Theme for this month: Jesus in the Four Gospels
Theme for this week: “Jesus in the Gospel of Luke”
December 21, 2021 (Tuesday)
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:26-38 NIV).
Then Mary went to the home of Elizabeth and the two of them praised God for what He was doing and thanking Him for using them in His plan of redemption for the world. It was then that a special song of Mary was composed, in which she thanked and praised the Lord for what He was doing. (Luke 1:26-56 NIV).
With help from Matthew’s gospel, we are ready for God to set the stage for the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
The Gospel of Matthew shows how the angel Gabriel helped Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus, to accept the miracle of the Virgin Birth, and Joseph cooperated with God’s plans for the birth of Jesus.
The Roman Emperor demanded registration for taxation in the home town of provincial citizens such as Joseph and Mary. It was necessary that they travel to Bethlehem for the registration. It was at Bethlehem, which had been predicted by the prophet, where the Messiah would be born.
Everything related to the birth of Jesus the Savior of the world was in place as Mary and Joseph made their bed in a Bethlehem stable where a manger would become the crib for God’s annointed Messiah.
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Phillips Brooks, Lewis Redner
O little town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
The everlasting Light
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight
For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
O morning stars together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God the King
And Peace to men on earth
No crib for a bed
The little Lord Jesus
Lay down His sweet head
The stars in the sky
Look down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay
Asleep on the hay
O holy Child of Bethlehem
Descend to us, we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born to us today
We hear the Christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emmanuel