Advent 2022 — The Story of Christmas

Throughout this Advent season, we have continually discussed the “good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10) that the angels spoke of to the shepherds. That good news – that gospel – is as sweet and good for us today as it was two millennia ago.

Paul gives a succinct picture of the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4:

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures….

That is going to be our focus. This Christmas, we are going to look at what is “of first importance”, just as it was “received”. We are going to read the accounts of the birth of Jesus from the gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and we will read through them chronologically. You can find a link to the audio below, but it will not contain verse references. Those can be found below.

The Beginning of the Good News

^{Mark 1:1a}The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.^[1]

Dedication

^{Luke 1:1}Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, ²just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us. ³So it also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus, ⁴so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.^[2]

Prologue

^{John 1:1}In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was with God in the beginning. ³All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. ⁴In him was life,^, and that life was the light of men. ⁵That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.

⁶There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.

⁹The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. ¹¹He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹²But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, ¹³who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵(John testified concerning him and exclaimed, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘The one coming after me ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ ”) ¹⁶Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness, ¹⁷for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—he has revealed him.^[3]

The Record of Jesus’ Ancestors

^{Matthew 1:1}An account of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

²Abraham fathered Isaac,
Isaac fathered Jacob,
Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers,
³Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar,
Perez fathered Hezron,
Hezron fathered Aram,
⁴Aram fathered Amminadab,
Amminadab fathered Nahshon,
Nahshon fathered Salmon,
⁵Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab,
Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth,
Obed fathered Jesse,
⁶and Jesse fathered King David.
David fathered Solomon by Uriah’s wife,
⁷Solomon fathered Rehoboam,
Rehoboam fathered Abijah,
Abijah fathered Asa,
⁸Asa fathered Jehoshaphat,
Jehoshaphat fathered Joram,
Joram fathered Uzziah,
⁹Uzziah fathered Jotham,
Jotham fathered Ahaz,
Ahaz fathered Hezekiah,
¹⁰Hezekiah fathered Manasseh,
Manasseh fathered Amon,
Amon fathered Josiah,
¹¹and Josiah fathered Jeconiah and his brothers
at the time of the exile to Babylon.
¹²After the exile to Babylon
Jeconiah fathered Shealtiel,
Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel,
¹³Zerubbabel fathered Abiud,
Abiud fathered Eliakim,
Eliakim fathered Azor,
¹⁴Azor fathered Zadok,
Zadok fathered Achim,
Achim fathered Eliud,
¹⁵Eliud fathered Eleazar,
Eleazar fathered Matthan,
Matthan fathered Jacob,
¹⁶and Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary,
who gave birth to Jesus who is called the Messiah.

¹⁷So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations; and from David until the exile to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the exile to Babylon until the Messiah, fourteen generations.^[4]

The Birth of John the Baptist Foretold

^{Luke 1:5}In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶Both were righteous in God’s sight, living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord. ⁷But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years.

⁸When his division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, ⁹it happened that he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense. ¹⁰At the hour of incense the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. ¹¹An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. ¹²When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified and overcome with fear. ¹³But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. ¹⁴There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit while still in his mother’s womb. ¹⁶He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.”

¹⁸“How can I know this?” Zechariah asked the angel. “For I am an old man, and my wife is well along in years.”

¹⁹The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and tell you this good news. ²⁰Now listen. You will become silent and unable to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.”

²¹Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah, amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. ²²When he did come out, he could not speak to them. Then they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He was making signs to them and remained speechless. ²³When the days of his ministry were completed, he went back home.

²⁴After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived and kept herself in seclusion for five months. She said, ²⁵“The Lord has done this for me. He has looked with favor in these days to take away my disgrace among the people.”^[5]

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

^{Luke 1:26}In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin engaged^, to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. ³⁰Then the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. ³³He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”

³⁴Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?”

³⁵The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. ³⁷For nothing will be impossible with God.”

³⁸“See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.^[6]

Mary Visits Elizabeth

^{Luke 1:39}In those days Mary set out and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judah ⁴⁰where she entered Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped inside her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴²Then she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and your child will be blessed! ⁴³How could this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴For you see, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped for joy inside me. ⁴⁵Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill what he has spoken to her!”^[7]

The Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise

^{Luke 1:46}And Mary said:

My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸because he has looked with favor
on the humble condition of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations
will call me blessed,
⁴⁹because the Mighty One
has done great things for me,
and his name is holy.
⁵⁰His mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear him.
⁵¹He has done a mighty deed with his arm;
he has scattered the proud
because of the thoughts of their hearts;
⁵²he has toppled the mighty from their thrones
and exalted the lowly.
⁵³He has satisfied the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering his mercy
⁵⁵to Abraham and his descendants forever,
just as he spoke to our ancestors.

⁵⁶And Mary stayed with her about three months; then she returned to her home.^[8]

The Birth of John the Baptist

^{Luke 1:57}Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. ⁵⁸Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her his great mercy, and they rejoiced with her.

⁵⁹When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day, they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. ⁶⁰But his mother responded, “No. He will be called John.”

⁶¹Then they said to her, “None of your relatives has that name.” ⁶²So they motioned to his father to find out what he wanted him to be called. ⁶³He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. ⁶⁴Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. ⁶⁵Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶All who heard about him took it to heart, saying, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him.^[9]

Zechariah’s Prophecy

^{Luke 1:67}Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

⁶⁸Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has visited
and provided redemption for his people.
⁶⁹He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
⁷⁰just as he spoke by the mouth
of his holy prophets in ancient times;
⁷¹salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of those who hate us.
⁷²He has dealt mercifully with our ancestors
and remembered his holy covenant—
⁷³the oath that he swore to our father Abraham.
He has given us the privilege,
⁷⁴since we have been rescued
from the hand of our enemies,
to serve him without fear
⁷⁵in holiness and righteousness
in his presence all our days.
⁷⁶And you, child, will be called
a prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare his ways,
⁷⁷to give his people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins.
⁷⁸Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the dawn from on high will visit us
⁷⁹to shine on those who live in darkness
and the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.

⁸⁰The child grew up and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.^[10]

The Birth of Jesus the Messiah

^{Matthew 1:18}The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹So her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.

²⁰But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

²²Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

²³See, the virgin will become pregnant
and give birth to a son,
and they will name him Immanuel,

which is translated “God is with us.”

²⁴When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her ²⁵but did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he named him Jesus.^[11]

^{Luke 2:1}In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. ²This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.

⁴Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, ⁵to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. ⁶While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.^[12]

The Shepherds and Angels

^{Luke 2:8}In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. ⁹Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: ¹¹Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹²This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”

¹³Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

¹⁴Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace on earth to people he favors!^,,

¹⁵When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

¹⁶They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.^[13]

Jesus is Presented in the Temple

^{Luke 2:21}When the eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus—the name given by the angel before he was conceived. ²²And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³(just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every firstborn male will be dedicated to the Lord^,) ²⁴and to offer a sacrifice (according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons^,).^[14]

The Prophecy of Simeon

^{Luke 2:25}There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, ²⁸Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said,

²⁹Now, Master,
you can dismiss your servant in peace,
as you promised.
³⁰For my eyes have seen your salvation.
³¹You have prepared it
in the presence of all peoples—
³²a light for revelation to the Gentiles^,
and glory to your people Israel.

³³His father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them and told his mother Mary, “Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed—³⁵and a sword will pierce your own soul—that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”^[15]

The Prophecy of Anna

^{Luke 2:36}There was also a prophetess, Anna, a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was well along in years, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,^, ³⁷and was a widow for eighty-four years. She did not leave the temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayers. ³⁸At that very moment, she came up and began to thank God and to speak about him to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.^[16]

The Visit of the Wise Men

^{Matthew 2:1}After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, ²saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.”

³When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.

⁵“In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet:

⁶And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah:
Because out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.”^,

⁷Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. ⁸He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship him.”^,

⁹After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. ¹⁰When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. ¹¹Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹²And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.^[17]

Amen!

Refresh & Restore Bible Study — May 18, 2023: When the Loving Kindness of God Our Savior Appears – Refresh & Restore | A JustKeithHarris.com Podcast

This is the May 18, 2023 episode of the Refresh & Restore Bible Study, provided by JustKeithHarris.com. You can find the written version of this, along with Scripture references and footnotes, at: https://justkeithharris.com/2023/05/17/refresh-restore-bible-study-may-18-2023/