CHRISTmas - Dec 1

Christmas is my favorite time of year for so many reasons.
It is my hope to post a Christmas Devotional or Reflection here daily in the month of December.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have been all over in my start of 2008 Christmas Study.
What stands out the most today are:
(1) Jesus fulfilled so very many prophecies in His birth, in His Life, in His Death, in His Resurrection.
(2) God is Perfect and Faithful to fulfill
(3) By studying the scriptures again, Christ will again be revealed.

My Launching Point was Jesus on the Road to Emmaus
explaining the scriptures to the two foolish slow of heart followers of Jesus
(who represent us as Christians)
Luke 24:13-49 (New American Standard Bible)
verses 25-32 below
25 And He said to them, "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that (H)the prophets have spoken!
26 "(I)Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?"
27 Then beginning with (J)Moses and with all the (K)prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
28 And they approached the village where they were going, and (L)He acted as though He were going farther.
29 But they urged Him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over." So He went in to stay with them.
30 When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and (M)blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them.
31 Then their (N)eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.
32 They said to one another, "Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He (O)was explaining the Scriptures to us?"

So after much study, including a fascinating look at every verse in the four gospels with the word fulfill in it over 90% where about Jesus Christ fulfilling words of prophecy. (I am so grateful that I live in an age when so many bible scholars have gone before so that I have many references, concordances, lexicons, dictionaries, etc to study with)
Anyway, after much study, my mind, heart, and spirit are reflecting Luke's sentiments in Luke 1:1-3

Many people have set out to write accounts about the events that have been
fulfilled among us. They used the eyewitness reports circulating among us
from the early disciples. Having carefully investigated everything from the
beginning, I also have decided to write a careful account for you, {Luke 1:1-3a NLT}

I present to you the Christmas Story as told by Sam and her Bible.
I do this every year it seems. It does not get old to me. There is a freshness in it because there is such a depth of truth in it. I will be the first to admit that I too, like the Christ followers of Jesus' time, am "slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken".

I am making you look it up either online or in your own Bible because it would be way too lengthy a post to include it all here. I do have the reading complete (not just the references) in a word document and pdf. If you have not already received a copy from me feel free to ask me. I would be more than happy to email it to you. My current version does not include any of the cross references as footnotes. I am working on that one this year.

I suggest you read it and re-read it, then read it again and all the cross references you can find, and if you do I hope it amazes you. It certainly amazes me! There is an amazing Love in the accounts of Christmas. I am just blown away and lack the ability to expound further with words.

The Christmas Story according to all four gospels
JESUS’ BIRTH FORETOLD
Mark 1:1
Luke 1:26-38
MARY VISITS ELISABETH
Luke 1:39-45
MARY’S SONG
Luke 1:46-56
JOSEPH’S DREAM
Matthew 1:18-25
BORN IN BETHLEHEM
Luke 2:1-7
THE SHEPHERDS AND THE ANGELS
Luke 2: 8-20
JESUS PRESENTED IN THE TEMPLE
Luke 2:21-40
VISIT OF MAGI (WISE MEN)
Matthew 2:1-12
ESCAPE TO EGYPT
Matthew 2:13-18
RETURN TO NAZARETH
Matthew 2:19-23
WORD OF GOD
John 1:1-5,9-14

Thank you Lord, my God, my Savior, my Messiah. For the gift of your Word.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 1:1-5,14 King James Version