Christmas Eve: December 24, 2013

TODAY’S WORD FOR TUESDAY DECEMBER 24, 2013

CHRISTMAS EVE

We want you to join our family in celebrating the birth of Jesus. Every Christmas eve we get together as a family and celebrate Christmas. Our family includes our six children, their spouses, our 20 grandchildren, the husband of one of our grandchildren and several of our children’s spouses’ parents.

The younger children have costumes that Dottie made years ago and they act out the events as we know them from the scripture of that Christmas morning in Bethlehem. We have the stable, Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, shepherds, angels and the wise men.

At the end of the celebration we all say together the following and urge you to join us in reading these words from Luke 2: 1-14.

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirnius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

So it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tiding of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH PEACE, GOODWILL TOWARD MEN!”

Have a blessed Christmas and remember to give glory to God in the highest for the great gift of His Son, Jesus --- the babe born in the manger. Jesus is the reason for the season.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 100:1

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands.

PRAYER:

Glory to God, our Heavenly Father! We thank You and praise You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus. We thank You that He came to save us and to bring peace and goodwill to a lost and sinful world.