Book of Common Prayer

The monster defeated

¹¹ Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. The one who was sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and he judges and makes war justly. ¹² His eyes are like a flaming fire, and there are many coronets on his head. He has a name written there which nobody knows except himself. ¹³ He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and he is called by the name “God’s Word.” ¹⁴ The armies of heaven follow him on white horses, all wearing shining, pure linen. ¹⁵ A sharp two-edged sword is coming out of his mouth, so that with it he can strike down the nations. He will rule them with a rod of iron, and he will tread the winepress of the wine of the anger of the wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ On his robe, and on his thigh, is written a name: King of kings, and Lord of lords.

The birth of Jesus

¹⁸ This was how the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place. His mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph; but before they came together she turned out to be pregnant—by the holy spirit. ¹⁹ Joseph, her husband-to-be, was an upright man. He didn’t want to make a public example of her. So he decided to set the marriage aside privately. ²⁰ But, while he was considering this, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream.

“Joseph, son of David,” said the angel, “don’t be afraid to get married to Mary. The child she is carrying is from the holy spirit. ²¹ She is going to have a son. You are to give him the name Jesus; he is the one who will save his people from their sins.”

²² All this happened so that what the Lord said through the prophet might be fulfilled: ²³ “Look: the virgin is pregnant, and will have a son, and they shall give him the name Emmanuel,”—which means, in translation, “God with us.”

²⁴ When Joseph woke up from his sleep he did what the Lord’s angel had told him to. He married his wife, ²⁵ but he didn’t have sexual relations with her until after the birth of her son. And he gave him the name Jesus.