The Proclamation to Israel:
Isaiah 11:1-4a
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the
Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall
not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge
the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth.
The Proclamation of the Birth of Christ:
Luke 2:1-7
1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So 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 cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The Proclamation to the Shepherds:
Luke 2:8–14; 15-16
And 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. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
When 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.
The Proclamation to the World:
Luke 2:17-20
When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
The Proclamation Today:
John 3:16-17
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Tomorrow at 9:00 am
our worship celebrates the birth of our Lord and Savior,
born as a babe in a manger.
We look forward to sharing that joy with you!