102 verses about christmas

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who lived in the land of the shadow of death, on them the light has shined.

For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David’s throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.

A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit.

A multitude of camels will cover you, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah. All from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and frankincense, and will proclaim the praises of Yahweh.

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.

Therefore he will abandon them until the time that she who is in labor gives birth. Then the rest of his brothers will return to the children of Israel.

Jacob became the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was like this: After his mother, Mary, was engaged to Joseph, before they came together, she was found pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take to yourself Mary, your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

She shall give birth to a son. You shall call his name Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins.”

Now all this has happened, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall give birth to a son. They shall call his name Immanuel”; which is, being interpreted, “God with us.” Isaiah 7:14

Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took his wife to himself;

and didn’t know her sexually until she had given birth to her firstborn son. He named him Jesus.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,

“Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east, and have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he asked them where the Christ would be born.

They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is written through the prophet,

‘You Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no way least among the princes of Judah: for out of you shall come a governor, who shall shepherd my people, Israel.’” Micah 5:2

Then Herod secretly called the wise men, and learned from them exactly what time the star appeared.

He sent them to Bethlehem, and said, “Go and search diligently for the young child. When you have found him, bring me word, so that I also may come and worship him.”

They, having heard the king, went their way; and behold, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the young child was.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Being warned in a dream that they shouldn’t return to Herod, they went back to their own country another way.

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.”

He arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt,

and was there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Hosea 11:1

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent out, and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under, according to the exact time which he had learned from the wise men.

Then that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled, saying,

“Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel, for those who sought the young child’s life are dead.”

But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in the place of his father, Herod, he was afraid to go there. Being warned in a dream, he withdrew into the region of Galilee,

and came and lived in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

“Tell the daughter of Zion, behold, your King comes to you, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Zechariah 9:9

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zacharias, because your request has been heard, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

You will have joy and gladness; and many will rejoice at his birth.

Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary.

Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!”

Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and give birth to a son, and will call his name ‘Jesus.’

Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?”

The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God.

Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah,

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!

because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dawn from on high will visit us,

Now in those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.

This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

All went to enroll themselves, everyone to his own city.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David;

to enroll himself with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him as wife, being pregnant.

While they were there, the day had come for her to give birth.

She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn.

There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock.

Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people.

For there is born to you today, in David’s city, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a feeding trough.”

Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.”

When the angels went away from them into the sky, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in the feeding trough.

When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child.

All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them.

When eight days were fulfilled for the circumcision of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

When the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord

(as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), Exodus 13:2,12

and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Leviticus 12:8

Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

He came in the Spirit into the temple. When the parents brought in the child, Jesus, that they might do concerning him according to the custom of the law,

then he received him into his arms, and blessed God, and said,

“Now you are releasing your servant, Master, according to your word, in peace;

for my eyes have seen your salvation,

a light for revelation to the nations, and the glory of your people Israel.”

Joseph and his mother were marveling at the things which were spoken concerning him,

and Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother, “Behold, this child is set for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which is spoken against.

Yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

There was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher (she was of a great age, having lived with a husband seven years from her virginity,

Coming up at that very hour, she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of him to all those who were looking for redemption in Jerusalem.

When they had accomplished all things that were according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth.

The child was growing, and was becoming strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

His parents went every year to Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover.

and when they had fulfilled the days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. Joseph and his mother didn’t know it,

He said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth. He was subject to them, and his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Hasn’t the Scripture said that the Christ comes of the offspring of David, 2 Samuel 7:12 and from Bethlehem, Micah 5:2 the village where David was?”

of whom are the fathers, and from whom is Christ as concerning the flesh, who is over all, God, blessed forever. Amen.

Now thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift!

But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law,

Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.