Luke 2:22–40

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.

1.         Joseph and Mary follow the directions given in the Law of Moses for the child Jesus and mother Mary.

2.         While at the Temple the family meets Simeon who was waiting for the fulfillment of the promises regarding the Messiah found in the Hebrew Bible.

3.         By direction of the Holy Spirit, he locates the little family, takes baby Jesus in his arms, and issues the last of the “songs” in Luke, the Nunc Dimittus, meaning ‘mission now completed.’

4.         In the first part of the song, he knows his mission is complete as he has seen the Lord’s salvation, which is Jesus.

5.         This salvation will be for not only the Jews but for Gentiles as well. Then Simeon describes the ministry of Jesus, it will be for the “fall and rising of many,” and for a “sign that is opposed.”  This see this being fulfilled now.

6.         Then he speaks about a “sword” that will pierce through Mary as well, an indication of what will happen to baby Jesus, thus the crucifixion and death of Mary’s son.

7.         Then as a second testimony there is Anna, a devout woman 84 years old, who provides another witness to Joseph and Mary, and all who witnessed the event, that the child Jesus was the “redemption of Jerusalem,” another way of referring to the coming Messiah and His ministry.

8.         Now then the little family heads back home to Nazareth where baby Jesus will grow and become strong.

Genesis 3:14–16; Psalm 22:14–18; Isaiah 7:14; 9:6–7; Gal. 4:1-6

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still and at peace. Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer. Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself. Slowly and carefully read the passages of Scripture.

God addressing the Serpent, who had deceived Adam and Eve, states, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heal.”

1. The woman’s offspring, as the historic drama in Scripture makes plain is Mary’s son Jesus, who defeats the serpent while the serpent is only able to do minor or temporary damage.
2. In Psalm 22 then is a portrayal of the damage the serpent does, all under the authority of the Creator. The Psalmist, David depicts a man dying on a cross hundreds of years before the invention of this horrible instrument of execution is invented.
3. Isaiah the prophet speaks of a virgin giving birth to “Immanuel” which means “God with us.” Then this virgin born son is “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (If you look carefully you will see the Trinity.)
4. Further along in Isaiah we find this Immanuel as the suffering servant of Israel. The prophet speaks of a person despised and rejected, but who is “wounded for our iniquities” and upon whom is laid all of our sin.
5. Isaiah goes on to say that this despised one’s dying is an “offering for sin” yet his days will be prolonged, even that “the will of the LORD prosper in his hand.” This is clearly about Jesus’ resurrection. (see Isaiah 53)

In the first century CE a former Jewish Rabbi, the Apostle Paul, in writing to a Gentile audience, sums up the ultimate intention of God in this manner: When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were born under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. Galatians 4:4-5

Gospel Meditation

Mark 3:31–35; Luke 1:26–56; John 2:1–11; 19:16-27;

Acts 1:12—14

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace. Recite the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer. Her name appears 51 times in the New Testament. It is thought the name means “bitterness” or “sorrow,” and indeed she had much sorrow as well as joy.

Why was Mary chosen to give birth to the Messiah? She was of no account, was poor, and lived in a small village with no reputation. Indeed, Nathaniel asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46)

What a wonderful mother she was. Besides giving birth to Jesus she gave birth to four boys, two of which became authors of New Testament books, James and Jude. And she bore at least two girls as well, maybe more, and who are unnamed in Scripture.

At one point her family questioned Jesus’ activities, thought He might be mad, yet she supported her son despite the opposition He faced. She was present at the crucifixion, and at one-point Jesus her son, while dying, commended her to the care of the Apostle John, the only disciple present at the cross. Legend has it that he cared for her until her death. At some point, they lived in Ephesus.

Mary became a widow as Joseph disappears fairly early on in the life of Jesus. Mary then raised a rather large family and with good result.

It is probable that you have at least one family member in your remembrance who has the name Mary or a derivative thereof.

She will always be honored as the woman who gave birth to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 1:18–25; 2:13–23, and Mark 6:1–6.

Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions. Be comfortably alert, still, and at peace. Recite the Lord’s Prayer.

1.         Joseph, of the line of David, as is Mary, a carpenter by trade and a thoughtful and respectful man, meets young Mary while on a contract deal in Nazareth of Galilee. They become legally betrothed to be married.

2.         Joseph discovers that his wife to be is pregnant, so likely at least 5 months along. He is badly shaken and decides to divorce her quietly, thus protecting both Mary and himself.

3.         God intervenes and fills Joseph in as to the actual events, which focus on the fact that the son to be born to Mary is the One who will bring salvation to “his” people.

4.         After the birth of Jesus, Joseph is warned to take Mary and the child and flee to Egypt because Herod is seeking to destroy the child, having been alerted by the three “Wise Men.” Egypt is 90 miles or more to the south of Bethlehem, where the family remained until Herod’s death, which was in 4 BCE. Yes, Jesus was likely born in 6 BCE not 0 CE.

5.         Herod, fearful that a powerful rival is in his domain, has children 2 years old and younger killed in the Bethlehem area. Estimates are that perhaps as many as 50 children were murdered on Herod’s orders.

6.         Joseph and family return to Israel, but upon arrival find that Herod’s ruthless son Archelaus is ruling Judea. Once again Joseph is warned in a dream of this danger, and flees north to Galilee, to a no-account city called Nazareth.

7.         Jesus will later be known as a “Nazarene”, which was a derogatory title. Note: John the Baptist took a “Nazarite” vow, meaning a person who lived an austere and spiritual lifestyle, which is different from being a “Nazarene.”