28 December 2025
10:30 | 
Posted by
Dr Platts |
Isaiah 63:7-9
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord,
the praiseworthy acts of the Lord,
because of all that the Lord has done for us
and the great favor to the house of Israel
that he has shown them according to his mercy,
according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
For he said, “Surely they are my people,
children who will not deal falsely,”
and he became their saviour in all their distress.
It was no messenger or angel
but his presence that saved them;
in his love and pity it was he who redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.
Hebrews 2:10-18
A reading from the letter to the Hebrews.
It was fitting that God,
for whom and through whom all things exist,
in bringing many children to glory,
should make the pioneer of their salvation
perfect through sufferings.
For the one who sanctifies
and those who are sanctified all have one Father.
For this reason
Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying,
“I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters;
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.”
And again,
“I will put my trust in him.”
And again,“Here am I
and the children whom God has given me.”
Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood,
he himself likewise shared the same things,
so that through death
he might destroy the one who has the power of death,
that is, the devil,
and free those who all their lives were held in slavery
by the fear of death.
For it is clear that he did not come to help angels
but the descendants of Abraham.
Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters
in every respect,
so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest
in the service of God,
to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people.
Because he himself was tested by what he suffered,
he is able to help those who are being tested.
Matthew 2:13-23
Hear the gosel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
After the wise men had left,
an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said,
“Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt,
and remain there until I tell you,
for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”
Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night,
and went to Egypt
and remained there until the death of Herod.
This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet,
“Out of Egypt I have called my son.”
When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men,
he was infuriated,
and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem
who were two years old or under,
according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.
Then what had been spoken
through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
“A voice was heard in Ramah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”
When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared
in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said,
“Get up, take the child and his mother,
and go to the land of Israel,
for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.”
Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother,
and went to the land of Israel.
But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling Judea
in place of his father Herod,
he was afraid to go there.
And after being warned in a dream,
he went away to the district of Galilee.
There he made his home in a town called Nazareth,
so that what had been spoken through the prophets
might be fulfilled,
“He will be called a Nazarene.”
