Simeon & Anna

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy 

Spirit was upon him.  And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.  and he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

"Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peach,

according to your word;

for my eyes have seen your salvation 

that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and for glory to your people Israel."

And his father and mother marveled at what was said about him.  And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed."

Luke 2:25-35

The Angel's Song

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.  And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you in born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and 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 among those 

with whom he is pleased!"

Luke 2:8-14

Zechariah's Song

And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Luke 1:68-79

Mary's Magnificat

And Mary said,

"My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

And his mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

he has brought down the mighty from their thrones

and exalted those of humble estate;

he has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

as he spoke to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his offspring forever."

Elizabeth's Song

And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb.  And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!"  And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."

Luke 1:41-45

Christmas Grace

"There are times, while seeking to follow God faithfully, we find ourselves in a desperate moment, forced to a place we would not choose to go.  It's then we must remember; we're not our own.  Our lives and circumstances are not ultimately about us.  They are about Jesus Christ.  The Father has purposes for us and our hardships that extend far beyond us.  And often what appears like a misfortune or a lack of provision in the moment later proves to be a means of great mercy.

So maybe what we need most this Christmas is not less turmoil, but more trust.  For God chooses stables of desperation as the birthplaces of his overwhelming grace."

John Piper
The Joseph Trilogy, Part 2
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-joseph-trilogy-part-2?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DGBlog+%28DG+Blog%29

12 Reasons for Christmas

1.  "For this I was born and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth."   John 18:37

2.  "The reason the Son of God was to destroy the works of the devil."  1 John 3:8, Hebrews 2:14-15

3.  "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."  Mark 2:17

4.  "The Son of man came to seek and to save the lost."  Luke 19:10

5.  "The Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."  Mark 10:45

6.  "God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons."  Galatians 4:5

Click here to read the remaining six reasons for Christmas.