Author: THERESA JACOBSON

Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas Day)	December 25, 2024
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, grant that the new birth of your only-begotten Son in the flesh may set free all who are held in servitude under the yoke of sin; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
First Reading: Isaiah 52:7-10
^7How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” ^8The voice of your watchmen — they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion. ^9Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. ^10The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
Psalm 2 (LBW)
^1Why are the nations | in an uproar?*
	Why do the peoples mutter | empty threats?
^2Why do the kings of the earth rise up in revolt, and the princes | plot together,*
	against the Lord and against | his Anointed?
^3“Let us break their | yoke,” they say;*
	“let us cast off their | bonds from us.”
^4He whose throne is in heav- | en is laughing;*
	the Lord has them | in derision.
^5Then he speaks to them | in his wrath,*
	and his rage fills | them with terror.
^6“I myself have | set my king*
	upon my holy | hill of Zion.”
^7Let me announce the decree | of the Lord:*
	He said to me, “You are my Son; this day have I be- | gotten you.
^8Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for | your inheritance* 
	and the ends of the earth for | your possession.
^9You shall crush them with an | iron rod*
	and shatter them like a | piece of pottery.”
^10And now, you | kings, be wise;*
	be warned, you rulers | of the earth.
^11Submit to the | Lord with fear,*
	and with trembling | bow before him;
^12Lest he be angry | and you perish;*
	for his wrath is | quickly kindled.
^13Happy | are they all*
	who take ref- | uge in him!

Psalm 2 (ESV)
^1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
^2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
^3 “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”
^4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.
^5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,
^6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”
^7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.
^8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.
^9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”
^10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.
^11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
^12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Second Reading: Hebrews 1:1-6 [7-12]
^1Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ^2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. ^3He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ^4having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. ^5For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? ^6And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” [^7Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” ^8But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. ^9You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” ^10And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; ^11they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, ^12like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”]
Gospel: John 1:1-14 [15-18]
^1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ^2He was in the beginning with God. ^3All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ^4In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ^5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ^6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ^7He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. ^8He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. ^9The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ^10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ^11He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ^12But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ^13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. ^14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. [^15(John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) ^16For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ^17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ^18No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.]