GENESIS 3:8-15 – FIRST LESSON

New King James Version

God talks to Adam and Eve and promises them that their seed will bruise
the serpent

8
And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in
the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the
[b]

presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

9
Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

10
So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I
was naked; and I hid myself.”

11
And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from
the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”

12
Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she
gave me of the tree, and I ate.”

13
And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

14
So the LORD God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this,
You are cursed more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you shall go,
And you shall eat dust
All the days of your life.
15
And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her Seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise His heel.”
GENESIS 22:15-18 – SECOND LESSON
New King James Version
God promises to faithful Abraham that in his seed shall all the nations of the earth be
blessed
Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By

Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld

your son, your only son—blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your

descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your

descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth

shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

ISAIAH 9:2, 6-7 – THIRD LESSON
New King James Version
The coming of Christ to bring light to the world is foretold
The people who walked in darkness

Have seen a great light;

Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,

Upon them a light has shined.

For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name 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,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

LUKE 1:26-38 – FOURTH READING

New King James Version

Christ’s birth foretold Mary

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named
Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.
The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly
favored one, the Lord is with you; [a]blessed are you among women!”

29 But [b]when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of
greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found
favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and
shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and
the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the
house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since Ido not know a man?”

35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the
power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born
will be called the Son of God. 36 Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a
son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For
with God nothing will be impossible.”

38 Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your
word.” And the angel departed from her.

LUKE 2:1-8- FIFTH LESSON

New King James Version

The birth of Christ

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus

that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while

Quirinius was governing Syria. So, all went to be registered, everyone to his own

city.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the

city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and

lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with

child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to

be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in

swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for

them in the inn.

LUKE 2:8-16- SIXTH LESSON

New King James Version

The angel of the Lord announcing the birth of baby Jesus

Glory in the Highest

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over

their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of

the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do

not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For

there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will

be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and

saying:

“Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said

to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which

the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph,

and the Babe lying in a manger.

MATTHEW 2:1-11 – SEVENTH LESSON

New King James Version

Wise Men from the East visit the new born King

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise
men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the
Jews? For we have seen His Star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he
had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them
where the Christ was to be born.

So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;

For out of you shall come a Ruler

Who will shepherd My people Israel.’

Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time
the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the
young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and
worship Him also.”

When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the
East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they
saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the
house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.
And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense,
and myrrh.

ISAIAH 11:1-4 – EIGHTH READING

Christ to reign in the stead of David foretold

There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse,

And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him,

The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

The Spirit of counsel and might,

The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

His delight is in the fear of the Lord,

And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,

Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;

But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,

And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,

And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.

JOHN 1:1-14- NINTH LESSON

John unfolds the great mystery of the incarnation

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was
in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was
made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines
in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to
bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was
sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man
coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know
Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him,
to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became 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.