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January 2 — Luke 2:22–24

And when the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses was complete, His parents brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord: “Every firstborn male shall be called holy to the Lord”, and to offer the sacrifice specified in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” — Luke 2:22–24 Luke shows us the Holy Family in a simple yet profound act of obedience. Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple, fulfilling the Law’s requirements for purification and dedication. The One who gave the Law humbly submits to it through His earthly parents. Advent has revealed the humility of Christ in His birth; now, the early days of His life reveal the humility and devotion of Mary and Joseph as they honor God with quiet faithfulness. Their obedience is not flashy or public—it is ordinary, steady, and sincere. God often works through these quiet acts of faith. The offering they bring—a pair of turtledoves or two young pi...
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January 1 — Luke 2:21

On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the Child, He was named Jesus—the name the angel had given Him before He was conceived. — Luke 2:21 On the first day of a new year, Scripture draws our attention to an intimate and quiet moment in the life of Jesus—His naming. Eight days after His birth, according to Jewish custom, the Child was circumcised and given His name: Jesus, the name spoken from heaven before Mary ever felt His first movement, before Joseph ever dreamed of His coming, before the world knew that God was drawing near. The name Jesus means “The LORD saves,” and with it, the mission of Christ is declared. Advent and Christmas have told the story of His arrival; now His name tells the story of His purpose. This small moment reminds us that God’s plans unfold with intentionality and tenderness. Nothing is accidental. Jesus enters fully into human customs and family life, bearing a name that proclaims His identity. As the year begins, we are invited to remember that t...
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December 31 — John 3:16–17

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” — John 3:16–17 On the final day of the year, Scripture brings us back to the heart of the gospel in two of the most well-known and deeply loved verses in the Bible. “For God so loved the world.” This is where the story begins and ends—with love. Not obligation, not anger, not distance, but love so vast that God gave His Son. Christmas reveals the depth of this love. The Child in the manger is the gift of God’s heart, offered freely, sacrificially, personally. The love that holds the universe enters human history not to condemn, but to save, to restore, and to bring eternal life to all who believe. These verses remind us that God’s posture toward the world—even a world marked by sin, sorrow, and rebellion—is grace. Christ’s coming is not a verdict o...
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December 30 — Hebrews 1:1–3

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways. But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. — Hebrews 1:1–3 As the year draws toward its close, Hebrews offers us a sweeping view of Christ—one that lifts our eyes from the manger to the full majesty of who Jesus is. God has always spoken: through prophets, visions, and signs. But now, the writer tells us, God has spoken in the clearest, fullest way possible—through His Son. Christmas reminds us that Jesus is not merely a messenger but the message, not merely a sign but the radiance of God’s glory. To see Jesus is to see the heart of God revealed in human form. The passage unfolds a ...
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December 29 — Galatians 4:4–7

But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God. — Galatians 4:4–7 Paul describes the birth of Jesus in breathtaking terms: “When the time had fully come.” Christmas is not an accident in history; it is the precise moment when God, in His wisdom and love, chose to enter the world. Jesus was “born of a woman,” fully human; “born under the law,” fully obedient; and He came for a purpose—to redeem us. Redemption is more than rescue; it is restoration. Jesus not only frees us from sin’s power but restores us into a relationship we could never earn. Through Him, we receive the astonishing gift of adoption into God’s family. Paul emphasizes that this adoption is not symbolic—it is...
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December 28 — Titus 3:4–7

But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us—not by the righteous deeds we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs with the hope of eternal life. — Titus 3:4–7 In these verses, Paul offers a beautiful summary of the gospel in the language of Christmas: “the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared.” The birth of Jesus is the appearance—the shining forth—of God’s kindness. Through Him, the love of God steps into the world in a visible, tangible, unmistakable way. Advent has been preparing our hearts to recognize this truth: Jesus is not simply the bearer of God’s message; He is the embodiment of God’s mercy. His arrival reveals a God who saves not because we earned it, but because His heart overflows with compassion. Paul stresses...
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December 27 — John 1:14

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. — John 1:14 With one breathtaking sentence, John captures the mystery and majesty of Christmas: “The Word became flesh.” The eternal Son of God, through whom all things were created, took on human frailty and entered our world as a child. This is the heart of the Incarnation—not God appearing to be human, but God becoming human, embracing our weakness, our vulnerability, and our experience. Christmas is not merely a celebration of Jesus’ birth; it is a celebration of God’s nearness. In Christ, God comes close enough to touch, to speak, to comfort, to save. Advent has been preparing our hearts for this astonishing truth. John goes on to say that Jesus “made His dwelling among us,” using a word that literally means “tabernacled” or “pitched His tent.” God has chosen not to remain distant but to move into the neighborhood of humanity. He...
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