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

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  Hello friends, and a Merry Christmas to you.
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  It's Sean here, and boy am I delighted that you have found a
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  moment on this, the most glorious of days, to take a
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  moment from all the celebration of our Lord's birth to hear the
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  story of our Lord's birth. Oh, and that's what we're going
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  to do today. Friends, I know you've got lots
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  to do with Turkey and ham and family and presents and heading
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  to church and all the rest of it.
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  So why don't you and I just jump into it and read this wonderful
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  story together? This is why we celebrate.
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  This is what it's all about, our Saviour being born today.
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  Merry Christmas. Let us read together Luke
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  chapter 2. At that time, the Roman Emperor
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  Augustus decreed that a census should be taken throughout the
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  Roman Empire. This was the first census taken
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  when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
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  All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for
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  the census, and because Joseph was a descendant of King David,
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  he had to go to 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 was now
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  expecting a child. And while they were there, the
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  time came for her baby to be born.
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  She gave birth to her first born son.
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  She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a
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  Manger. Because there was no lodging
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  available for them that night, there were shepherds staying in
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  the fields near by, guarding their flocks of sheep.
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  Suddenly an Angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the
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  radiance of the Lord's glory surrounded them.
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  They were terrified, but the Angel reassured them.
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  Don't be afraid, he said, I bring you good news that will
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  bring great joy to all people. The Saviour, yes, the Messiah,
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  the Lord has been born to day in Bethlehem, the city of David,
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  and you will recognise 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 shepherds said to
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  each other, Let's go to Bethlehem, let's see this thing
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  that has happened which the Lord has told us about.
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  They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph, and there
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  was the baby lying in the Manger.
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  After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened
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  and what the Angel had said to them about this child.
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  All who heard the shepherd's story were astonished.
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  Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them
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  often. The shepherds went back to their
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  flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and
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  seen. It was just as the Angel had
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  told them. Eight days later when the baby
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  was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the
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  Angel before he was 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 offered the sacrifice
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  required in 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.
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  The Spirit led him to the temple.
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  So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the
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  Lord as the law required, Simeon was there.
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  He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
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  Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace as you have
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  promised. I have seen your salvation,
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  which you have prepared for all people.
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  He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and He is the glory
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  of your people, 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 Fanuwel from the tribe of Asher, 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 God.
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  She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting
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  expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.
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  When Jesus parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the Law
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  of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee.
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  There the child grew up healthy and strong.
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  He was filled with wisdom and God's favour was on him.
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  Every year Jesus parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover
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  festival. When Jesus was 12 years old.
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  They attended the festival as usual.
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  After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth.
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  But Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem.
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  His parents didn't miss him at first because they assumed he
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  was among the other travellers. But when he didn't show up that
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  evening, they started looking for him among their relatives
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  and friends. When they couldn't find him,
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  they went back to Jerusalem to search for him there.
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  Three days later, they finally discovered him in the Temple,
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  sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and
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  asking questions. All who heard him were amazed at
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  his understanding and his answers.
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  His parents didn't know what to think.
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  Son, his mother said to him, Why have you done this to us?
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  Your father and I have been frantic searching for you
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  everywhere. But why did you need to search?
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  He asked. Didn't you know that I must be
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  in my father's house? But they didn't understand what
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  he meant. Then he returned to Nazareth
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  with them and was obedient to them.
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  And his mother stored all these things in her heart.
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  Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God
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  and all the people. Jesus, you are born on Christmas
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  Day. You have come to save the world
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  and save it. You have.
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  You lived a perfect life, Jesus, and you gave up everything for
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  us to restore us to your Father. And in this way, just as that
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  man in the temple, Simeon said, you Jesus, are a light to reveal
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  God to the nations you have come to.
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  Let us know what God is like. A God of love, a God of mercy, a
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  God of compassion, a God of action, so that every single
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  person who lives can know who God is and that God is for us.
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  Oh Jesus, we are so grateful that you came on this day all
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  those years ago. Ah, we worship you, we praise
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  you, and we thank you for your goodness to us.
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  And as we celebrate today, oh, may our hearts just sing for all
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  that you've done for us. We pray this in your holy and
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  saving name, Jesus, Amen.