Christmas

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Christmas Reading Plan | Week 2 Day 5

Prayer

As you come to spend time with Jesus, calm your mind and body until you feel fully present. Thank Jesus that he came to save you!

Bible Reading: Luke 1:67-80

Read these verses three times slowly.

His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

Reflection & Questions

As Mary burst forth in song, Zechariah, filled with the Holy Spirit, bursts out in prophecy. It is amazing the clarity that the Spirit gives Zechariah of what God’s plans are. John will be “a prophet of the Most High…to prepare the way for [the Lord]”. And what is the Lord coming to do? “Give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins…to shine on those living in darkness… to guide our feet into the path of peace.” It is an incredible insight into what Jesus would do. It is a beautiful picture of the “tender mercy of our God.” To be tender means to show gentleness and concern or sympathy. The wonder of Christmas is that our God is filled with tender mercy towards us sinners. Though we had ignored and rejected Him, He was still filled with gentleness and concern towards us. He was filled with tender mercy and He sent His Son “not to condemn the world but to save the world through Him” (John 3:17).

1. What word or phrase from Zechariah’s prophecy sticks out to you? Why?
2. How does the addition of “tender” to describe God’s mercy change how you view Him and His mercy?

Prayer

Talk to God in response to the reading today.

Worship Song

You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:

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Questions?