Shipley Church Self-Service
Sunday 13<sup>th</sup> December 2020
Thought for the Week – Bible prophecies are fulfilled by the birth of Jesus Christ
The Old Testament prophets laid the foundation for the arrival of a deliverer who would save mankind from the treachery of evil. Isaiah’s specific prophecy of the birth of Jesus was made more than 700 years earlier, and even predicted in detail the manner of his coming: the Messiah would be of Jewish descent from the tribe of Judah and the house of King David; he would be born of a virgin in Bethlehem, a descendant of Abraham and Isaac; and he would be called God even though he would also be human. Someone once said that Jesus began the most revolutionary movement in human history: a movement grounded in the unconditional love of God for the world, that sprung from the teachings of Moses. (John 1: 6-8)
How extraordinary is all of that? Our modern minds might ask whether the arrival of the Messiah on planet Earth was an after-thought or a sudden decision from God? Obviously not, for long before him, it was proclaimed that the world needed a Saviour. The “Word” of God was finally made flesh and came among us. “Let us go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass!”
Hymn for Today
Long ago, prophets knew
Christ would come, born a Jew,
Come to make all things new;
Bear his people’s burden,
Freely love and pardon.
Prayer for Today
Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy, sustain and support the anxious, be with those who care for the sick, and lift up all who are brought low, that we all may enjoy that special sense of the Christmas message of hope and joy.
Note: The Gospel and Readings set for today can be downloaded from the top right hand corner of this page.