Advent
A unit on the early life of Jesus.
Bible Passage: Luke and John.
Luke 5:1-11 - One day Jesus was standing by the lake and the crowds gathered around to listen to the word of God. When he saw two boats left by the water, he got into one of them, put it out a little from the shore, and then began teaching from the boat. When he had finished, he told Simon Peter, who owned the boat, to go out into deep water and let the nets down. Peter replied that they hadn’t caught anything all night, but that if Jesus says so, he would put down the nets. When he did this, he caught so many fish that the nets began to break and the boats started to sink. Peter fell to his knees and pleaded with Jesus to go away from him because he was ashamed of his own sinfulness. Jesus told him not to be afraid because from now on he would fish for people. He and his companions left everything and followed Jesus.
Luke 3:1-15 - John the Baptist went into the wilderness to preach about repentance and the forgiveness of sins. He was the one written about by the Prophet Isaiah who wrote, “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.‘“ So John preached to the crowds and many came to him to be baptized. He taught them the importance of changing their ways. Many wondered if John might be the Messiah.
Luke 2:8-20 - The angel of the Lord appeared to a group of shepherds who were living in the fields watching over their flocks at night. The shepherds were terrified, but the angel told them not to be afraid because he brings them good news: a Savior has been born and they will find him as a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Then, a great company of angels appeared praising God and declaring peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests. When the angels leave, the shepherds travel to Bethlehem to go to see the baby Jesus and praise God along with all those to whom they also spread the news.
Luke 1:46-55 - After receiving the news from the angel that she would become the mother of the long-awaited Savior, Mary sings a song of praise to God. In it, she glorifies God for the good things God has given her, expresses humility, and extols God for bringing down rulers and lifting up the humble.
John 1:1-11 - John testifies that Jesus is the Word of God, who was with God in the beginning, and who is, in fact, God. Through Jesus, the Word, everything was created. Jesus is also the life and light of humankind.