Sounding Joy, Part 3: Silent Night

Emily Jamieson, Guest Speaker

Matthew 1:18-23 (The Message paraphrase)
The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn’t know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.
      While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God’s angel spoke in the dream: “Joseph, son of David, don’t hesitate to get married. Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—‘God saves’—because he will save his people from their sins.” This would bring the prophet’s embryonic sermon to full term:
      Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son;
      They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for “God is with us”).

Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (God with us).

Isaiah 9:2, 6–7a
² The people walking in darkness
      have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
      a light has dawned.
⁶ For to us a child is born,
      to us a son is given,
      and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
      Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
      Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace
      there will be no end.

John 1:1–5 (New International Version)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:1–5 (The Message paraphrase)
The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word.
The Word was God, in readiness for God from day one.
Everything was created through him; nothing—not one thing—came into being without him.
What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out.

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.