Lessons for December 25, 2006 – Nativity of our Lord

The first lesson

Isaiah 62:6-12
 
    O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray to the Lord day and night for the fulfillment of his promises. Take no rest, all you who pray. [7] Give the Lord no rest until he makes Jerusalem the object of praise throughout the earth. [8] The Lord has sworn to Jerusalem by his own strength: "I will never again hand you over to your enemies. Never again will foreign warriors come and take away your grain and wine. [9] You raised it, and you will keep it, praising the Lord. Within the courtyards of the Temple, you yourselves will drink the wine that you have pressed." 
    [10] Go out! Prepare the highway for my people to return! Smooth out the road; pull out the boulders; raise a flag for all the nations to see. [11] The Lord has sent this message to every land: "Tell the people of Israel, 'Look, your Savior is coming. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.' " [12] They will be called the Holy People and the People Redeemed by the Lord. And Jerusalem will be known as the Desirable Place and the City No Longer Forsaken.  (NLT)

Psalm 97
 
L.  The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice! Let the farthest islands be glad. 
C.  Clouds and darkness surround him.
L.  Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. 
C.  Fire goes forth before him and burns up all his foes. 
L.  His lightning flashes out across the world. The earth sees and trembles. 
C.  The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. 
L.  The heavens declare his righteousness; every nation sees his glory. 
C.  Those who worship idols are disgraced—all who brag about their worthless gods—for every god must bow to him. 
L.  Jerusalem has heard and rejoiced, and all the cities of Judah are glad because of your justice, Lord! 
C.  For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.
L.  You who love the Lord, hate evil!
C.  He protects the lives of his godly people and rescues them from the power of the wicked. 
L.  Light shines on the godly, and joy on those who do right. 
C.  May all who are godly be happy in the Lord and praise his holy name!  (NLT)

The second lesson

Titus 3:4-7
 
    But then God our Savior showed us his kindness and love. [5] He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit. [6] He generously poured out the Spirit upon us because of what Jesus Christ our Savior did. [7] He declared us not guilty because of his great kindness. And now we know that we will inherit eternal life.  (NLT)

The Gospel Lesson

Luke 2:1-20
 
    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 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 obviously pregnant by this time. 
    [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 room for them in the village inn.
   [8] That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, 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 terribly frightened, [10] but the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! [11] The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! [12] And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!" 
    [13] Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God:
    [14] "Glory to God in the highest heaven,
        and peace on earth to all whom God favors."
[15] When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Come on, let's go to Bethlehem! Let's see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." 
    [16] They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. [17] Then 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 quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. [20] The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.  (NLT)