I.            “The Census”
Luke 1:76-80
Luke 2:1-3; Ac17:7; [Ac 5:37]
Luke 3:1; Matt 2:1-16; 1Sa 16:1; 2Sa 7:16
Micah 5:2-5
 
II.             “The Journey”
Luke 2:4-5; Mat 1:1-16
Luke 1:26-33; see Matt 2:23; Lk 1:11; John 7:42; 14:1-3
Revelation 22:6-21; 1Sa 16:1; Matt 2:1; Ro 8:28; Est 4:14
Psalm 102:12-13; [see Ps 75:2; Jer 29:10; Dan 9:2; [Is 40:2]
 
 
III.          "The Virgin Birth” 
Luke 2:6-7; [Mic 5:2; Matt 2:1-6]
Proverbs 8:22-36; Jn 1:1-5
Isaiah 9:6-7; Jer 30:21-22; Zech 9:9; Hos 6:3; Gal 4:4-7
Luke 2:7; Gen 1:31; 3:15; Heb 4:14-16
Colossians 1:15-20; 2:13-14
2 Corinthians 5:21
Philippians 2:5-11; Col 1:20; Ja 4:10; 1Pe 5:6
Proverbs 8:32-36; Php 2:10-11
 
Greek Word Study:
Decree: ‘dogma’: from base of ‘dokeo’; a law (civil, ceremonial, or ecclesiastical): - decision, decree, legal demand, ordinance. Noun from ‘dokeo’ (to think) A decree, edict, ordinance e.g. of a prince (Lk 2:1; Ac 17:7)
World: ‘oikoumene’: Feminine participle presumed passive of ‘oikeo’ (to dwell, abide, occupy a house) as noun, by implication of ‘ge’ (soil, a region) (solid part of the terrene globe, including occupants); Specially, the Roman Empire: - world. Noun from ‘oikeo’ the inhabited earth, the world: Particularly as inhabited by Greeks, and later by the Greeks and Romans; hence spoken of the Roman Empire, of Palestine and the adjacent countries [under Roman rule] (Lk 2:1; 21:26)
Before/First: ‘protos’: contracted superlative of ‘pro’ (foremost) (in time, place, order, or importance): - before, best, chief man, first, foremost. Adjective foremost, hence first. Generally spoken as an adjective of place, order, time. First (Matt 20:8, 10…Lk 2:2) In an adverbial sense, first, i.e. in the first place. Used for comparative ‘proteros,’ before (Jn 1;15, 30 [Lk 2:2])
His own town: ‘heautou1 polis2’: (including all the other cases); from a reflexive pronoun otherwise obsolete and the generic (dative or accusative) of ‘autos’ (him, his1) and city2: a town (properly, with walls, of greater or less size): - a city (with genitive of a person): meaning one’s native city; the town of his ancestry) [Thayer’s] (Lk 2:3)
House: ‘oikos’: a dwelling (more or less extensive, literal or figurative); (by implication), a family (more or less related, literal or figurative): - home, house, (-hold), sanctuary. Noun meaning house, dwelling, home. By metonymy: Family, lineage, posterity, descended from one head or ancestor, e.g. the House of David (Lk 1:27, 69; 2:4)
Lineage: ‘patria’: as if feminine of a derivative of ‘pater’ (father); paternal descent, i.e. (concretely) a group of families or a whole race (nation): - family, lineage. Noun from ‘pater’ (father). Paternal Descent, lineage. In the NT a family, particularly a family which may include several households. (Lk 2:4; Eph 3:15)
Betrothed: ‘mnesteuo’: from a derivative of ‘mnaomai’ (to bear in mind, fixture in mind) to give a souvenir (engagement present) [Bride Price], i.e. betroth: - betrothed. (one legally pledged to be married, requiring divorce)
Firstborn: ‘prototokos’: from ‘protos’ (first) and the alternate of ‘tikto’ (bear, give birth, be born, produce) Firstborn, particularly, the firstborn of a father or mother (Matt 1:25; Lk 2:7) Figuratively, the firstborn in the sense of the chief one, the one highly distinguished; so of Christ, as the beloved Son of God before creation of the world (Col 1:15-16)
Swaddling cloths: ‘sparganoo’: from ‘sparganon’ (a strip, from a derivative of the base of ‘sparasso’ meaning wrap with straps): - to swathe (an infant after Oriental Custom): - wrap in swaddling cloths (Lk 2:7)
Manger: ‘phatne’: from ‘pateomai’ (to eat); a crib (for fodder): - manger. [Fodder: coarse food for livestock; or people considered as readily available and of little value (cannon fodder)] (Lk 2:7)
Inn: ‘kataluma’: from ‘kataluo’: property, a dissolution (breaking up of a journey), i.e. (by implication) a lodging place: guest room, inn. [The use of “the” before “inn” indicates a known communal lodging structure for travelers and their animals – the guest rooms were above a courtyard for animals, with stalls built at ground level around the outside with feed troughs, so that the owner could feed his own animals from his own stall] (The Inn in Bethlehem) (Lk 2:7)        

I.       “The Prophet”
Luke 1:67-75; 65-66 
Luke 1:76; Lk 7:26-27; 20:6; Matt 11:9; 14:5; Lk 1:17, 32
Luke 3:4; Matt 3:3
Malachi 3:1; Is 40:1-3
Mark 1:1-6; Ps 23:4; Eph 2:1

II.       “The Promise”
Luke 1:77-78a; Ro 3:23; 10:8-11; Mk 1:4; Matt 26:26-28
Isaiah 60:1-3


III.      “The Sonrise of Peace”
Luke 1:78b-79; Col 3:12 (Gk.)
Malachi 4:1-2; Eph 5:14; 2Pe 1:19; Lk 24:49 
Matthew 4:15-16; (Is 9:2); [Ac 26:18]
John 8:12; Psalm 107:1-16; Is 42:7; Ro 3:10-18
See Luke 2:14; 1Jn 1:9
Luke 1:80; 2:40; Mat 3:1; 11:7-10

Greek Word Study:
Prophet: ‘prophetes’: from ‘prophemi’ (to tell beforehand): - a prophet, a foreteller of future events, also an interpreter. In NT, ‘prophetes’ corresponds to the person who in the OT spoke under divine influence and inspiration. This included the foretelling of future events and the exhorting, reproving and threatening of individuals or nations as the ambassador of God and as the interpreter of His will to Men. Hence, the prophet spoke not his own thoughts but what he received from God, retaining however, his own consciousness and self-possession. Spoken specifically of John the Baptist (Lk 1:76)
Before: ‘enopion’: in the face of (literal or figurative): - before +between, in front (in the presence, sight) of. From ‘en’ (in) and ‘optanomai’: to gaze (i.e. with wide-open eyes, as at something remarkable) (Lk 1:76)
Prepare1 his2 ways3: ‘hetoimazo1 autos2 hodos3’: ‘hetoimazo’: - to prepare; (get, make) ready1.  ‘autos2’: his2. And ways3: ‘hodos3’ a road, (by implication) a progress, (the route); (figuratively) a mode or means3: path, road, (high-) way3. (Lk 1:76) [Ancient Custom for Monarch Travel]
To Give: ‘didomi’: to give (used in a very wide application) [Thayers: in this use, to give something to someone, to give over to one’s care; something to be administered; denoting something to be done by him to whom it is said to be given, to cause him to repent (Lk 1:77)
Salvation: ‘soteria’: derived from ‘soter,’ as noun meaning rescue or safety (physically or morally): - salvation, save, strength. Noun from ‘soter,’ a savior, deliverer. Safety, deliverance, preservation from danger or destruction. In a Christian sense, soteria is deliverance from sin and its spiritual consequences and admission to Eternal Life w/Blessedness in the Kingdom of Christ (Lk 1:77)
Forgiveness: ‘aphesis’: From ‘aphiemi’ (freedom), (Figuratively) pardon: forgiveness, liberty. Noun from ‘aphiemi’ (to cause to stand away) to release one’s sins from the sinner. Dismission, i.e. deliverance from service, captivity, etc. Also, remission, i.e. forgiveness, pardon of sins. (Lk 1:77)
Tender1 mercy2: ‘splagchnon1 eleos2’: ‘splagchnon’: probably strengthened from the ‘splen’ (spleen); an intestine (plural); (figuratively) pity or sympathy1: - affection, bowels, heart, +tender mercy. ‘Eleos2’: compassion: - Divine mercy2, active pity. [Mercy from the Bowels of God] (Lk 1:78)
Sunrise: ‘anatole’: a rising of light, i.e. dawn (figuratively) (by implication) the east: east, rise (-ing), sunrise. [The Dawn of Redemption] (Lk 1:78)
Visit: ‘episkeptomai’: verb form of ‘episkopos’ (overseer): (from “to inspect”) i.e. (by implication) to select; (by extension) to go see, relieve: - Care for, pick out, visit. From ‘epi’ (upon) and ‘skeptomai’ (n.f. to look). To look at something: To look upon with mercy, favor, kind regard. (Lk 1:78)
Give Light: ‘epiphaino’: from ‘epi’ (upon) and ‘phaino’ (to shine). To shine upon, i.e. become (literal) visible, or (figuratively) known: appear, give light. To cause to appear upon or appear to, to show before, to exhibit. In NT to show oneself upon or to, i.e. to appear upon or to. Spoken of Light: to shine upon (Lk 1:79) Metaphorically, to be conscious, to be known and manifest. [The Tender Mercy of God is manifest in Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness] 
Darkness: ‘skotos’: from base of ‘skia’ (shadow), i.e. obscurity: - darkness. Spoken figuratively of moral darkness, the absence of spiritual light and truth, inc. the idea of sinfulness and consequent calamity. (Lk 1:79)
Shadow of Death: ‘skia thanatos’: ‘skia’ (shadow) [of] Death: ‘thanatos’ from ‘thnesko’ (to die): - deadly peril, death, mortal pestilence. The extinction of life. In NT, this word is applied to convey the idea of physical death as aggravated by Eternal Condemnation; as opposed to Life in Christ, Joyful Resurrection, and Eternal Life in the kingdom of God, won by Christ. (Lk 1:79)