The title of the message today is According to the Law of the Lord. I'm really just borrowing language from the text. The things that we encounter in Luke chapter 2 verses 21 through 24 are just Mary and Joseph doing things according to what we find in the law of the Lord. Doing things required by God's law when you have a baby. Last week, Angels appeared to shepherds who were keeping watch over their flock by night.

The angels came to announce the birth of a Savior who is Christ the Lord. I'm actually using the exact words of the text. The angels were telling a group of shepherds that a Savior had just been born that day, and that this Savior was Christ. They all knew what that meant. The prophets had set the expectations of what that meant, and Christ the Lord.

Again, that is a term used interchangeably throughout Luke 1 and 2 for this baby who would be born and for God Almighty. So, so much was revealed to these shepherds and like you wouldn't be able to keep your mouth shut, if this happened to you, they weren't able to keep their mouth shut and the report went far and wide. So, while Jesus's birth was humble, it was a very humble birth, the birth of Jesus was far from secret. This is really important. These things were not done in the corner.

These things were done and attested to by angels who came to many eyewitnesses, and the report went far and wide. In today's text, we see Joseph and Mary doing everything required by Old Testament law for Jesus' birth. So that's why the title is According to the Law of the Lord. As we come to this text, let's ask God to help us. God, in our saner moments, we know how much help we need when we come to Your Word.

In many ways, it's clear. But in many ways, we only see what's on the surface at best. We need to come under the ministry of the Holy Spirit to go deeper and to have these words move us. And I pray that this would be what would happen today, is that your Word would move us forward and form us to this beautiful image of Jesus that we see in the Gospels. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

We almost always subdivide. We're doing that again this morning. Hopefully your Bibles are still open to Luke chapter 2. And I'm going to just start by taking this first verse. So Follow along as I reread Luke chapter 2 verse 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. So in this verse we have the circumcision and naming of Jesus. If you're taking notes on the handout by filling in blanks, naming fills in the blank. The circumcision and naming of Jesus. It should be noted that there has already been the birth of a special baby.

Zacharias, old Zacharias, and advanced in years Elizabeth, had John the Baptist. It was a miraculous birth. This is a special baby. It was announced by the angel Gabriel. And the things said here in our text were said there.

So just flip back to one page and look at chapter 1 verses 59 through 63. So it was on the eighth day, just like our text, that they came to circumcise the child, and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. So naming, just like our text. His mother answered and said, no, he shall be called John. But they said to her, there is no one among your relatives who was called by this name." So they made signs to his father what he would have him called.

And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote saying his name is John. So they all marveled. So there's already been the birth of a special baby, and the things that happened with the first special baby, John, who would be called John the Baptist, is happening now with Jesus. In both cases, the naming was done at the same time as the circumcision on the eighth day. So it sounds a bit strange to me.

We named all six of our children within minutes of the birth of that child. In John the Baptist's case, eight days past, they named him on the day of the circumcision. In this case, the birth of Jesus, eight days past, and they named him on the birth of his circumcision on the eighth day. Commentators point out that while saving the naming until the eighth day, to give that name at the same time as the circumcision was not required by Old Testament law, that this was a common custom, and I googled it this morning early, and it's still a common custom among Jews. The waiting of naming a son until the eighth day, the day of circumcision.

So that was a common custom then. It still is a common custom among Jews today. So circumcision is required by Old Testament law, but waiting to name a son until the eighth day is not. Now, what is circumcision? It is a practice that God commanded for Abraham and all of his descendants, where all the males of this family line, so the family tree, starts with Abraham and then he has a son that has a son that has a son that has a son that has a son that has a son that has a son that has a son that has a son down.

All this family line would bear a physical mark that they had been brought into covenant with God. So God brought Abraham into covenant with himself with the intention that Abraham's children would come into covenant with him and grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren and so forth would all be brought into covenant with them and all the males would bear a physical mark that they had been brought into covenant with God, that they belong to God. This is the whole point. You are getting a physical mark that you belong to God, that you're part of a people that God has claimed for himself. So it was a physical mark of God having set apart this people to himself for himself.

God said to Abraham, you're mine and all your descendants are mine and there will be a physical mark to signify this. The physical mark is actually just the removal of the foreskin of a uniquely male part of the body. This is just a physical mark on males, and it's a mark on a uniquely male part of the body. Said as discreetly as I know how to say it. There you have it.

In Genesis 17 verse 12, God said this to Abraham. This is Genesis 17 verse 12. God says, He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant." So you might bring servants into your home who will serve you in perpetuity for the rest of their lives. If they become a member of your household, and even if they're not physical descendants of Abraham, they too will be circumcised because your households will belong to God.

This is actually codified in the law of Moses in Leviticus 12 verse 3 and you find it all through the Old Testament. So God set it to Abraham in Genesis 17 but it finds its way into the written law of God in Leviticus 12 verse 3. You find it everywhere in the Old Testament. Roughly 2, 000 years later, meaning God set it to Abraham, and then 2, 000 years of generations past. How many generations is that?

Well if you count a generation as about 20 years, it's a hundred generations. A hundred generations on. John the Baptist is born and they circumcise him eight days later. Jesus is born and they circumcise him eight days later according to the law of God. Joseph and Mary had their son circumcised on the eighth day and on that day they named him Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

So again back to Luke chapter 1 just as a refresher. Luke chapter 1 verses 30 and 31, then the angel said to her, then the angel said to Mary, do not be afraid Mary, for you have found favor with God, and behold you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus." This is what's happened and this is what is being called out in our text. What we don't learn in the Gospel of Luke, but we do learn in the Gospel of Matthew is that an angel also appeared to Joseph completely separate circumstance, completely separate events, and an angel also appeared to Joseph and also instructed Joseph to name his child Jesus. Just listen to Matthew chapter 1 verse 20 and 21. But while he thought about these things, while Joseph thought about these things, behold an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying, Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit and she will bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins." So we also Something we also don't learn in Luke, but we do learn in Matthew, is the meaning of the name.

It's a word that has a meaning. Most of our names actually have a meaning. If you trace the word back, it means something more than just Jake. It's your name, but that word probably has a meaning. My name does.

If you trace the genealogy of my name back, etymology of my name back, you find that Jason means healer. Your name probably has an etymology that has a meaning of it too Jesus is a word that has a meaning and it means Jehovah is salvation so it was important so important that they name this baby Jesus because He's going to be what His name signifies. He's going to be God saving. This was a common name actually. It's the Greek version of the Hebrew name Joshua.

So Joshua is the Hebrew name. The Greek version of that name is Jesus. So you can imagine how many little Jewish boys were named Joshua given how prominent a role Joshua plays in the Old Testament. And now either in the Greek speaking world and there are many Jesuses. There are more actually other Jesuses in the New Testament who bear that name because it's a popular name among the Jews.

It means Jehovah or God is salvation. Consider this quote from J.C. Ryle. J.C. Ryle says, the Son of God came down from heaven to be not only the Savior, but the King, the Lawgiver, The prophet, the priest, the judge of fallen man, had he chosen any one of these titles, he would have chosen that which was his own.

Let's test that. Can he say he's the king? Yes. Can he say he's the lawgiver? Yes.

Can he say he's the prophet? Yes. Can he say he's the priest? Yes. The judge of fallen man?

Yes. If he chooses any one of these titles, he's only taking what's his. He would be rightly calling himself that thing. JC Ryle continues, but he passed by them all. He passed by all these other titles.

He selects a name which speaks of mercy, grace, help, and deliverance for a lost world. It is as a deliverer and redeemer that he desires principally to be known. Please come away from this text believing that. If nothing else happens in this sermon, please come away from this text, believing this, that it was of ultimate importance that Jesus be named Jesus, be named Jehovah is salvation because it is as a deliverer and as a redeemer that Jesus desires principally to be known. Is He all these other things?

Yes. What does He want to be known as? The Savior! What should we take away from this? That Jesus wants to save.

That Jesus came to save. He is anointed by his Father to save. Christ or Messiah, those are the same word. One is the Hebrew version and the Greek version, but they both Just mean anointed. When you anoint, you're setting apart to a very specific work.

So what is God setting apart His Son? What is the specific work that God is setting apart His Son to? It's to save! That's what it means for Jesus to be Messiah. That's what it means for Jesus to be Messiah.

That's what it means for Jesus to be Christ. It means that His Father anointed Him, set Him apart to a very specific work, and that work is a saving work. That's why he's named Jesus. Jesus is such a willing Savior. You know that He's so much more willing to save than we are willing to be saved.

Jesus in His life said, you will not come to me that you would be saved. He'll receive, but we will come. So the law required a Jewish boy to be circumcised on the eighth day, and that's what Joseph and Mary do. And an angel told both Mary and Joseph on separate occasions to name this boy Jesus, and that's what Joseph and Mary do. Onward to the next, to the final verses, actually verses 22 through 24.

That makes it sound like we're near the end of the sermon, nothing could be further from the truth. Follow along as I reread verses 22 through 24. Luke 2, 22 through 24. 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.

As it is written in the law of the Lord, every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord, and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. Here in these three verses we have Mary's purification and the presentation of the firstborns. If you're taking notes on the handout, filling in blanks, firstborn fills in the blank. Marys purification and the presentation of the firstborn. We find the requirements being fulfilled in these verses in Leviticus 12.

So you're welcome to turn there. I'm going to read the whole chapter. It's a short chapter. It's only eight verses. Have no fear.

What Leviticus 12 verses 1 through 8 requires in the law, those things are being fulfilled in our text in Luke chapter 2. Leviticus chapter 12 verses 1 through 8. Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, Speak to the children of Israel saying, If a woman has conceived and born a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days, as in the days of her customary impurity, she shall be unclean. And on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised." So this is tracking right with our text. Sun-born, eighth day circumcised, verse four.

She shall then continue in the blood of her purification 33 days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled. But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks as in her customary impurity, and she shall continue in the blood of her purification sixty-six days." Verse 6. When the days of her purification are fulfilled, right with the language of our text, when the days of her purification are fulfilled, right with the language of our text, when the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a turtle dove as a sin offering to the door of the tabernacle of meeting then he shall offer it before the Lord and make atonement for her and she shall be cleaned from the flow of her blood This is the law for her who has born a male or a female, and if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons.

One is a burnt offering and the other is a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for her and she will be clean." Let me give you four things. The math, the physiology, the meaning, and the offering. One, the math. A son is born.

Day eight is circumcision. Then 33 days later, on day 40, you say no no no, eight plus 33 is 41. Aha! But day 8 is day 1 of the purification, so it counts in both time periods, so it's actually just 40 days. 33 days after the circumcision, starting from the day of circumcision on day 40, the mother is required to bring to the priest this offering for purification.

As we continue to work through Luke chapter 2 and encounter Simeon and then Anna. That's our next couple of weeks. It is crystal clear that this is happening in Jerusalem, in the temple. This is just what is represented here in Leviticus chapter 12. So that's the math.

Day 8, from birth, circumcision of the son. Day 40, purification of the mother. Two, the physiology. During pregnancy, a mother's body builds up a significant amount of blood around the developing baby for the protection and nourishment of that baby. So I'm certainly not telling mothers what they don't know.

But I am telling children what they might not know. This is part of every pregnancy. The mother's body building up a significant amount of blood around the developing baby for the protection and nourishment of that baby. So when you see a woman who's pregnant and she as she progresses through a pregnancy, she's becoming larger. At the end you're seeing more than just the growth of the baby.

You're also seeing this protective layer for lack of a better term of blood that the body has built up for protection and the nourishment of the baby. Babies don't develop without that. Then after the baby is born, that buildup of blood is passed from the mother little by little over the course of a few weeks. This is called the flow of her blood in verse 7. That's exactly physiologically what is being described.

The passing of that layer for protection and nourishment of the child, now the child's been born, that's not needed, and a mother's body returns to more of what has been normal for her. That's the physiology. Three, the meaning. This passing of blood makes the mother what is known in the Old Testament as ceremonially unclean. It means she can't go in the temple.

It says she can't touch hallowed things. She can't go to the temple for worship because she is ceremonially unclean. It isn't an actual moral failure. It's not morally unclean having committed a sin. Passing the blood after having a baby obviously isn't doing something that's wrong.

It is symbolic. A symbol that we think, say, do many things that are morally wrong, which need to be made right. In Psalm 51 verse 5, David says this, David is the psalmist who writes Psalm 51. He says this in Psalm 51 verse 5, Behold I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me. So He's not saying there that the act of her conception was a sinful act.

He's saying that his mother was a sinner when he was conceived. He's born and He's already a sinner as he's been born. In the state of corrupt human nature, and then we prove it by actually saying, thinking, doing things that are sinful. We are sinners and we prove it by what we say, think, do. A mother gives birth and that's her condition.

And So this is a symbolic, this ceremonial uncleanness is symbolic that things aren't right between us and God and they need to be made right. By the way, there are all sorts of things in the Old Testament law that can make both men and women ceremonially unclean. This isn't just a thing about women in the Old Testament law. There are all sorts of things and almost none of them have to do with gender at all. Things like eating certain kinds of foods can make you ceremonially unclean.

Touching a dead body can make you ceremonially unclean so that You can't go into the temple and worship, and you can't touch hallowed things, or things that have been consecrated to God. Having certain kinds of skin diseases, the most severe example is leprosy. That brings you into this state of ceremonially unclean. It would be unthinkable that a leper would come into the temple. Why?

Because their leprosy represents a specific moral failing? No, because this is symbolic of the uncleanness that actually all of humanity has, our problem with this God. The purpose of these things is to teach us and remind us over and over and over again that we are so far from clean. The best of my works pierced his hands and our feet. God has given us this whole class of things, ceremonial uncleanness, to teach us and remind us again and again and again that we are so far from unclean we Desperately need to be clean because God is perfectly good He's this God who's never become comfortable with sin And that God is willing to accept a substitute for our cleansing, for our purification, to put it in the words of the text.

If you can find a lamb without blemish, he'll take it in place of you. You can come out of this state of uncleanness and have a new state where you're clean before this perfectly good God. That this substitute can take upon itself all the things that are wrong about us and make them right. So that's what all of this is about, this purification right is about. That's the meaning.

Four, the offering. The requirement of the law is two animals. One animal as a burnt offering, killed and completely consumed in the flames as a burnt offering, and the other as a sin offering, killed to atone for sin. If it wouldn't be a financial hardship, you brought a lamb of the first year as the burnt offering and a young pigeon or turtle dove as the sin offering. But if that would be a financial hardship, you could bring two turtle doves or young pigeons.

A lamb, because really you're talking about the value of the wool and the meat, is a lot more valuable as an animal than a pigeon or a turtle dove is. So it's much greater financial hardship to bring the lamb and a turtle dove or a pigeon than it is to bring two turtle doves or pigeons. J.C. Ryle says this Lightfoot, he's quoting another commentator, Lightfoot says that this was called in the Hebrew language the offering of the poor. So if you brought instead of a lamb and a turtledove, you brought two turtledoves, it was called in Hebrew the offering of the poor, which if a rich man offered, he did not do his duty.

If it was no financial hardship to you, but you brought two turtledoves, it didn't count. Because you could afford it, but you wouldn't bring it. So it was considered by the Jews you haven't done your duty. This is very instructive about our text. In our text, Luke gives it to us without comment.

He never comments on it in verse 24. But they offer a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons. They offer the offering of the poor. The implication being that it would have been a financial hardship for Joseph and Mary to make the more costly offering of a laminate of. Would have been a financial hardship to them.

The parents that God raised up for the care of his son were godly, but they were far from wealthy. Godly, not wealthy. Who did God raise up for the care of his son? To be the home for his son. Godly, not wealthy.

Again, J.C. Ryle. We need not doubt that Jesus ate a poor man's food and wore a poor man's apparel and worked a poor man's work and shared in all a poor man's troubles. Such condescension is truly marvelous. Such an example of humility passes man's understanding.

Jesus didn't come to be served. He came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. He didn't come to live a rich man's life. He actually came to live a poor man's life. That's what we're going to see all through Luke.

Jesus living a poor man's life. Can you believe Jesus left heaven to do that for you? Can you believe it? If the Bible didn't say it, if we didn't affirm that the Bible was the revelation of truth from God to man, we would have to say, that's too good to be true. That can't be true.

But it must be true, because the Bible says it. The Bible is the revelation of truth from God to man. It's not too good to be true that Jesus, God, left heaven to live a poor man's life and to die a scandalous death as a criminal for you. We're just getting the first taste of this in the Gospel. So that is Mary's purification.

Now for the presentation of Jesus as the firstborn, verse 22 says, they brought Jesus to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. You don't think about it much, you miss the irony. To present Jesus to the Lord. To present the eternal son to the Lord. Here's a new baby, Lord.

Yeah, I recognize him as my eternal son. Since the time when God had liberated the people from their bondage to Egypt and killed all the firstborn of the Egyptians. So this is the slaves, the Jews in slavery in Egypt, all the firstborn being killed in order to liberate them. Since that time, God had claimed all the firstborn of Israel for himself in a special way. He said, this is a special people, but among these families the firstborn is mine in an even more special way.

Listen to Exodus 13 verse 2. Exodus 13 verse 2. God says, Consecrate to me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast. It is mine. That's what consecrate means.

Like, I'm claiming that for myself. Set apart that to myself. Consecrate to me all the firstborn. The people? Yes.

The animals? Yes. God says they're mine. Listen to Numbers 3 verse 13. Numbers 3 verse 13.

Because all the firstborn are mine, says God. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be mine, says the Lord." Matthew Henry says this, Christ was the firstborn among many brethren and was called holy to the Lord so as never any other was. How many firstborn through this 2, 000 years since Abraham, how many firstborn have been consecrated? I guess the consecration of the firstborn wouldn't have gone back to Abraham.

How many since Moses and the Exodus have been consecrated? Countless! How many like Jesus? None. He's the firstborn among many brethren like no firstborn has ever been.

He is holy to the Lord unlike anyone has ever been. So a couple of comments. One, Because this was a miraculous virgin birth in fulfillment of prophecy, Jesus had to be the firstborn. It's the only way you could fulfill the prophecy that He would be born of a virgin. He has to be the firstborn.

Two, if you or I went to do this, we would be presenting a firstborn. Here in our text, Joseph and Mary are presenting the firstborn. Jesus is the only begotten beloved son of His Father. No one ever could present a firstborn like Jesus. He's the firstborn among many brethren, spiritual brethren, that he saves by his life and death.

Wow, what a firstborn. So that is Mary's purification and the presentation of Jesus as the firstborn. Applications, I'll give you two. Application number one, it's just asking and answering some questions. Question.

Did Jesus need to be circumcised? Circumcision brings you into covenant with God. He's born to Jewish parents. This is the fulfilling of the law. I get that.

But did Jesus need to be brought into covenant with God? Of course not. Question. Did Jesus need to be presented as the firstborn as if he needed to be set apart to God? God, we introduce you to this new member of the family.

No, of course not. Then why in our text is Jesus circumcised and presented to God? This is the beginning of Jesus fulfilling the law as a substitute. He needed to be circumcised because we need to be circumcised in heart. He needed to be presented as a firstborn because we need to be consecrated to God.

This is the beginning of Jesus fulfilling the law, not because he needs to fulfill ceremonial law, but because he's the fulfillment of the ceremonial law that points forward to and teaches about Himself. Jesus is actually the Lamb for purification. I didn't even mention that in Leviticus 12. But He is the Lamb of purification that you give as the offering to atone, to make things right between you and this perfectly good God who's never been comfortable with sin in the ways that we are. Jesus is the reality that all of these Old Testament shadows pointed to.

Why don't we do any of these things anymore? Because the type disappears when the reality has come. There's no point to these things that foreshadow when the realities come and you got to see it in your fullness. It would be foolish to go back to the things that just pointed in a vague way forward to the things that you've seen in the greatest specificity. They lose their value.

That's why we're not doing these things anymore. Jesus came and He fulfilled them. They were only pictures that pointed forward to and taught about the greater reality. He's the greater reality. Why would we do those things now?

We have the Gospels that show us so much more clarity, the things that these things were only types and pictures of. Listen to Galatians 4 and 5. Paul writes this in Galatians chapter 4 verses 4 and 5. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Paul's nailing why this text, why it's necessary that we watch Joseph and Mary fulfilling the law because Jesus came and was born of a woman and was born under the law and we're going to see a perfect keeping of the law.

And he did this so he could redeem those who were under the law, so that he could stand as a substitute for those who were under the law and failed. But he's not failing. He's keeping. He's fulfilling. And that makes God able to adopt you.

Just listen to verse 5 again. Born under the law, to redeem those who are under the law that we might receive the adoption as sons that's what this text is about the importance of it listen to Hebrews 2 verses 17 and 18 Hebrews 2 verses 17 and 18. Hebrews 2 verses 17 and 18. Therefore, in all things he had to be made like his brethren. And He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

For in that He Himself has suffered being tempted, he is able to aid those who are tempted. He had to be made in all things like his brethren, so that he could be a merciful high priest to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Propitiation just means that God's anger towards our sins has been satisfied. He doesn't have to be angry anymore, because He poured it all out on His Son. This is why Jesus is being made like His brethren.

Number two. Finally. Jesus is named Jesus because He came to save His people from their sins. I just ask you, who's turning away a savior like that? It's so true, he's more willing to save you than you are to be saved.

What kind of madness is this that we're born with? That he's more willing to save than we are to be saved. What will the condemnation be like when it's true that he's such a willing Savior but so many will stand before him and they were not willing to come to him to be saved? If you haven't embraced Jesus, what would keep you from embracing Jesus? Such a willing Savior.

Do you not see how desperate your condition is? Can you not see how God must be angry with your sins? You've become so comfortable with them that you think it's hardly anything, but He's perfectly good and even your best things are like filthy rags to him. If you saw your condition and you knew what a willing Savior He was, that He wants to save, that He came to save, that His Father anointed him and set him apart for the saving work, you would run to him if you could see those things. I pray that God would give people eyes to see things they've never been able to see before and give people ears to hear things.

You might have heard the gospel a hundred times and it never actually hit you because you're dead in sins. Well guess what? God raises the dead. Go on, put somebody down into the waters of baptism today and it's just a symbolic thing to say God raises the dead and gives them life. I'll close with this verse.

Second Corinthians 8 verse 9. This is so precious. 2 Corinthians 8 verse 9. Think about the poor man's offering. The two turtledoves.

A lamb would have been a financial hardship to this couple. 2 Corinthians 8 verse 9, For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, Yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich." What a precious thing to sit spiritually rich and financially rich against the backdrop of world history. Meaning the rich, the fabulously rich from a hundred years ago, know nothing of the standard of living we enjoy. Just go back a hundred years, the wealthiest people would marvel at how we live and we don't think of ourselves as rich. And yet, Jesus has lavished spiritual riches beyond that on us.

He made Himself poor. You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, Yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich." God, we marvel at such a privilege to take the Good News up on our lips. Thank you for the birth of this Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, His life, His death, His resurrection and power. What that means for sinners who are willing to come to Him. Thank you for sending good news into the world.

I pray in Jesus' name, amen.