SCRIPTURELUKE 2:15-20When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all w...  Read More

SCRIPTURELUKE 2:28-32Simeon took [the child Jesus] in his arms and praised God, saying:"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel." People of a certain generation reading this devotional may be ...  Read More

SCRIPTURELUKE 2:13-14Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." December 25, 1914, is perhaps one of the most famous Christmas Days in history. Known as the "Christmas truce," soldiers all along the Western Front of World War I climbed out of their trenche...  Read More

SCRIPTURELUKE 2:6-7While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. Perhaps my favourite image of the birth of our Lord is a painting by Gari Melchers named The Nativity. The reason I find it so beautiful is that it is profoundly, uncomf...  Read More

SCRIPTURELUKE 1:38"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May your word to me be fulfilled." Then the angel left her. How do you manage in a crisis? When the bottom seems to be falling out of your world, when you feel like your whole life has caught on fire, how do you handle it? Some of us may panic—it's all overwhelming and feels like far, far too much for us to cope. Others may go into busin...  Read More

SCRIPTUREMATTHEW 1:18This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. The Christian band Casting Crowns has a song named "Dream for You." The second verse imagines God speaking to Mary: "Hey Mary, I've heard you've been dreaming, making plans for your big ...  Read More

SCRIPTURELUKE 2:4-7So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in c...  Read More

SCRIPTUREMATTHEW 1:20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit." The Shawshank Redemption tells the story of a brutal New England prison, but it is ultimately a story about hope. An inmate named Red tells his friends that ...  Read More

SCRIPTUREISAIAH 9:2The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. Our family has a number of Christmas Eve traditions. One of the most important is taking a family walk through the village. We wrap up warm and take the dog for a stroll around the community, enjoying the decorations and trying to decide which house has our fa...  Read More

SCRIPTURELUKE 2:8-9And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. We often have a tendency to romanticise certain things. Nature is peaceful and serene and beautiful—until we have to spend a night in a tent in the middle of nowhere. Then ...  Read More

SCRIPTUREJOHN 1:1-5In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. In C. S. Lewis's story The Lion, the Witch and the ...  Read More

SCRIPTURELUKE 1:34-38"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 wor...  Read More