First Sunday after Christmas Day

7Verse 7. I will make known the LORD’s loving devotion and His praiseworthy acts, because of all that the LORD has done for us— the many good things for the house of Israel according to His great compassion and loving devotion. 8Verse 8. For He said, “They are surely My people, sons who will not be disloyal.” So He became their Savior. 9Verse 9. In all their distress, He too was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them. In His love and compassion He redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

10Verse 10. In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting for God, for whom and through whom all things exist, to make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11Verse 11. For both the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. 12Verse 12. He says: “I will proclaim Your name to My brothers; I will sing Your praises in the assembly.” 13Verse 13. And again: “I will put My trust in Him.” And once again: “Here am I, and the children God has given Me.” 14Verse 14. Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, 15Verse 15. and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. 16Verse 16. For surely it is not the angels He helps, but the descendants of Abraham. 17Verse 17. For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, in order to make atonement for the sins of the people. 18Verse 18. Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.

13Verse 13. When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.” 14Verse 14. So he got up, took the Child and His mother by night, and withdrew to Egypt, 15Verse 15. where he stayed until the death of Herod. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.” 16Verse 16. When Herod saw that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was filled with rage. Sending orders, he put to death all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, according to the time he had learned from the Magi. 17Verse 17. Then what was spoken through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18Verse 18. “A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” 19Verse 19. After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20Verse 20. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, for those seeking the Child’s life are now dead.” 21Verse 21. So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22Verse 22. But when he learned that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23Verse 23. and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”