Joyful Moments in Christ

1. Accept — To say yes to something or agree to it.
2. Always — At all times; every time.
3. Amaze — To surprise someone in a big way.
4. Angel — A messenger from God.
5. Arm — The part of the body that goes from the shoulder to the hand.
6. Baby — A very young child.
7. Be Called — To have a name given to you.
8. Before — Earlier than a certain time or event.
9. Began — Started to do something.
10. Being Made — The process of getting or becoming something.
11. Bless — To speak good words to or about someone and wish them good things.
12. Boy — A young male child.
13. Bring — To take something to a place or person.
14. Brought — Carried or moved someone or something to a place.
15. Circumcise — A religious act done to baby boys in Jewish families.
16. Come — To arrive at a place.
17. Cutting — Slicing or making a wound with a sharp object.
18. Day and Night — All the time, without stopping.
19. Days Old — To have lived for a certain number of days.
20. Devoted — Loving and loyal; giving all your time to something.
21. Die — To stop living.
22. Doves — Small white birds, like pigeons.
23. Eye — The part of the body you use to see.
24. Fall — To drop down or be defeated.
25. Family — A group of people related by birth or marriage.
26. Fast — To choose not to eat for a time, usually to pray.
27. Father — A male parent.
28. First — Before all others.
29. Free — Not held down, trapped, or controlled.
30. Give — To let someone have something.
31. Good — Kind, nice, or helpful.
32. Grow — To get bigger or taller over time.
33. Happen — When something takes place.
34. Heart — The part of the body that feels emotion.
35. Help — To do something for someone to make things easier.
36. Holy Spirit — God’s Spirit who helps and teaches people.
37. Honor — To show great respect and love.
38. Husband — The man that a woman is married to.
39. Inside — On the inner part of something.
40. Jerusalem — A very important city in Israel, where God’s temple was and many Bible events happened.
41. Jewish Law — The rules God gave to Moses for how people should live.
42. Joseph — The man who cared for Jesus like a father.
43. Law of Moses — The rules God gave to Moses for how people should live.
44. Law of the Lord — The rules God gave to Moses for how people should live.
45. Left Alone — When someone or something leaves you by yourself.
46. Let — To allow someone to do something.
47. Light — Brightness that lets people see.
48. Lived — Past tense of live; to stay or be in a place.
49. Lord — A name showing respect for God.
50. Made Known — To tell or show something to people so they know about it.
51. Man — An adult male human being.
52. Many — A large number of something.
53. Mary — The young woman chosen by God to be the mother of Jesus.
54. Messiah — The special person God promised to send to save people.
55. Mother — A female parent.
56. Must — Something you have to do.
57. Name — A word a person is called.
58. Nation — A large group of people who share the same land or government; a country.
59. Never Left — To always stay in a place.
60. Old — Having lived or been used for a long time.
61. Other — A different person or thing; not the same.
62. Peace — Calm and quiet without fear or fighting.
63. People — A group of men, women, or children.
64. Pigeon — A type of bird like a dove.
65. Painful — Causing hurt or distress.
66. Plan — A set idea about what someone wants to do.
67. Praise — To say good things about someone, especially God.
68. Praying — Talking to God.
69. Present — To give or show something to someone.
70. Prophetess — A woman chosen by God to speak for him.
71. Pure — Clean and free from sin or wrong things.
72. Rise — To go up.
73. Sacrifice — A gift given to God, often an animal in Bible times.
74. Said — Told someone something.
75. Save — To help someone and keep them safe from danger.
76. Saw — Looked at something with your eyes.
77. Secret — Something hidden or not told to others.
78. Seen — To have looked at something.
79. Servant — A person who works for someone else.
80. Shall — A word that means must or will happen.
81. Show — To let someone see something.
82. Sign — Something that shows a message or meaning.
83. Special — Different in a good way; important.
84. Sword — A long, sharp weapon used in fights.
85. Talk — When a person speaks with words.
86. Taught About — Gave lessons or knowledge on a subject.
87. Temple — A special building where people worship God.
88. Thank — To tell someone you are grateful for something they did.
89. Thing — An object or an idea.
90. Thoughts — Ideas or things you think in your mind.
91. Time — A point in the past or future; how we measure things like hours or days.
92. Time Came — The moment arrived for an expected event.
93. Very — Used to show that something is stronger or bigger in amount.
94. Waiting — Staying in a place until something happens.
95. Way — A plan or path to do something.
96. Worship — To show love, honor, and respect to God.
97. Written — Words put on paper or another surface.
98. Year — 12 months or 365 days.
99. Years Old — To have lived for a certain number of years.
100. Young — Not old; having lived for a short time.

1. Amaze — To surprise someone in a big way.
2. Angel — A messenger from God.
3. Arms — The upper limbs of your body, from shoulder to hand.
4. Assure — To promise or tell someone something to make them feel sure.
5. Blessed — Loved and helped by God.
6. Break Your Heart — To cause deep sadness or pain.
7. Bring — To take something to a place or person.
8. Ceremony — A special event with set actions and words.
9. Chosen — Picked or selected.
10. Circumcise — A religious act done to baby boys in Jewish families.
11. Command — A rule or order someone must follow.
12. Conceived — To begin growing inside a mother’s body.
13. Daughter — A person’s female child.
14. Dedicated — Given to God for a special purpose.
15. Destruction — Great harm or ruin.
16. Die — To stop living.
17. Doves — Small white birds, like pigeons.
18. Fast — To choose not to eat for a time, usually to pray.
19. First-born — The first child born to a mother.
20. Gentile — A person who is not Jewish.
21. Give Thanks — To tell someone you are thankful.
22. Glory — Great honor or beauty that shows God’s greatness.
23. God-Fearing — Loving, respecting, and obeying God.
24. Holy Spirit — God’s Spirit who helps and teaches people.
25. Law Of Moses — The rules God gave to Moses for the people.
26. Led — Guided or took someone to a place.
27. Light — Brightness that lets people see.
28. Lord — A name showing respect for God.
29. Married — When a man and a woman are husband and wife.
30. Messiah — The special person God promised to send to save people.
31. Name — A word a person is called.
32. Perform — To do an action or duty.
33. Pigeons — Birds like doves.
34. Peace — Calm and quiet without fear or fighting.
35. Prepare — To get something ready.
36. Presence — Being in the same place as someone.
37. Present — To give or show something to someone.
38. Promise — To say you will do something for sure.
39. Prophet — A person chosen by God to speak for him.
40. Purification — A special washing or cleaning ceremony.
41. Require — To need or say something must be done.
42. Reveal — To show or make something known.
43. Salvation — Being saved from sin or danger.
44. Sacrifice — A gift given to God, often an animal in Bible times.
45. Secret — Something hidden or not told to others.
46. Servant — A person who works for someone else.
47. Set Free — To let someone go who was in trouble or danger.
48. Sharp — Having a point or edge that can cut.
49. Sign — Something that shows a message or meaning.
50. Sorrow — A very deep feeling of sadness.
51. Speak — To use your voice to say words.
52. Temple — A special building where people worship God.
53. Wait — To stay in one place until something happens.
54. Will — What someone wants to happen.
55. Worship — To show love, honor, and respect to God.
56. Young — Not old; having lived for a short time.

21 When the baby was eight days old, he was circumcised, and he was named Jesus.
This name was given by the angel before the baby began to grow inside Mary.
Jesus Is Presented in the Temple
22 The time came for Mary and Joseph to do the things the Law of Moses taught about being made pure.
They brought Jesus to Jerusalem so that they could present him to the Lord.
23 It is written in the law of the Lord: “When a mother’s first baby is a boy, he shall be called ‘special for the Lord.’”
24 The law of the Lord also says that people must give a sacrifice:
“You must sacrifice two doves or two young pigeons.”
So Joseph and Mary went to Jerusalem to do this.
Simeon Sees Jesus
25 A man named Simeon lived in Jerusalem.
He was a good man who was devoted to God.
He was waiting for the time when God would come to help Israel.
The Holy Spirit was with him.
26 The Holy Spirit told him that he would not die before he saw the Messiah from the Lord.
27 The Spirit led Simeon to the Temple.
So he was there when Mary and Joseph brought the baby Jesus to do what the Jewish law said they must do.
28 Simeon took the baby in his arms and thanked God:
29 “Now, Lord, you can let me, your servant, die in peace as you said.
30 I have seen with my own eyes how you will save your people.
31 Now all people can see your plan.
32 He is a light to show your way to the other nations.
And he will bring honor to your people Israel.”
33 Jesus’ father and mother were amazed at what Simeon said about him.
34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary,
“Many Jews will fall and many will rise because of this boy.
He will be a sign from God that some will not accept.
35 So the secret thoughts of many will be made known.
And the things that happen will be painful for you—like a sword cutting through your heart.”
Anna Sees Jesus
36-37 Anna, a prophetess, was there at the Temple.
She was from the family of Phanuel in the tribe of Asher.
She was now very old.
She had lived with her husband seven years before he died and left her alone.
She was now 84 years old.
Anna was always at the Temple; she never left.
She worshiped God by fasting and praying day and night.
38 Anna was there when Joseph and Mary came to the Temple.
She praised God and talked about Jesus to all those who were waiting for God to free Jerusalem.

Luke 2:21-38 (ERV)

Jesus Is Named
21 A week later, when the time came for the baby to be circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name which the angel had given him before he had been conceived.
Jesus Is Presented in the Temple
22 The time came for Joseph and Mary to perform the ceremony of purification, as the Law of Moses commanded. So they took the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord,
23 as it is written in the law of the Lord: “Every first-born male is to be dedicated to the Lord.”
24 They also went to offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons, as required by the law of the Lord.
25 At that time there was a man named Simeon living in Jerusalem. He was a good, God-fearing man and was waiting for Israel to be saved. The Holy Spirit was with him
26 and had assured him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s promised Messiah.
27 Led by the Spirit, Simeon went into the Temple. When the parents brought the child Jesus into the Temple to do for him what the Law required,
28 Simeon took the child in his arms and gave thanks to God:
29 “Now, Lord, you have kept your promise,
and you may let your servant go in peace.
30 With my own eyes I have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples:
32 A light to reveal your will to the Gentiles
and bring glory to your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother were amazed at the things Simeon said about him.
34 Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, “This child is chosen by God for the destruction and the salvation of many in Israel. He will be a sign from God which many people will speak against
35 and so reveal their secret thoughts. And sorrow, like a sharp sword, will break your own heart.”
36-37 There was a very old prophet, a widow named Anna, daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She had been married for only seven years and was now eighty-four years old. She never left the Temple; day and night she worshiped God, fasting and praying.
38 That very same hour she arrived and gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were waiting for God to set Jerusalem free.

Luke 2:21-38 (GNT)