One Blessing After Another

"When they cry out to the Lord because of their oppressors, He will send them a Savior and Defender, and He will rescue them. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned. For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given. He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. But you, Bethlehem . . . out of you will come one who will be ruler over Israel . . . and He will be their peace.

You are to give Him the name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us . . . for from his fullness we have all received one blessing after another. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was very rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. For nothing is impossible with God.

He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end. For the Mighty One has done great things for me . . . His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation. He has remembered to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as He said to our fathers. He will give His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace. On earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.

Now Jesus was the son of Joseph . . . the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham . . . the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God."

(passages selected from Isaiah, Micah, Matthew, Luke, and John)