Latest / A Chapter a Day Bible Reading / December 25 - Luke 2

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December 25 - Luke 2 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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  Merry Christmas, friends. It's Sean here and I am so
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  delighted to be able to join you on this most wonderful of all
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  days. Merry Christmas in all the
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  activities of today, of worship, of family, of feasting, of
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  presence. My prayer is that this newborn
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  infant who will grow up to rock the world and your life and mine
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  would be so present with you. And if and if, well, you didn't
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  get to this podcast on Christmas Day and you are coming back
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  after Christmas, let us just revel in the gift that God has
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  given us. Today we are going to read the
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  second chapter of Luke, which will celebrate this wonderful
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  Christmas story. And so from me to you, Merry
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  Christmas, friend, so great, so great that you and I can share
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  this together. Let's do it.
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  Let us do what we've come here to do and read together this
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  wonderful Christmas story in Luke Chapter 2.
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  At that time, the Roman Emperor Augustus decreed that a census
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  should be taken throughout the Roman Empire.
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  This was the first census taken when Corinius was governor of
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  Syria. All returned to their own
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  ancestral towns. To register for this census, and
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  because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to
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  Bethlehem in Judea, David's ancient home.
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  He travelled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee.
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  He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who is now
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  expecting a child, and while they were there, the time came
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  for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first born
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  son. She wrapped him snugly in strips
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  of cloth and laid him in a Manger, because there was no
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  lodging available for them that night.
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  There were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding
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  their flocks of sheep. Suddenly an Angel of the Lord
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  appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord's glory
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  surrounded them. They were terrified, but the
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  Angel reassured them. Don't be afraid, he said.
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  I bring you good news that will be great joy to all people.
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  The Saviour. Yes, the Messiah.
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  The Lord has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David,
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  and you will recognize him by this sign.
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  He will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying
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  in a Manger. Suddenly the Angel was joined by
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  a vast host of others, the armies of heaven, praising God
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  and saying, glory to God in highest heaven and peace on
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  earth to those with whom God is pleased.
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  When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherd said to
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  each other, Let's go to Bethlehem.
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  Let's see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has
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  told us about. They hurried to the village and
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  found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby lying in
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  the Manger. After seeing him, the shepherds
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  told everyone what had happened and what the Angel had said to
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  them about this child. All who heard the shepherd's
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  story were astonished. Mary kept all these things in
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  her heart and thought about them.
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  Often the shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and
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  praising God for all they had heard and seen.
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  It was just as the Angel had told them.
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  Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named
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  Jesus, the name given him by the Angel even before he was
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  conceived. Then it was time for their
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  purification offering, as required by the law of Moses
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  after the birth of a child. So his parents took him to
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  Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.
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  The law of the Lord says if a woman's first child is a boy, he
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  must be dedicated to the Lord. So they're offered the sacrifice
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  required and the law of the Lord either a pair of turtle doves or
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  two young pigeons. At that time there was a man in
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  Jerusalem named Simeon. He was righteous and devout, and
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  was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue
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  Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and
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  had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen
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  the Lord's Messiah That day. The Spirit led him to the
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  temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to
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  present the baby Jesus to the Lord, as the law required,
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  Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms
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  and praised God, saying sovereign Lord, now let your
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  servant die in peace as you have promised.
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  I have seen your salvation which you have prepared for all
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  people. He is a light to reveal God to
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  the nations and he is the glory of your people.
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  Israel. Jesus parents were amazed at
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  what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them, and he
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  said to Mary, the baby's mother. This child is destined to cause
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  many in Israel to fall and many others to rise.
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  He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him.
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  As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be
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  revealed, and a sword will Pierce your very soul.
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  Anna, a prophet, was also there in the temple.
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  She was the daughter of Thanawal from the tribe of Asha, and she
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  was very old. Her husband died when they had
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  been married only seven years. Then she lived as a widow to the
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  age of 84. She never left the temple, but
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  stayed there day and night, worshipping God with fasting and
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  prayer. She came along just as Simeon
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  was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising
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  God. She talked about the child to
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  everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue
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  Jerusalem. When Jesus parents had fulfilled
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  all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home
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  to Nazareth in Galilee. There the child grew up healthy
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  and strong. He was filled with wisdom, and
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  God's favor was on him. Every year, Jesus parents went
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  to Jerusalem for the Passover festival.
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  When Jesus was 12 years old, they attended the festival as
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  usual. After the celebration was over,
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  they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in
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  Jerusalem. His parents didn't miss him at
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  first because they assumed he was among the other travellers,
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  but when he didn't show up that evening, they started looking
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  for him among their relatives and friends.
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  When they couldn't find him, they went back to Jerusalem to
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  search for him there. Three days later, they finally
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  discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious
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  teachers, listening to them and asking questions.
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  All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his
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  answers. His parents did know what to
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  think, son, his mother said to him.
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  Why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been
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  frantic, searching for you everywhere.
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  But why did you need to search? He asked.
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  Didn't you know that I must be in my father's house?
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  But they didn't understand what he meant.
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  Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to
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  them. And his mother stored all these
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  things in her heart. Jesus grew in wisdom and in
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  stature and in favour with God and all the people.
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  Jesus, we celebrate you. You are a light to reveal God to
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  the nations. Through you and your kindness
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  and your forgiveness and your heart for the oppressed, We
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  begin to understand your heart, the heart of God, and it is a
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  good heart. And we are so grateful this
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  Christmas that you came here to live amongst us, to kick the
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  pebbles on dusty roads, to feel the sun on your shoulders, to
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  love, to laugh, to cry, to hurt, to have your heart broken, to
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  live as one of us. You are incredible.
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  And you know what it is to live in these broken bodies in this
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  broken world, but with a taste of the eternal glory that you
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  prepare for us. So Jesus, we just praise you
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  this Christmas Day. You are the greatest and we just
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  lift you to the highest place in our lives.
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  Our wonderful, wonderful Saviour born this Christmas Day.
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  We pray all these things and offer our lives to you as a
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  living sacrifice. Amen.