UBF Daily Bread

A SAVIOR HAS BEEN BORN TO YOU

Passage: Luke 2:1~14

Key verse: 11

The Birth of Jesus

2 In those days Caesar Augustus^(A) issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.^(B) ²(This was the first census that took place while^[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.)^(C) ³And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem^(D) the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him^(E) and was expecting a child. ⁶While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel^(F) of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.^(G) I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior^(H) has been born to you; he is the Messiah,^(I) the Lord.^(J) ¹²This will be a sign^(K) to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace^(L) to those on whom his favor rests.”

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Footnotes

Luke 2:2 Or This census took place before

Outwardly the world appeared to be ruled by Caesar Augustus and Rome. So, when the Roman ruler decided to take a census, everyone had to comply. Even though Mary was full term in her pregnancy, she and Joseph had to travel to Joseph’s hometown of Bethlehem. There were no exceptions. Suddenly the time came for the baby to be born. It might seem like everything was ruled by worldly powers or happenstance, but this was God’s doing, according to his promise. Jesus came to be born in this world and in this way. The world had no room for him. This all happened by God’s sovereign will. He is the ruler of all.

The birth of the baby was announced to hard working shepherds as they tended their flocks. A host of angels appeared to them from heaven. They were terrified, but it was to these shepherds that the Lord made his glory known. The Savior of the world had come as a baby lying in a manger. He is glory to God and peace to men. He comes to lift us out of the rule of a cruel world to have peace and joy. He is the Savior born to us. He is good news from God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for sending Jesus as a baby in a manger. Bless me with his peace and joy today.

One Word: Jesus is good news