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Luke 2:23 “(As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)”

   We often hear people ask these days why God has made differences in how He treats men and women. Yet, we hear nobody asking why He made anatomical differences. This verse doesn’t mean women can’t be holy. This was a law of Moses, and it reminded the Jewish nation that sin must be accounted for. Every male belonged to the Lord from birth. This ceremony, which Joseph and Mary studiously observed, was a worshipful process in which the child was ‘bought back’ from the Lord. It reminded them that He has delivered us from so much.

Heavenly Father, may we never destroy meaning with pettiness. We will praise You for all of the things that You have put in place to govern our lives. You know what is best for us. We cannot possibly praise You enough for the truth that You have given us for our lives. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:22 “Now when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord.”

   Joseph and Mary went through all of the lawful things regarding the raising of Jesus. One has to wonder if they felt differently about this Child, knowing He was so very different. Surely they realized as we must that every child is a gift from God. They are ours only in the sense that He has put them with us, and nothing more. They all belong to Almighty God. Even though Jesus was to be so very different, from His parent’s standpoint the responsibility was the same. Whether caring for the Son of God, or any of God’s little babies, we have the same duty. Every individual belongs to Him.

Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing us to be involved in the raising of Your babies. We love them so much! We will take our duty as seriously as did Mary and Joseph. We will praise You for leading and guiding them in their young lives. We will glorify You as we watch them grow to be what You want. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:21 “And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called JESUS, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.”

   The name Jesus means Jehovah is salvation. We think today of it as being unique to Him, but it was quite a common name in that time, and before. Joshua is the same name. Why then is it not Joshua rather than Jesus? Jesus more closely parallels the Greek spelling of the name. It was a translation choice, made apparently to differentiate the name of Christ from that of others.
   Would we feel differently about Christ if His name was Joshua? No, I don’t think so. But, we might tend to understand a little better the nature of Christ. His name didn’t make Him what He is. He was that already. God could have chosen a different name for His Son, and He still would be all that He is.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Son! Thank You for His Name! His Name is the sum total of Who He is not just the appellation You chose for Him. May we never cease to praise Him! You are worthy of the glory for ever and ever! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:20 “Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.”

   What does this ‘glorifying and praising’ entail? Well, the shepherds not only spoke directly to the Lord, telling Him how wonderful He is, but also, they spoke to one another and their own soul of the wonderful greatness of Almighty God.

Heavenly Father, we will praise and glorify You all of our days! You are worthy of it all. Others will hear and know that You are great. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:19 “But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

   Mary knew the truth, but it was hard to process the reality of it all. She believed, but it was not all clear to her just yet.

Heavenly Father, thank You for helping us understand things that happen to us in our lives. Sometimes even good things confuse us at first. But we know we can always trust You. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:18 “And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.”

   Sometimes people will marvel, and yet not truly care. People can be easy to impress, but hard to convince. Political figures know the truth of this. They can be popular one minute and hated the next. But, many did truly believe because of the shepherd’s testimony.

Heavenly Father, You have impressed us over and over with Your power. But we are also convinced by Your glorious truth. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:17 “Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.”

   There is not a hint of hesitation here. These men did not stop to consider their low estate. They did not stop to consider if some might not listen. They went, and they spread the truth far and wide. How often do we let unimportant considerations keep us from doing the same?

Heavenly Father, thank You for the Child, the Lord Jesus Christ! May we have strength as we seek to reach every last corner of humanity with the gospel. We will praise You for Your Word! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:16 “And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.”

   The shepherds wasted no time. They didn’t wait until it was convenient. They didn’t take the scenic route. They knew they had no time for other things. The time was now.
   The message of the gospel has always been this way. Now is the time. There is nothing to wait till tomorrow for. If souls are ready and ripe, the harvest cannot wait.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the message of the gospel. Thank You for making it available to me! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:15 “So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”

I have always been amazed by this little verse. Notice how the shepherds speak here. Look at the phrasing. They acknowledge the fact that this event fulfills prophecy. And then they highlight​ the fact that this great thing was revealed to them, common shepherds.

Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Yourself to us. You don’t reserve Your truth for only the elite. You have opened it up for all. We magnify You for Your wisdom! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Luke 2:14 ““Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

   Many may cry foul. Peace has not come to this earth. Ah, but you missed the other word, goodwill. And what does that mean? Well, put them together and you understand why all the world does not have peace. Indeed, peace is very illusive. This is because peace will accompany goodwill. And goodwill is a choice. Unfortunately, it is a choice we often fail to make. So where His goodwill is accepted, His peace is experienced. Where His goodwill is shunned, His peace is absent.

Heavenly Father, thank You for both Your peace and Your goodwill. May we be blessed to enjoy both! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.