Daily Dose of the Word of God - Luke 2:1-7

Rachel Klooster & Billy Heschl 

Transcript

Rachel Klooster  0:07 

Welcome to Elmhurst CRC’s Daily Dose of the Word of God. It’s Tuesday, December 23. This is Billy Heschl reading for Rachel Klooster. In this Christmas season we put the spotlight on Jesus. This time of year, watch any Christmas movie - Hallmark or otherwise - and eventually there will be talk about the true meaning of Christmas.

Rachel Klooster  0:29  

And what exactly is the true meaning of Christmas? Well, according to these movies it is something along the lines of love, family and friends, getting together in peace and harmony, giving to others, warm feelings, and maybe even (gasp) believing in the man in the red suit. While all of these things are certainly true, and definitely important (except for maybe the Santa part, but that’s a story for another day), the true meaning of Christmas can be found in Luke 2. So take a deep breath and listen to Luke 2:1-7, Read from the Voice version.

Rachel Klooster 1:10  

Around the time of Elizabeth’s amazing pregnancy and John’s birth, the emperor in Rome, Caesar Augustus, required everyone in the Roman Empire to participate in a massive census — the first census since Quirinius had become governor of Syria. Each person had to go to his or her ancestral city to be counted. Mary’s fiancé Joseph from Nazareth in Galilee, had to participate in the census in the same way everyone else did. Because he was a descendant of King David, his ancestral city was Bethlehem, David’s birthplace. Mary, who was now late in her pregnancy that the messenger Gabriel had predicted, accompanied Joseph. While in Bethlehem, she went into labor and gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped the baby in a blanket and laid him in a feeding trough because the inn had no room for them.

Rachel Klooster 2:07  

Let's pray. Lord Jesus, during this busy but meaningful season, let's take a deep breath and remember why we celebrate Christmas. Thank you for loving us. Amen.