Talks

Isaiah 9:2–7 (Listen)

2   ¹ The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
  those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
    on them has light shone.
3   You have multiplied the nation;
    you have increased its joy;
  they rejoice before you
    as with joy at the harvest,
    as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4   For the yoke of his burden,
    and the staff for his shoulder,
    the rod of his oppressor,
    you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5   For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
    and every garment rolled in blood
    will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6   For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
  and the government shall be upon² his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called³
  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7   Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
  on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
  with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

(ESV)

Isaiah 11:1–9 (Listen)

The Righteous Reign of the Branch

11:1   There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
2   And 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 the fear of the LORD.
3   And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD.
  He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
    or decide disputes by what his ears hear,
4   but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
    and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
  and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
    and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5   Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,
    and faithfulness the belt of his loins.
6   The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
    and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
  and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;
    and a little child shall lead them.
7   The cow and the bear shall graze;
    their young shall lie down together;
    and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8   The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
    and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
9   They shall not hurt or destroy
    in all my holy mountain;
  for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD
    as the waters cover the sea.

(ESV)

Matthew 1:18–23 (Listen)

The Birth of Jesus Christ

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ¹ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed² to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23   “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us).

(ESV)

John 1:14 (Listen)

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son¹ from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(ESV)