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    “At that moment she came and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem." —Luke 2:38 Anna, a prophet, was widowed at a young age. Following her husband's death, she made herself at home in Jerusalem's temple,... read more →

    “Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon...it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah." —Luke 2:25-26 Forty days after Jesus’ birth, His parents took Him to the temple in Jerusalem to... read more →

    “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." —Ephesians 3:20 (NLT) The word advent means coming or arrival. When referring to Jesus' arrival, however, advent takes on a special meaning, representing... read more →

    “When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under..." —Matthew 2:16 King Herod ruled over Judea with Roman approval for more than 30 years. Never... read more →

    “Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey." —Zechariah 9:9 (NASB1995) When Jesus was born, it’s likely that there were animals nearby, even in the very same... read more →

    “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn." —Luke 2:7 How might cultural insights impact our experience of the Christmas story? Middle East scholar Kenneth... read more →

    “While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child." —Luke 2:6 We tend to imagine Mary and Joseph all alone, huddled in a stable welcoming Jesus into the world. Yet, as with much of the tradition, the reality might have been quite different. For... read more →

    “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.’" —Luke 2:1 Mary and Joseph were quite likely in good company on the road from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Many of these unknown-to-us fellow travelers were probably also on their way to... read more →

    “An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.’" —Matthew 1:1 If someone were to ask you to tell the story of Jesus, where would you start? The New Testament begins, “the story of the origin of Jesus Christ” (Matthew... read more →

    “Praise the Lord from the earth...wild animals and all livestock...kings of the earth and all people...Let them praise the name of the Lord.’" —Psalm 148: 7-13 (NLT) In 1970, Robertson Davies popularized the term “Fifth Business” in his novel by the same name. He describes Fifth Business in... read more →