can learn from

that's beautiful and fun to talk about,

and I get to get gifts because of it.

That's awesome, you know?

- There was this moment where my faith was my parents' faith.

And then as I grew older,

obviously, there was this invitation from Jesus

for my faith to become my own.

And so now the Christmas story I think has become personal.

- And I think when you have kids and you have family,

and later in life you realize

how messy the Nativity really was.

- I am having my first child and I know how I feel,

and I can only imagine how,

if I was having to deliver that child by myself in a barn,

I'd not be so jumping up and down about it.

So, scary, I think, for sure.

- Well, I grew up with horses so I kind of have an idea

of what it smelled like, maybe, in the barn.

- And it just hit me one day, I was like,

"A manger is a feeding trough."

And you don't think of it.

You think of the manger,

that's where they just laid Jesus,

but they laid Jesus in a feeding trough.

- And I think that's one of the beauties

of the manger scene

is that He didn't come as some royal king.

Well, He certainly is a royal King,

but the smell, the odor, all of it.

I just think about what it would've been like,

and I just think it would've been messy.

And I love that He chose to come into the world

in a messy place.

- As an adult, it kind of becomes revolutionary.

All of the power paradigms

that we set up as humans

of celebrity, or kings and queens,

the God of the universe

actually kind of flipped the whole world on its head

and came in, in literally the most humbled state

that you possibly could.

For God so loved you,

saw you as so valuable and so worth it

that He didn't do away with a world

that turns away from Him.

- I always believed in God,

I didn't know He believed in me.

That's what people must know this Christmas,

is the God who steps down into their life,

not stands up on a mountain and demand that they reach Him.

JOSEPH: We might see Samuel but...

it’s been so long,

I don't know if he's living in the same home.

I hope so.

You've said so much about him.

We will see.

We won't have any time to look for him if he's not, of course.

We'll see.

Are we out?

Not even a drop?

Come on.

Um... Joseph.

Yes.

- Can you stop, please?

I'd like to walk for a bit.

- No, Mary, why would you want to walk?

It's dangerous.

- I'm getting a bit uncomfortable.

Elizabeth actually told me it's good to walk and move

when I feel up to it.

- We won't have any water until I get you to town,

you need your rest.

Ay, uh!

Let me get you more comfortable, huh?

- Joseph, you don't need to be the only one walking.

Plus, we're far enough away from Nazareth

I don't need to hide my condition anymore--

- Mary, this blanket is stuck.

There is no way that you're comfortable.

Joseph.

I'd like to walk with you... please.

- I am responsible for you, Mary.

For you and...

You protect us.

Yes.

I know, I know.

I'll let you help me down.

All right,

you can walk for a few minutes, huh?

But please, not too far?

You need to save your strength.

- I actually do need you to help me down.

- Ah, ah, yes, ah, yes, sorry.

Slowly, slowly.

Watch the baby.

Okay, okay, okay.

You okay?

Yes, yes.

Ooh.

Hey.

This feels better.

Mm.

Thank you.

Thank you for protecting me.

I don't know that I've said that yet.

- We have a little ways to go yet;

let's see how tonight goes and, uh--

- I'm not talking about that.

I'm talking about... before.

Oh, ah.

- I've been meaning to say something this whole journey,

and I just--I didn't, and I should have.

Mm.

- I should have months ago.

You don't have to.

- Yes, yes, I do.

You could have gotten all of the bride price back from my father.

- It was never about the money.

I know it wasn't,

and I know it's not polite to talk about,

but no one would have blamed you.

For what?

For divorcing me.

Publicly.

- Mary, I--

- You could be betrothed to someone

that you don't have to hide.

And people wouldn't be gossiping about you.

And you could go be registered

without having to drag me on this donkey for five days.

Joseph?

You are a brave man, and you are godly,

and I should have said thank you.

God told me to.

I know He did.

Mm.

- But you had a choice.

Ah, ha!

I don't believe that I did.

But I'm glad either way.

I wouldn't change a single thing that has happened

since that dream, hmm?

Neither would I.

Heh.

Oh, this all seems impossible, huh?

Yes, yes.

But remember what the messenger said to me...

Hmm?

- ...nothing is impossible with God.

- My messenger didn't say that.

That would have been nice, huh?

Are you feeling better?

- A bit, yes.

- Okay, up, up.

Okay... okay.

- We need to move quicker.

You need water,

and I planned to get settled

for the part where your messenger and my messenger

said the same thing.

"And she will give birth to a son..."

"And you shall call His name Jesus."

- Yes... that part.

Come on. {clicks tongue]

ROMAN GUARD: Halt.

Late night for a delivery.

- It was a long journey.

What have you got?

I'm sorry?

Oh, agriculture.

Grain.

Fruit.

- What am I gonna find if I look in here?

- The best figs in the region.

- Didn't mention the fine goods.

I'll take a look at your papers now.

Everything all right?

You look a little pale.

Here they are.

Hail Caesar.

Better not have skipped my turn.

All right.

I believe that Samuel's house is through here.

I'm not sure how he will respond to your, uh...

condition,

but we will have water,

and it will be nice to see him.

Actually... I don't know if this is it.

It looks so different.

Maybe because there are so many people.

I think if we, um--

Yes?

- We don't have time to look for Samuel.

- No, no, it will be fine,

I know you wanted to find him.

- I need to get you to the inn, Mary;

you need your rest.

Maybe I can find a well so you can drink,

and I'll take you straight to the inn, huh?

Thank you.

- Ah, so many people.

- Are you lost, traveler?

- No longer, for I have found the way.

Tychicus.

Lazarus.

It's an honor.

Your fame has spread among so many of us.

You are very kind.

Paul says you are brave and righteous.

- It's a pleasure to serve.

- There is someone very eager for your arrival.

May I tell her all is safe and sound?

Yes.

Come in quickly.

Move!

Ugh!

So this?

This is bull dropping here.

I don't like this, okay?

You're lying to me, huh?

Please, I beg of you.

No.

- O God, you are my God,

earnestly I seek you.

My soul thirsts for you...

- My soul thirsts for you.

My flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land--

- ...dry and weary land

where there is no water.

JOSEPH: Mary.

- Well, what did he say?

You won't believe it.

He said that they are completely full.

The census, the whole town is overrun.

Unh!

I think it's because, um...

ugh!

I think it's because, uh...

he knows we aren't exactly...

that I can't just give him more money like the others can,

but he insisted that they were full.

I was furious, but...

I kept my calm, like I promised.

Of course.

- I told him about our situation...

that didn't make a difference, either.

He just said that there was nothing.

Finally, his wife said that if we wanted,

we could try... camping in the stable.

They promised us water and blankets to help,

even lamb's cloths for the baby.

They promised that they would be clean.

But I can go look for Samuel.

If he's living in the same home,

then he will have room.

- I'm sorry I slowed us down, I should have stayed on--

- Oh, Mary, it's not your fault.

Joseph...

We can't keep looking.

- Have the pangs started?

He's coming.

Ah...

I'm sorry, he said there was nothing.

I know, I know.

- All right, all right,

we will make it work, hmm?

- Yes, yes, we will make it work,

we will make it work.

- We will make it work.

LAZARUS: Woman...

Yes, Lazarus.

- I'm sorry to wake you, but--

- No, I was... just resting my eyes.

- Are you feeling well enough to see her?

She's here?

What are you waiting for?

Shalom.

Shalom.

Oh... how did they get you here?

- Our former zealot had ideas and old friends

to get me to Tychicus for the last leg.

I was safe.

- Do you need anything else?

Where is Zee now?

- Persia, Lebanon, Armenia...

all over the place.

- I'll just leave you to it then.

Let me know if you need anything.

Thank you!

I came as soon as I heard.

MOTHER MARY: It's just a fever.

I'll be fine,

I just had something to share with you.

But first, anything to report about our boys?

I don't want...

let's just talk about what you brought me here for.

- I want to know, Mary.

I pray for them every day,

I want to know what to pray for.

- They're preaching everywhere,

and the Church is growing.

And the deaths of Big James and Nathanael

seemed to have only emboldened everyone...

especially Peter.

Of course.

- But it is getting more difficult.

It's clear they want us all dead.

You can pray especially for Andrew in Greece.

They say he will be arrested at any moment.

- I will pray in earnest.

Do you know where Luke is?

- Yes, he's in Rome with Paul.

Can you reach him?

- If necessary, of course.

Why?

- He's been gathering his record of the stories,

and we spoke,

but I didn't tell him everything.

- Ah, there is enough wood here,

I can put something together for you.

There's no time;

they're coming a bit faster now.

- All right, we can do this.

Try and see if you can find a spot

to sit on this blanket,

and I'll put something together for you

and clean up, huh?

Okay.

Okay.

- He needs a place to sleep.

What?

- When He gets here... He needs a place to lie down.

You make my bed... I'll make His.

- Already a mother, huh?

JOSEPH: Okay.

- My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant.

What is that?

What?

- What are you saying?

Oh, nothing...

- Is it a song of David?

We could use one right about now.

- No, sorry, it's... just something to myself.

A poem you created?

- Yes, but--

When?

Several months ago.

- I would love to hear it.

Mary... ?

...are you seeing this?

Mary?

Mary?

It's time.

Oh!

Come, I've got you... come sit.

- Shouldn't we call for help?

You've never done this before;

maybe the wife could come and help?

- No, there isn't any time.

we've got this.

No, no, no,

I don't want you to see me like this!

- Mary, look at me.

- No, no, no, I can wait.

Go get someone.

- Don't look over there, Mary;

look at me.

We are not alone.

I am so scared.

- Hey, remember what your messenger said...

the first thing your messenger said;

it was the same thing my messenger said to me,

remember?

Don't be afraid.

Don't be afraid.

I love you.

I love you.

- Thank you for taking care of me.

God gave you to me.

- He has been our help,

and in the shadow of His wings we will sing for joy.

A song of David.

Yes.

- Can I hear yours now?

Not now.

- Oh, I know, I know.

It is time, yes?

Yes.

- Okay, it is time.

It's okay, I've got you.

- I told Luke about the journey to Bethlehem,

and about how we couldn't get a room at the inn.

But I didn't tell him about my psalm.

Yourpsalm?

- When I went to see my cousin Elizabeth

when she was pregnant with John,

she cried out when she saw me.

I told Luke about this,

how she was overwhelmed for the both of us...

and she called me the mother of her Lord.

And we were just laughing and crying together,

and it was all too much,

and words of praise just burst out of me.

- Please tell me I'm about to hear them.

- You're going to write them down

and deliver them to Luke.

- The materials are here.

I trust you to get them right, and to keep it safe,

and to get it to Luke.

I've kept it all to myself.

As you know, I like to treasure things in my heart.

I was shy,

and it felt personal between God and me,

but... I wish I would have shared it with Joseph.

And people must know...

these felt like God's words as much as my own.

I can't explain it, but they did,

and people must know.

I'm ready.

- My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

For behold, from now on,

generations will call me blessed;

and He who is mighty has done great things for me,

and holy is His name.

And His mercy is for those who fear Him...

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with His arms;

He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

He has brought down the mighty from their throne

and exalted those of humble estate;

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich He has sent away empty.

He has helped His servant Israel,

in remembrance of His mercy.

...as He spoke to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his offspring forever.

That's amazing.

It's like the song of Hannah, but even more beautiful.

- Oh.

Are you better?

Is this comfortable?

- Yes, thank you.

- Are you still in pain?

Yes, but, uh...

the blanket underneath is helping.

- Oh, I don't know how you did that.

I feel like my heart is going to explode.

- Oh, don't make me laugh, it hurts to laugh.

Hmm... He's so small.

- Smaller than I expected.

- I don't know what I expected,

but it wasn't any of this.

No...

from the beginning of it all.

So...

your messenger said that He would be called holy,

the Son of God.

The prophecy mentions Emmanuel.

Are we going to stick with Jesus?

Hmm...

I think we should.

- Probably best, huh?

- Mm-hmm.

He needs to sleep.

You both do.

Put him in the manger...

it's a better bed than the one I made for you.

MOTHER MARY: There's something else

I want you to tell Luke.

I want you to tell him about the swaddling cloths.

- You want him to write about it?

People must know.

I want to honor the help we received from the innkeeper,

but I also think it's lovely that we used the same cloths

they used to wrap newborn lambs.

I wonder if God gave us that as a sign.

It is lovely.

- And... there's something else.

Go get that box over there, by the window.

Open it;

what's inside is yours.

I kept them.

They meant so much to me,

I just couldn't leave them.

And now they're yours.

Mother...

- There's a rip here...

from where we gave a piece to one of the shepherds

to dress his wound.

- Did you tell Luke about the shepherds?

I love that part.

Of course.

- I-I can't; this is too--

- You can and you will.

It will be a reminder of where all this began...

and how He was one of us for a time.

- Thank you.

- I have loved you like a daughter

since I met you at the wedding.

And you have done God's work.

I do miss Him.

And it seems like you'll get to see Him before I do.

Shh, child.

This is not the end.

- I will get this to Luke right away...

before anything happens to me, or any of us.

Wait.

The Lord bless you and keep you.

The Lord make His face shine on you

and be gracious to you.

The Lord turn His face toward you

and bring you peace.

And also to you.

Shalom.

Shalom.

Mary of Magdala.

- It's good to see you, Luke.

- What are you doing here?

It's not safe.

I could have arranged for people--

- You've been recording an account of Jesus' birth, yes?

Ah, yes.

I've begun collecting historical accounts.

- I've just been to see Mother Mary

in a secure location.

Yes...

I have completed my writing of her account.

Did she have something to add?

- Almost every name of God uses attributes

that reinforce how lofty, exalted, and separate He is--

El Olam--

Everlasting God.

Jehovah Mekoddishkem--

The Lord Who Sanctifies.

Jehovah Rapha--

The Lord Who Heals.

Jehovah Nissi--

The Lord is My Banner.

Jehovah Jireh--

the Lord Will Provide.

All true, comforting, and singular,

emphasizing His untouchable, unattainable, unrivaled power--

Someone so big and omnipotent

that language can never fully capture His essence,

anymore than a graven image could.

But you know what?

There's something better than words or statues or names.

It's something the prophet Isaiah foretold...

"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and shall call his name

Emmanuel."

God With Us.

It's not about the name Emmanuel.

It's about the manifestation of that name--

the audacious this-really-happened

miracle of God taking on human skin,

arriving down at our level,

surrounded by straw, barn animals, manure, tears,

a wooden feeding trough for a crib,

frightened parents way over their heads,

total strangers barging in on the whole scene,

every detail so deeply human and raw,

and He was willing to go through it,

even the worst, that would come 33 years later,

all for one reason...

to be with us.

It almost sounds too good to be true.

And that's because

if there's one thing you could say God is too much of,

goes a little overboard with,

it's goodness...

and truth.

What, then, shall we say?

What of names of prophets, conquerors,

secret pregnancies and surprise guests at a birth?

For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.

That we're not alone anymore.

Emmanuel, God With Us.

The messages we received mean we are not hearers only,

but doers and messengers of the Word,

proclaiming the news to the four corners of the earth,

inviting all to come and see--

that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

In Him was life,

and the life was the light of men.

The light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness has not overcome it.

And it never can, and it never will.

It's not that people ought to know,

people could know, people should know,

but people mustknow.

The wait is over.

We're the messengers now.

Yeah.

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