Key Thought

Today's Prayer

How do I comprehend your gracious and sacrificial love, dear Father? Coming in human flesh as a baby! Swaddled in strips of cloth like the babies of that day! Making your bed in a manger! Holy God, my Abba Father, please know that I want you to make your place in my heart. You are welcome here. Your presence is desired. Thank you for the grace of coming in Jesus. Thank you for your grace of also coming to live in me through your Spirit. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

At that time, Augustus Caesar sent out an order to all people in the countries that were under Roman rule. The order said that all people must write their name in a book (register). This was the first registration. It happened while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All people traveled to their own towns to be registered. So Joseph left Nazareth, a town in Galilee. He went to the town of Bethlehem in Judea. This town was known as the town of David. Joseph went there because he was from the family of David. Joseph registered with Mary because she was engaged to marry him. (Mary was now pregnant.) While Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to have the baby. She gave birth to her first son (Jesus). There was not enough room for them in the house. So Mary wrapped the baby with pieces of cloth and laid the baby in a box where cattle are fed.

Related Scripture Readings

But when the right time came, God sent his Son. God's Son was born from a woman. God's Son lived under the law.

The Word became a man and lived among us. We saw his glory—the glory that belongs to the only Son of the Father. The Word was full of grace (kindness) and truth. John told people about him. John said, "This is the One I was talking about. I said, 'The One who comes after me is more important than I am. He was living before me.'" The Word (Christ) was full of grace and truth. From him we all received more and more blessings. The law was given through Moses. But grace and {the way of} truth came through Jesus Christ. No man has ever seen God. But the only Son (Jesus) is God. He is very close to the Father (God). And the Son has shown us what God is like.

You have not seen Christ, but still you love him. You can't see him now, but you believe in him. You are filled with a joy that cannot be explained. And that joy is full of glory. Your faith has a goal. And you are receiving that goal—your salvation. The prophets studied carefully and tried to learn about this salvation. Those prophets spoke about the grace (kindness) that was coming to you. The Spirit of Christ was in those prophets. And the Spirit was telling about the sufferings that would happen to Christ and about the glory that would come after those sufferings. Those prophets tried to learn about what the Spirit was showing them. They tried to learn when those things would happen and what the world would be like at that time. It was shown to those prophets that their service was not for themselves. The prophets were serving you. They were serving you when they told about the things that you have heard. You heard those things from the men who told you the Good News. They told you with the help of the Holy Spirit that was sent from heaven. The things you were told are things that even the angels want very much to know about.