The Birth of Jesus Luke 2:2-19
2 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
At last we have arrived! We have followed the story of God’s love and the rescue of His people from the beginning of creation and at last we have come to the birth of our Savior.
There is much that could be said about this last part in our journey to the stable and the manger where Jesus, our Savior would lay his sleeping little head, but the truth is, the story says all we need to know. Jesus, this new shoot from the old stump of Jesse came to earth to live and love and give his life for the ones he loved so dearly, but first he would be born in Bethlehem, surrounded by animals and the love of his mother and father.
Yes, there is time yet for Jesus to travel to the cross, but let’s wait a moment here at the manger and worship the newborn king. Like Mary, this Christmas may you slow down in the middle of the beauty, fun, family and craziness that our celebrations might bring, and may you pause, think on, and give thanks for our Savior and rescuer Jesus Christ.
Blessings on you this Christmas, sons and daughters of the King of Kings!
Discussion Questions:
1. Why do we celebrate Christmas?
2. How can we celebrate Jesus with our whole lives?
Family Activity: Decorate your ornament for Day 25 and take time to look at each ornament on your Jesse tree and remember where we came from as God’s people and give thanks for how God will use each of us to bring the message of rescue from our sins to a world in need of Jesus.
Prayer for the World: Pray that the Father will soon provide for us a trustworthy, local man or a family who can minister full-time among the people in “Warren County” where the rural communities we have prayed for are located.
RSL 2014
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