Matthew 1:21

She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

From Background Notes [BN] for December 14^th & 15^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Joseph is not left wondering about the name, but hears its meaning: “For he will save his people from their sins.” The name Jesus is the Greek transliteration (“letter-for letter”) of the Hebrew word Yēšûa‘ or Yēšû‘.

Matthew 1:20

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

From Background Notes [BN] for December 14^th & 15^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

In the opening chapters of Matthew is risky territory that catches one man off guard. He stumbles into the chaos of a messy life, and then meets a messenger with Good News of a Savior about to be born and placed into his care.

Matthew 1:18

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.

From Background Notes [BN] for December 14^th & 15^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

This week’s reading from Matthew 1 presents the astonishing idea that flawed human beings can actually contribute to the plan of salvation, and that fearful human beings can actually yield themselves to that plan when everything around them suggests otherwise.

Luke 1:42

In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!

From Background Notes [BN] for December 7^th & 8^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Each line that begins with “blessed” focuses on a different person: In the first, Mary is blessed; in the second Jesus is blessed;

Luke 1:19-20

The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

From Background Notes [BN] for December 7^th & 8^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

“Be still and know that I am God,” wrote the psalmist (Psalm 46:10). God is saying to this man, “Give your fears a rest. Take Sabbath and reflect on the wondrous thing I am doing for you. Take time to be holy, Zechariah.

Luke 1:16-17

He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

From Background Notes [BN] for December 7^th& 8^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

If these hopeful evidences for John’s future weren’t enough, the angel reached into the closing verses of the prophetic canon to quote Malachi 4:5-6 in Luke 1:16-17. From there he finds a direct connection between Elijah and John such that John fulfills the role predicted for Elijah in the last days.

Luke 1:5

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron.

From Background Notes [BN] for December 7^th & 8^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

Then Luke shows his literary skill by contrasting Herod the Great with Zechariah the Very Small. He was a mere priest, one among many assigned to perform ordinary Temple service. Herod the Great built the Temple; Zechariah the small served in the Temple.