# Today’s lecturer is co-pastor Mizuguchi

1. Childhood of Jesus

Today is the first Sunday after Christmas and the Roman Catholic Church celebrate the day as The Feast of the Holy Family in honor of Jesus of Nazareth, his mother Mary, and his foster father Joseph. Today We learn about a happening occurred during Jesus’ childhood. Luke describes a scene of their daily life. However other Gospel writers did not record the similar story. They might consider the episode to be dispensable to spread good news. (³¤­…)

1. Mary Visits Elizabeth

Today we will observe Christmas worship and give thanks to the birth of the Son of God, Jesus Christ by reading Luke 1:39-45. The passage is called “Mary Visits Elizabeth” and to begin with Luke describes the apparition scene of the angel Gabriel who carries God’ message to Zechariah, future father of John the Baptist. Gabriel says that Elizabeth was pregnant. (see Luke 1:5-25) Then, 6 months later, the angel visits also Mary, girl of Galilee, to tell her that she would be mother of the Son of God.(seeLuke 1:26-38) (³¤­…)

1. What John the Baptist taught

During the period of Advent, we are reading a passage about John the Baptist according to the church calendar. The last week reflected on the portion Luke 3:1-6 which describes the scene of John’s baptizing activity in the desert. He compelled there Jewish people to repent to receive good news. Luke situated the event in the frame of the world history. He though that Jesus’ birth was as record-worthy as events concerning Roman Emperors, August the first and Tiberius the second. (³¤­…)

1. John prepare the path

Today is the second Lord’s day of the Advent. During this period, in accordance with the church calendar, we are reading the passage concerning John the Baptist. Thus we commemorate the role of John who opened the path for the ministry of Jesus. In historically terms we know that John began his activity of baptizement on the river side of the Jordan. His slogan was ” Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near ” (Matthew 3:2) and many persons were baptized by him to receive God’s forgiveness. And Jesus was among them. Peter and Andre did likewise as John’s followers but they became Jesus’ disciple afterwards. (³¤­…)

1. The world ends for the Salvation

From today we enter to the period of the Advent. Almost 2000 years ago Jesus Christ was born at Bethlehem in Judea. We will await the commemoration day of the arrival of Jesus, Christmas Day during the Advent. The word “Advent” which became from Latin “adventus - arrival” means also the second coming of Jesus after the Ascension. The New Testament tells us that Christ will come again on the last day of the world to realize the kingdom of God on the earth. Thus, for christians, the Advent should symbolize also the end of the world. (³¤­…)