O holy night!

The stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appear’d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
29 November
“Long lay the world” Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
Romans 1:18-25 O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.
6 December
“Fall on your knees!” Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,
Luke 2:8-20 With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
13 December Here come the wise men from the Orient land.
“Truly he taught us” The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;
1 John 4:7-21 In all our trials born to be our friend.

20 December He knows our need, to our weaknesses no stranger,

“Chains shall he break” Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Philemon 8-22 Behold your King, Before Him lowly bend!

24 December CHRISTMAS EVE Truly He taught us to love one another;

“He knows our need” His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Philippians 2:5-11 Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
27 December Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
“Christ is the Lord” Let all within us praise His holy name.
Colossians 1:15-20
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
3 January His power and glory evermore proclaim.
“Led by the light” His power and glory evermore proclaim.
Matthew 2:1-12
29 NOVEMBER

LONG LAY THE WORLD

ROMANS 1:18-25 O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,

ROM 1:18-25
For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against
all godlessness and unrighteousness of people
who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,
since what can be known about God is evident
among them, because God has shown it to them.
For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal
power and divine nature, have been clearly seen
since the creation of the world, being understood
through what he has made. As a result, people
are without excuse. For though they knew God,
they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude.
Instead, their thinking became worthless, and
their senseless hearts were darkened. Claiming
to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the
VERSE 1
It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appear’d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.
glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal
man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. Therefore
God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to
sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among
themselves. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and
worshiped and served what has been created instead of the
Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.

What is wrath? How do you feel when you read about God’s wrath?

When you look at nature, what can you see about God’s “eternal power and divine nature”?

According to this passage, how did humans become “fools”?

We read above that “God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts.” This implies that sin is it’s own
punishment. Think about your own life decisions. How have you had to endure the consequences of your sin?
How is life different when you’re actively following Jesus versus when you live according to your natural desires?
6 DECEMBER

FALL ON YOUR KNEES

LUKE 2:8-20 O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,

LUKE 2:8-20
In the same region, shepherds were staying out
in the fields and keeping watch at night over their
flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before
them, and the glory of the Lord shone around
them, and they were terrified. But the angel said
to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to
you good news of great joy that will be for all the
people: Today in the city of David a Savior was born
for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will
be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped
tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.” Suddenly
there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the
angel, praising God and saying: Glory to God in
the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people
he favors! When the angels had left them and
returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one
another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see
VERSE 1
It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appear’d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.
what has happened, which the Lord has made known to
us.” They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and
the baby who was lying in the manger. After seeing them,
they reported the message they were told about this child,
and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said
to them. But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her
heart and meditating on them. The shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen
and heard, which were just as they had been told.

Why do you think the shepherds were “terrified” when the angel appeared?

The “good news” the angel announced is that Messiah is born in the city of David. Why is this news good?

These shepherds were the first human evangelists of the New Testament. Why do you think they were so excited
to tell people this news? When is a time in your life that you felt this kind of excitement for telling people about
Jesus?

What are some ways that you could build your own enthusiasm for telling people about Jesus?
13 DECEMBER

TRULY HE TAUGHT US
1 JOHN 4:7-21 Truly He taught us to love one another;

1 JOHN 4:7-21
Dear friends, let us love one another, because
love is from God, and everyone who loves has
been born of God and knows God. The one who
does not love does not know God, because God
is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this
way: God sent his one and only Son into the world
so that we might live through him. Love consists
in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved
us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for
our sins. Dear friends, if God loved us in this way,
we also must love one another. No one has ever
seen God. If we love one another, God remains
in us and his love is made complete in us. This is
how we know that we remain in him and he in us:
He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen
and we testify that the Father has sent his Son as
the world’s Savior. Whoever confesses that Jesus
is the Son of God—God remains in him and he in
God. And we have come to know and to believe
the love that God has for us. God is love, and the
VERSE 3
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains
in him. In this, love is made complete with us so that we
may have confidence in the day of judgment, because as
he is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love;
instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves
punishment. So the one who fears is not complete in love.
We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love
God,” and yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar. For
the person who does not love his brother or sister whom
he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And
we have this command from him: The one who loves God
must also love his brother and sister.

Think about the people you struggle to love. As you think about them, how do the first two lines of this passage
strike you?

According to this passage, what does true love look like?

What is the connection between being a person of love and believing in Jesus?

Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to love God with everything we are and to love our neighbors as
ourselves. How does this passage bring those two commands together?
20 DECEMBER

CHAINS SHALL HE BREAK

PHILEMON 8-22 Truly He taught us to love one another;

PHILEMON 8-22
For this reason, although I have great boldness
in Christ to command you to do what is right, I
appeal to you, instead, on the basis of love. I, Paul,
as an elderly man and now also as a prisoner of
Christ Jesus, appeal to you for my son, Onesimus.
I became his father while I was in chains. Once he
was useless to you, but now he is useful both to
you and to me. I am sending him back to you—I am
sending my very own heart. I wanted to keep him
with me, so that in my imprisonment for the gospel
he might serve me in your place. But I didn’t want
to do anything without your consent, so that your
good deed might not be out of obligation, but of
your own free will. For perhaps this is why he
was separated from you for a brief time, so that
you might get him back permanently, no longer
as a slave, but more than a slave—as a dearly loved
brother. He is especially so to me, but how much
VERSE 3
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So if you
consider me a partner, welcome him as you would me. And
if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything,
charge that to my account. I, Paul, write this with my own
hand: I will repay it—not to mention to you that you owe me
even your very self. Yes, brother, may I benefit from you in
the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. Since I am confident
of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you
will do even more than I say. Meanwhile, also prepare a
guest room for me, since I hope that through your prayers
I will be restored to you.

The “you” in this passage is Philemon, master of the slave Onesimus. Paul led Onesimus to Christ while in prison.
Why would becoming a follower of Jesus make Onesimus useful to both Paul and Philemon?

Paul says he could command Philemon to do the right thing, but appeals instead to love. What is the right thing
Paul wants Philemon to do and why is love a better motivator than command?

The New Testament never condemns slavery outright. But passages like these point to an attitude toward slavery
for the Church. Based on Paul’s tone in this letter, what should the Church’s attitude toward slavery be?
24 DECEMBER CHRISTMAS EVE
HE KNOWS OUR NEED
PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11 Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,

PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11
Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,
who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God
as something to be exploited.
Instead he emptied himself
by assuming the form of a servant,
taking on the likeness of humanity.
And when he had come as a man,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross.
For this reason God highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
VERSE 2
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here come the wise men from the Orient land.
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friend.
He knows our need, to our weaknesses no
stranger,
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, Before Him lowly bend!
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow—
in heaven and on earth
and under the earth—
and every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

What, to you, is humility? What do you think it means that Jesus was humble?

Who gets glorified because of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection? What choices can you make daily so that God
gets the glory for your life?

Many scholars think that this passage is a hymn that was sung in the early church that Paul is quoting. Meditate on
the highs and lows of this hymn, on Jesus enthroned in heaven where he was worshipped by angels and glorified
as God. Meditate on Jesus choosing to leave that throne to become a Galilean peasant and ultimately to face the
most shameful of deaths. Pray for a deep appreciation of the sacrifice Jesus made for you, not only in his death,
but in becoming a man in the first place. How does the example of Jesus motivate you to live humbly and love your
neighbor?
27 DECEMBER

CHRIST IS THE LORD

COLOSSIANS 1:15-20 Truly He taught us to love one another;

COLOSSIANS 1:15-20
He is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn over all creation.
For everything was created by him,
in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions
or rulers or authorities—
all things have been created through him
and for him.
He is before all things,
and by him all things hold together.
He is also the head of the body, the church;
he is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
so that he might come to have
VERSE 3
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
first place in everything.
For God was pleased to have
all his fullness dwell in him,
and through him to reconcile
everything to himself,
whether things on earth or things in heaven,
by making peace
through his blood, shed on the cross.

The great Reformer Martin Luther said, “Anything that one imagines of God apart from Christ is only useless
thinking and vain idolatry.” How does imagining God as Jesus alter your view of God?

This passage tells us that even “thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities” were created by Jesus. What does
this tell you about Jesus’ relationship to earthly governments?

We’re told at the end of this passage that all God has done through Jesus is to “make peace through his blood,
shed on the cross.” We’re accustomed to national leaders who seek their ends through force and violence. What
does this contrast tell you about the kind of Lord Jesus is?

Sometimes we talk about Jesus being a person’s “personal Lord and Savior.” This passage makes clear that Jesus
is both a personal Lord and Lord of heaven and earth. What are some specific ways that submitting to Jesus as
both personal Lord and Lord of all the earth changes the way you live?
3 JANUARY

LED BY THE LIGHT

MATTHEW 2:1-12 Truly He taught us to love one another;

MATTHEW 2:1-12
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in
the days of King Herod, wise men from the east
arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who
has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his
star at its rising and have come to worship him.”
When King Herod heard this, he was deeply
disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. So he
assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the
people and asked them where the Messiah would
be born. “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him,
“because this is what was written by the prophet:
And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by
no means least among the rulers of Judah:
Because out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.”
Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and
asked them the exact time the star appeared. He
sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search
carefully for the child. When you find him, report
VERSE 3
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
back to me so that I too can go and worship him.” After
hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it
was—the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until
it came and stopped above the place where the child was.
When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with
joy. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his
mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him.
Then they opened their treasures and presented him with
gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned
in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their
own country by another route.

These “wise men from the east” were pagan astrologers-the “wrong” people-who watched the stars for signs of
great events. God used a star to draw them to his Son, Jesus. Has God ever used something odd in your life to
point you to himself? What does this say about God’s care for Gentiles and non-Jewish people? What does it say
about how God approaches the “wrong” sorts of people?

Herod-the Jewish king-claims that he wants to go “worship” the child. What were Herod’s real intentions? Why
was Herod so threatened by the child Jesus?

In this story, we see the “right” person seeking to harm Jesus while the “wrong” people are drawn to truly worship
him. From the very beginning we see Jesus coming for the “wrong” sorts of people, including you and me. This
story illustrates the only two possible responses to Jesus in the end: rejection or worship. The question is, how
will you respond to Jesus? Will you reject him, or will you dedicate your life to worshipping him?