Christmas Devotion for December 25

December 25

Christians and even non-Christians around the world celebrate Christmas, marking the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, who was born in Bethlehem. His was the most significant, most important, and only perfect life that ever was. It all happened in a glorious moment. 

Christmas is a time of excitement and connection, but above all, it celebrates the birth of Jesus. In our busy lives, it's easy to forget the true meaning of Christmas. Let us remember always: Jesus is the reason for the season.

At the time of the First Coming or Advent, the eternal Son of God took to himself full humanity. This means that he became a man without ceasing to be God. John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The eternal Son of God became a human being. The Son is uniquely the God-man and the very heart of Christmas.

This is the climax of the biblical storyline. Adam and Eve disobeyed God; God promised a descendant who would crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). Jesus is that descendant. 

Matthew opens his Gospel by boldly declaring Jesus is the Messiah (Matthew 1:1). Paul writes, “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship” (Galatians 4:4–5).

Christ took “the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness” (Phil 2:7). He was called Immanuel or “God with us” (Matt 1:23). God himself, in the Christ-child, condescended and entered into our hopelessness to rescue people from their sins. 

Unlike the sacrifices of the Old Testament, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross is once for all. Just before Christ dies, he cries, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The book of Hebrews specifically teaches that there is no more sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10:26). Hebrews 9 shows Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of the great Day of Atonement passages. Jesus Christ is the virgin-born Savior of the world, and his birth is the most important event in the history of the world. God has provided a rescue plan through Jesus’s death for our sins and resurrection (1 Cor. 15:3-4):

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

Make this a special Christmas day by trusting the Lord Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness. 

Christmas means hope for you and me, despite all our unending failings. Merry Christmas to you, and all glory to Immanuel, the God who is with us and will be with us forever. 

Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great:

He appeared in the flesh,

was vindicated by the Spirit, 

was seen by angels,

was preached among the nations,

was believed on in the world,

was taken up in glory. 

1 Timothy 3:16

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Devotion for December 24

December 24 Christmas Devotion

 Christmas Eve!

The Christmas story is filled with angelic encounters.

Gabriel announced John the Baptist's birth, assuring Zechariah of what was to come. Gabriel then told Mary (Luke 1:26-31) she would bear the Son of God. Mary responded in faith, and her song (Luke 1:45-55) reminds us of God's faithfulness. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream (Matthew 1:20-21), encouraging him to take Mary as his wife. Joseph trusted God and embraced his role. Angels (Luke 2:8-14) announced Christ's birth to shepherds: “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” The shepherds first shared the Good News. God's message is for all.

The angels' message of "peace on earth, goodwill toward men" is specifically directed to "those on whom God's favor rests" (Luke 2:14), indicating that the peace they announce is peace with God, not simply peace among all people. The angels proclaimed that this peace with God is available through faith in Jesus, the Messiah. 

Studying the context and original language of Luke 2:14 shows the peace offered is with God, available to those who respond in faith and receive divine favor. Luke begins Jesus’ birth narrative with Caesar Augustus (31/27 BC–AD 14), who ushered in the Roman “Golden Age” and Pax Romana. During this time, Jesus was born. Isaiah’s prophecy calls Jesus the “Prince of peace,” in stark contrast to Caesar Augustus. This is a fundamentally different peace (cf. Isa 9:6; see John 14:27). Jesus’ peace was with God. 

 The census ordered by Caesar Augustus brought Joseph and Mary, Jesus' mother, from Nazareth, where they lived, to Joseph’s ancestral home of Bethlehem, the town of David. Micah’s prophecy informs us that this was the city where the Messiah was to be born (cf. Mic 5:2 cited in Matt. 2:6). It was in Bethlehem that Mary gave birth to Jesus. Local shepherds became recipients of an angelic visitation pronouncing good news: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12 NIV). 

 At this announcement, a contingent of angels appeared, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (NIV). Grammatically speaking, the subject of the first clause is translated “Glory” and the subject of the second clause is translated “peace”. The contrasting locations are “in the highest” and “on earth”, and the respective recipients’ “God” and “those [the men/people] on whom his favor rests”. Most modern English translations render the noun translated “of good pleasure”, indicating an attribute of the recipients of peace rather than as a second subject on par with “peace.” 

 The traditional English translation “peace on earth, goodwill toward men” pronounces peace and goodwill toward all people, that is, humanity at large. The angels’ pronouncement is almost certainly restricted more specifically to “those on whom God’s favor rests,” that is, “the people of God’s good pleasure.” One becomes the recipient of God’s good pleasure by putting their faith in Jesus the Messiah.

 Through Jesus’ human birth and ultimately through his sacrificial death on a cross, peace with God is available to those who become recipients of divine favor through faith in God’s beloved Son. This is the “good news” the angels proclaimed at Christ’s birth, and this is the gospel we are called to proclaim to others in our day. The angels rejoice and praise God for working out his salvation in and through the birth of the Messiah. 

 A Savior, who is Christ the Lord, had been born. This joy is shared by those who receive the gift of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. 

 Hark! The herald angels sing,

“Glory to the newborn King;

Peace on earth, and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!”

Joyful, all ye nations, rise,

Join the triumph of the skies;

With angelic hosts proclaim,

“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Christmas Devotion for December 23

December 23

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45 NIV

In our sophisticated, fast-moving, pressurized world, some have arrived where they are and accomplished what they did by knocking people down and using them along the way. They arrived at “greatness” by stepping on people to ascend their staircase of success. We need to rediscover “greatness” from the example of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Born in humble circumstances, he came to serve and give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). No one could possibly stoop lower than Jesus in his service. True Christian life (and leadership) involves self-emptying service, mirroring Christ's attitude, not self-promotion. Christians are exhorted to follow the attitude of humility displayed in his incarnation and death in their relationships with one another: 

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:3-11).

During the incarnation, Jesus possessed the form of God and was equal with God. How did he make himself nothing or empty himself? “By taking the form of a servant [and] by becoming in the likeness of humanity.” In the condition of “form of a servant,” he did not manifest the form of God outwardly. The form of a servant served as a temporary veil cloaking the form of God. Later, as an adult, Jesus was transfigured. During the transfiguration, the cloaking veil was removed, and his glory was shown, demonstrating that Jesus still possessed the form of God (Matthew 17:1-13). D.A. Carson remarks, “He became a 'nobody' so that God would exalt him above everybody.”

It is time to end the dead-end journey of personal greatness and affluence and look to the “nobody” who has been exalted above “everybody?”  

The cross, not just the manger, defines God's love and power. Christ is God's power and wisdom. The Christmas story leads to the cross, showing God's willingness to give His Son for sinners. At the cross, you find forgiveness. Believe in him and his death for your sins to be forgiven. In Christ, find hope this Christmas.

Christmas Devotion for December 22

December 22

“God rest you merry, gentlemen.”

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Cor. 3:18 NIV.

Christmas will be here in a couple of days. Often, the Christmas season exposes the hopelessness that many feel due to loneliness and loss. With the long nights and financial stress, it can be a tough time of year for many people.  

Who hasn't struggled through dark seasons? Everyone deals with grief and sorrow at times. The English Carol, "God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen", reminds us Christ the Savior was born on Christmas Day. Also known as "Tidings of Comfort and Joy," the carol gained popularity in the mid-18th century and appeared in Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. When Scrooge heard the opening lines, he had no patience for the song:

God rest you merry gentlemen

Let nothing you dismay

Remember Christ our Savior

Was born on Christmas Day

To save us from Satan’s pow’r

When we were gone astray

Do you tend toward discouragement? There is comfort and joy. Do you experience seasonal depression? There is comfort and joy. Do you feel marginalized? There is comfort and joy. Are you burdened, or do you experience guilt? There is comfort and joy. "Tidings of comfort and joy" are found in Christ the Savior. "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). There is hope in this broken world. We can find comfort and joy in a broken world: 

Oh, tidings of comfort and joy

Comfort and joy

Oh, tidings of comfort and joy

The Christmas message is that God can forgive and comfort the weak and the desperate. He can forgive and comfort the discouraged and the despairing. He has forgiven sinners like me. He will forgive you if you turn to the Savior and his death and resurrection for your sin in faith. There is hope for a ruined humanity—hope of forgiveness, hope of peace with God, hope of glory—because the Son became a servant and was born in a stable so that thirty years later he might hang on a cross for you and me. It is the most wonderful message the world has ever heard or will hear.

“God rest you merry, gentlemen.”

Christmas Devotion for December 21

Forgiveness mends and restores. However, the severity of the offense sometimes affects whether forgiveness is given or accepted. Unfortunately, relationships can be messy, and even the slightest offence may snowball into the greatest of estrangements.

When God forgives, He removes the great obstacle to our fellowship with him. By canceling our sin and paying for it with the death of his own Son, God opens the way for us to see him and know him and enjoy him forever.

But if we understand, even slightly, the offense that we have thrown in the face of God, we would be amazed that God’s forgiveness is possible. He does forgive completely in Christ. Anyone who puts their faith in Christ and his death and resurrection will be forgiven.

We must have God’s forgiveness, or we have nothing. The incarnation leads to the cross of Christ, and it is on the cross that forgiveness can be found. In the book of Hebrews, the author writes, “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:4).

The writer continues, noting that it was God’s will that a body be prepared for the Son for a better sacrifice for sin:

Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,

but a body you prepared for me;

with burnt offerings and sin offerings

you were not pleased.

Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—

I have come to do your will, my God.’”

First, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:6-10).

Because of the incarnation, Jesus was able “by one sacrifice make perfect forever those who are being made holy.” That sacrifice was himself.

The writer continues:

The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First, he says:

“This is the covenant I will make with them

after that time, says the Lord.

I will put my laws in their hearts,

and I will write them on their minds.”

Then he adds:

“Their sins and lawless acts

I will remember no more.”

And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary (10:15-18).

Christ died once for all for sin. Anyone who puts their faith in Christ and his death and resurrection will be forgiven. The superiority of his bodily sacrifice is demonstrated in that when sins are forgiven based on HIS sacrifice. Are your sins forgiven? Have you turned from whatever you are trusting to Jesus Christ and his bodily death and resurrection for sin? God’s will for forgiving our sins is found in Jesus Christ and his bodily sacrifice for sin. If you have God’s forgiveness, you have hope.

Christmas Devotion for December 19

December 20

From Heaven to Earth: Our Greatest Hope

“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The fundamental flaw that lies at the heart of life is unbelief. We are our own judge. We view sin as a social construct. We view unbelief as a personal choice, maybe even as a sign of freedom and maturity. And over against all of that, Jesus Himself unambiguously teaches that the worst slavery is the slavery to sin and the worst shackles are the unbelief that fails to see what God has done and is doing. 

The apostle John employs vivid descriptions of Jesus to encourage belief in him. Jesus is the lamb of God who took away the sin of the world (1:29). He is the gate by which men enter and find life (10:9). He is the good shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep (10:11). 

Although betrayed and abandoned by the disciples and condemned by liars, Jesus was the truth. While he spoke the truth, he himself is the truth incarnate. 

When Jesus Christ was on trial for his life, John recorded this exchange: “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me” (John 18:37).

In the next verse, Pilate then responded, “What is truth?” 

The eternal Son of God became a man and was full of grace and truth (John 1:14). In Jesus, truth came into this world from outside of this world. Jesus was not born to hide the truth about God, but rather, to testify about it in a world of spiritual darkness. In a world of unbelief.

In his book Hitler’s Cross, Erwin Lutzer made this observation:

“Since the Germans for centuries had celebrated Christmas and Easter, Hitler had to reinterpret their meaning. Christmas was turned into a totally pagan festival. For the SS troops, its date was changed to December 21st, the date of the winter solstice. Carols and nativity plays were banned from the schools in 1938, and even the name Christmas was changed to “Yuletide.” Crucifixes were eliminated from the classrooms, and Easter was turned into a holiday that heralded the arrival of spring.”

Hitler changed Christmas to suit his ideology. Christmas carols were modified to reflect Nazi beliefs and ideology, including references to the “Savior” pointing to Hitler himself, “Savior Führer.” These were among some of the steps taken to hide the truth of Christianity because it was dangerous to Nazi ideology. This is unbelief.

Jesus challenges this by testifying, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The real problem is our sin and unbelief. Unbelief that results in seeing ourselves as our own judge and sin as a social construct, instead of our worst problem. Unbelief fails to see who Jesus Christ is, what He has done, and what He is doing. John provokes belief, “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” 

Turn to Jesus and his death and resurrection for forgiveness of sin and believe. He gives real hope. This changes everything.

Christmas Devotion for December 19

December 19 Christmas Devotion

Hail the incarnate Deity.

 In our Christmas carols, we sing about the heart of Christmas, the incarnation, especially in "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." One line that Charles Wesley wrote says, "Veiled in flesh, the Godhead see; Hail the incarnate Deity." The eternal Son of God took on flesh and manifested in visible form the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15) such that in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells in bodily form (Col 2:9). This is truly quite wonderful and glorious. God entered our time and space. We need to think about how important it is. We can’t miss this. 

“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). 

When the shepherds found Joseph, Mary, and the baby exactly as they were told, the angelic announcement of the Messiah’s birth was confirmed. Luke then reveals Mary’s reflective moment, Mary “treasured” up everything and “pondered” them in her heart. In contrast to the shepherds' public proclamation, Mary meditated on the significance of these events. In many ways, “to treasure” means to purposefully keep near thoughts and remembrances. The second verb, “ponder,” means to weigh mentally, to consider carefully, to meditate, to reflect, and to think deeply about something, usually in terms of its significance. 

While Mary was like any mother who has given birth, she had so much more to consider. God revealed what he wanted us to know about the significance of the birth of our Saviour. The incarnation is absolutely unique. Only once did God become a man. He remains God and man forever (Col. 2:9, Heb. 7:24). He became man once that we might be saved from sin once for all.

Joseph named the baby Jesus, “because he will save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). It was the Father’s love (John 3:16) that sent his Son, “that whosoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” The Son of God took on humanity so that we who deserve death can have life without limit, forever with God. He died in our place, that we might never die. Jesus Christ lived, and he died. It happened in history. 

This is Christmas. It is time to reflect and consider the incarnation and its significance. It’s worth our time.

Christmas Devotion for December 18

December 18 Christmas Devotion

Joy to the world! The Lord has come!

Where does our joy come from? Are we chasing after pleasure in things that cannot truly satisfy? The Bible shows us true hope in God. Romans 12:12 says, “Rejoice in hope!” Let your joy come from hope—joy and hope are firmly connected.

On that all-important night when it was revealed to the shepherds that the Messiah had been born in Bethlehem, the shepherds immediately went to the city of David to verify the news. Luke tells us that Caesar Augustus had required a census (Luke 2:1–3), and through God’s sovereignty, Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem (Luke 2:4–5). Jesus was born, wrapped in cloths, and placed in a manger (Luke 2:6–7).

A powerful moment occurred on that night in Luke’s Gospel when an angel of the Lord appeared and proclaimed good news for all people (Luke 2:8–12): “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” A multitude of angels proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest” (2:14).

The shepherds found the baby Jesus lying in a manger, thereby verifying the news (2:15–16). They found the baby just as God had said through the angels. God is always faithful and keeps His Word. The shepherds experienced a holy moment.

After gazing upon the unique and holy God-man, a baby, God incarnate, lying in a feeding trough, “they spread the word (2:17).

A Savior has been born to you and for you, taking your place as your substitute on the cross. He came for both the faithful and unfaithful to save us from our sins. The core of Christmas is that the Lamb of God takes away the sins of the world—this is real history, and it must become your story.  

I close with three questions:

• Is He “Savior” to you?

• Is He “Messiah” (Christ) and “Lord” to you?

• Is Christmas part of your story?

This Christmas, instead of filling our lives with things meant to bring joy, let's decide to adore Immanuel. As you glorify and praise Him for what you have seen and heard, let the story of Jesus transform you. After Christmas, return to your life changed by hope, not as the same person, but as someone renewed by the real meaning of Christmas.

The hope of the world has come. Joy to the world! The Lord has come!

Christmas Devotion for December 17

December 17 Christmas Devotion 

Set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 

Mary was extraordinary because God extraordinarily used her.

Luke records an uplifting focus in his record with Mary’s Song of Praise (1:46-56). Mary’s Song interrupts Gabriel’s announcement to Mary (1:26-38) and Mary’s visit to Elizabeth (1:39-45). Mary bursts out with praise of God’s gracious work. Mary is with child, the Messiah. Elizabeth, full of the Holy Spirit, discerns that Mary is blessed among women. Two women with two unique pregnancies. Yet, the account points to Mary’s Child, the Messiah, as superior. 

Mary proclaims God is great and He is her Saviour (1:46-47). She recognises in God’s sovereignty and holiness that she is being used to bear the child through God’s love and care. Mary also proclaims that God is merciful and righteous (1:50-33). God's mercy extends to those who fear or acknowledge God’s rule over them. God is righteous. He exalts the humble. Lastly, Mary praises God for his loyal love (1:54-55). God is loyal to those who have a relationship with him. God’s sovereign work of salvation begins with Jesus, the baby she will deliver. She praises God and celebrates. God and his act of salvation are precisely the point. He shows grace and faithfulness, and his salvation is worthy of praise and worth celebrating. 

Difficult times can distract from the bigger truth of God’s divine control. God sovereignly accomplishes His divine will. For us, times can become hard, but they never catch God off guard. He is still sovereign. 

“Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming” (1 Peter 1:13).

Christmas Devotion for December 16

Jesus is the hope of Christmas!

His birth fulfills Old Testament prophecies, reminding us of God's faithfulness to redeem. This hope sustains believers and points to His return. In Jesus, we are freed from guilt, regret, and heartache.

Genesis 1-2 describes humans as God’s vice-regents over all creation, a point reiterated in Psalm 8. The author of Hebrews recites Psalm 8 in Heb. 2:6-8, noting, “we do not yet see everything under our feet.” Why? The Fall has occurred, allowing sin and death to take their toll.

But what do we see? “We see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” (Heb. 2:9). By Christ’s identification with us and by his death, he becomes the first human being to be crowned with such glory and honor, as he brings many sons—a new humanity—to glory. Both the one who makes human beings holy—Jesus himself—and the human beings who are made holy are of the same family. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers (Heb. 2:11).

Since we have flesh and blood, he shared in our humanity (Heb. 2:14). His humanity was not intrinsically his, but something he had to take on (the eternal Word “became flesh,” John 1:14). He did this so that by his death (something he could never have experienced if he had not taken on flesh and blood) “he might destroy him who holds the power of death … and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Heb. 2:14, 15).

Jesus did not take on the nature of angels (Heb. 2:16) He became a human being with a human ancestry, ancestry of Abraham (Heb. 2:16). He was to serve as mediator between God and human beings, “he had to be made like his brothers in every way” (Heb. 2:17). He already was like God in every way.

What is entirely “fitting” for Jesus is that God should make the author (Jesus) of our salvation “perfect through suffering” (Heb. 2:10).

Notice how "hope" occurs in Hebrews:

3:6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.

6:11-12 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who, through faith and patience, inherit what has been promised.

6:18-20 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.

7:18-19 The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God.

10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

11:1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.

The Son became a man to suffer death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone (Heb. 2:9). Through his identification with us and by his death, he becomes the first human being to be crowned with such glory and honor, as he brings many sons to glory. Since Jesus Christ is God Himself, who became a human being and died for our sins, Jesus is the Hope of Christmas.

Christmas Devotion for December 15

December 15 Christmas Devotion

The arrival of Jesus is part of God's plan, and he represents the keeping of promises and divine commitments made long ago.

Early in Luke, an angel is sent by God to a priest serving in the temple. As he burned incense, an angel appeared to him and announced that his previously barren wife, Elizabeth, would soon give birth to a son. Zechariah responded with scepticism: “How shall I know this?” (Luke 1:18). Instead of rejoicing in what God had promised, Zechariah focused on the impossibility of the situation. Consequently, the angel silenced Zechariah until John’s birth. After some time, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and expressed her joy that the reproach of barrenness had been lifted from her. Again, she rejoices when she meets Mary, “the mother of my Lord” (Luke 1:24–25, 41–45). Elizabeth’s reaction tells us she honours God.

God then sends the angel Gabriel to Mary, who is betrothed to Joseph. Gabriel reveals that Mary would carry and birth the Son of God, the long-expected Davidic King. Mary responded with wonder: “How will this be?” (1:34). Mary’s question was full of possibility—Almighty God was going to do great things through her. The important detail is that Mary would conceive by the Holy Spirit, and her cousin Elizabeth was also with child. The angel concluded with a stirring statement of God’s power: “Nothing will be impossible with God” (1:37). Mary reflects on what God is doing in her hymn, the Magnificat, and describes herself as God’s “servant” (the repetition of servant connects Luke 1:48 to 1:38) and of “humble state.”

Mary praises God her Saviour because he looked upon her low social state and yet, in love, let her bear the Messiah. What God did for her is like what he does for others in the same state (Luke 1:52). God has given her a special place by having her bear the Messiah. Generations of all time will bless her, perceive her fortune in receiving this special role. Elizabeth’s blessing in Luke 1:45 is the first blessing that Mary receives as an exemplary servant touched by grace (11:28–29 is another). Luke presents Mary as an example of faith in God and a humble servant who is willing to do what God asks. Mary’s hymn, the Magnificat, is an initial characterisation of God whose purpose shapes the rest of Luke’s story. Mary knows and trusts in God and what he is doing through the Son’s incarnation.

Paul explains what God has done through Jesus Christ:

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Christ’s death and resurrection for sinners is good news because it announces the grace and peace that have now come to sinners who rely on Jesus Christ's death and resurrection for sin.

Clinging to God and his promises renews hope. If you are seeking forgiveness, consider transferring your faith to Jesus Christ, and you will be forgiven.

Christmas Devotion for December 14

December 14

The celebration of Christmas is reflected in our “playlists” that include everything from “Joy to the World” to “Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas,” and from “Silent Night” to “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band-Aid.

The music of Christmas spans both joyful and contemplative songs, but beneath the celebration lies a deeper question: Why do we celebrate Christmas? What motivated the Son of God to come to earth? Even before Jesus’s birth, many expected the Messiah to be a military leader like David or Judah Maccabee, someone who would deliver the Jews from Roman rule. 

The Jews wanted a victorious military leader and God’s judgment on their enemies. Today, people are on a quest for power, wealth, comfort, gratification, the self, etc. The Gospel of Mark, rather than focusing on the manger, emphasizes Jesus as the Sovereign Servant. Mark 10:45 tells us what was driving Jesus, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The same point is made elsewhere in Scripture: “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21), “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost,” (Luke 19:10), “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17), That was his goal and it could only be accomplished through death. The Son of Man’s miracles, teaching, and life must be seen in the light of this singular purpose, “to give his life as a ransom for many.” God sent His Son to die for our sins.

Jesus did not come to create a holiday; he came to serve you and me. He became a man to die on a cross. He gave up his life (Mark 10:45, 32). He drank the cup (Mark 10:38). He paid the ransom (Mark 10:45). The exalted Son of Man humbled himself to become our Suffering Servant. Trust Him and his death for the forgiveness of sin and guilt. This service of the Son of Man brings hope.

Christmas Devotion for December 13

December 13

This Christmas will be different for many families. For those who have lost a loved one, the holidays can be a difficult reminder of their absence. There is one less present under the tree. There is one less place setting at the table. One less person will be home for Christmas. 

Christmas comes each year to draw people in from the chill of heartbreak, disappointment, and loneliness. God draws people in with his promises. When God promises, he keeps his word, but only in his time and in his way. 

God delights to do the impossible, like the virginal conception, because “nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). God became man in order to be God with us (Matthew 1:23). 

 When Mary heard the announcement that she would have a child, she had questions. She knows she cannot yet conceive a child since she is a virgin. She asks, "How will this be?" The answer comes from God and his overshadowing power. "Nothing is impossible with God." Mary simply responds in humble acceptance, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said." Consider the author of Hebrews 10:5-9: 

5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:

“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,

but a body you prepared for me;

6 with burnt offerings and sin offerings

you were not pleased.

7 Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—

I have come to do your will, my God.’” 

8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

 It was possible! God the Son was born as a baby, grew as a human being, and walked this earth as a man. God provided the way for our sins to be forgiven: “a body you prepared for me.” God did the impossible! This is hope from Christmas.

 To save us, Jesus Christ had to die for us. And to die for us, Christ had to be born for us. At Christmas, we tell the story of his incarnation and celebrate his birth. Christmas is when we see the dawning of hope. Because when Christ was born, hope was born with him—the hope that all who trust in Jesus and his death and resurrection for sin and guilt are not lost forever, but only separated from us for a time. We do not grieve as people without hope. Grief and sadness will give way to joy. Our hope and our confidence are rooted and grounded in Jesus Christ. 

Christmas Devotion for December 12

December 12 Christmas Devotion

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. Luke 1:34-28 NIV

What is Christmas about? It is how God keeps His Word in the coming of the God-man to bring us salvation by the forgiveness of our sins. Christmas is preparation for Good Friday, Easter, and Pentecost, for rescue from sin.

That God keeps His word and does so in His timing and in His way is a central truth that surrounds the incarnation in Luke 1-2. Jesus’ birth is shown to be part of a divine plan that involves both John the Baptist and Jesus. The account presents two unusual births: on the one hand, an old couple, and on the other, the virgin birth. And that God will keep his word is central to these two accounts. Further, Jesus’ birth is shown to be superior to John's. John is a prophet, while Jesus is the Son of God. “Nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).

Luke presents the virginal conception as part of “an orderly account” of actual history from eyewitnesses (Luke 1:1-4). It is important to note that while Christ’s birth was like other births, the reader can easily observe the significance of the virginal conception in the early chapters of Luke. In the first account in Luke 1:57-66 (see also the prediction in 1:5-25 and after birth response 1:67-80), Elizabeth is helped by the Holy Spirit because she was beyond childbearing years. In the second account in 2:1-21 (see also the prediction 1:26-56 and after birth response 2:22-40), Mary’s conception and birth of Jesus are significantly different from that of Elizabeth. In the account of Mary, Luke describes the unique virginal conception and birth. It is not presented as a myth or as having been borrowed from pagan birth stories.

Today, some see in the virgin birth pagan mythologizing. What is the big deal for Christianity? There are significant differences between pagan mythology and the Gospel writers’ accounts. A careful reading of the NT demonstrates that Christ’s birth was truly unique. Similarity does not mean sameness. Pagan mythologizing is profoundly different from what Gospel writers are asserting.

It should be noted that some so-called pagan virgin birth stories are not virgin birth stories. For example, Dionysus was born when a god (Zeus) disguised himself as a human and impregnated a human princess. This is not at all parallel to the role of the Holy Spirit in the Gospels. Mithra was born of a stone, not a virgin. The cult of Mithra in the Roman Empire dates to after the time of Christ. Mithraism is dependent on Christianity and not the other way around. The so-called pagan virgin birth stories are not even stories of virginal conceptions. They are not parallel to that of the New Testament.

When evaluating these “parallel” texts, keep in mind that the New Testament was in circulation by the late first century. If the so-called “parallel” accounts were written later than the first century AD, the New Testament writers could not have borrowed from them. It is also clearly necessary to read the actual ancient texts that describe pagan practices. These primary texts are the primary source on which to evaluate possible parallelisms. For the most part, they do not show parallels. In addition, there are patterns of Christian worship or Christian celebrations that developed later than the New Testament, which have nothing to do with whether the New Testament accounts of the life of Jesus are historically accurate.

The New Testament presents the virginal conception as true history, and Jesus’ birth is part of God’s divine plan. Since God kept His Word, we have hope.

Christmas Devotion for December 11

December 11

On Dec. 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made their first flight of an airplane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. On their fifth attempt, the plane under the control of Orville, embarked on a 12-second flight.

Rushing to the telegraph office, Wilbur sent this message: WE HAVE FLOWN FOR 12 SECONDS—WE WILL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!

When their sister, Katherine, received the telegram, so the story goes, she went to the newspaper office, told the editor about her brothers’ new flying machine, and informed him her brothers would be home for Christmas. This was his opportunity to set up an interview. He told her that it was nice, and he would be sure to put something in the paper regarding the boys.

On Dec. 19, the local paper placed the following headline on the sixth page of the paper: “Wright Brothers Home for Christmas.”

The most important story of the year—man’s first flight—and the editor missed it!

But even as exhausted, self-focused, world-mesmerized people rush right past the Lamb of God born in Bethlehem for us, let's not miss this story of a little town with a great privilege:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2 NIV

Jesus Christ is the promised hope. The most significant person ever, Jesus Christ, came from one of the most insignificant places, Bethlehem.

About six miles south of Jerusalem in the hill country of Judea is Bethlehem, the city where Jesus was born. Bethlehem means “the house of bread.” It was first called Ephrath (“fruitful). It was the burial place of Rachel (Gen 35:16) the home to Ruth and Boaz- “May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem” (Ruth 4:11). In Bethlehem David was anointed king over Israel by the prophet Samuel (1 Sam 16:1-13). Bethlehem became known as the “city of David” (Luke 2:4, 11).

Micah lived in the eighth century BC and ministered in the shadow of the coming Assyrian invasion (721 BC). Micah prophesied that from Bethlehem shall come forth “one who will be ruler over Israel” (Mic 5:2). It connected the promised Messiah with the house and line of David. The most notable characteristic of this Promised One ends the verse: “whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” This promised Shepherd King came from Bethlehem in time but was beyond time in that he came from eternity!

In the New Testament, King Herod attempted to squelch this threat to his rule (Matt. 2:1-4). Matthew quotes Micah 5:2, “For from [Bethlehem] shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel” (2:6), alluding to 2 Samuel 5:2, which describes David’s rightful kinship over that of Saul. By implication, Jesus is set over Herod as the true king.

The Gospel of Luke explains that Joseph and Mary journeyed to Bethlehem to register for a census decreed by Caesar Augustus (Luke 2:1-5). Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4) and returned later to Nazareth, where he was raised (Matt 2:23; Luke 2:39). After Jesus’ birth, Matthew tells us that “wise men from the east” came to Jerusalem to worship the one born as the king of the Jews (Matt 2:2-11).

The prediction of the location of the Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) is a clear pointer to the significance of the Messiah’s entry into this world. How will we respond to the news of Jesus’ birth? Too exhausted? Too self-focused or mesmerized by the world? Don’t overlook the obvious. Jesus is the promised Davidic king AND the promised hope of blessing to all the nations.

Let’s not miss the most significant person in history.

JOIN US FOR OUR CHRISTMAS SERIES THROUGHOUT DECEMBER AS WE DISCOVER GOOD TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY:

December 7: Good Tidings...According to Matthew

December 14: Good Tidings...According to Luke

December 21: Good Tidings...According to John

Join us for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (December 24) at 6:00 pm.

The Sunday Worship Service begins at 10:00 am. Join us!

Christmas Devotion for December 10

December 10

The Cross of Christ in this Season of Christmas.

Christmas is part of the big three (Christmas, Good Friday, Easter) for many people. Christmas (the birth of Jesus) is inseparable from Good Friday and Easter (his death and resurrection). We can view the nativity as the start of the salvation story fulfilled in the cross and resurrection, which are the center of Christian hope.

The eternal Son of God became a human being (John 1:14). He is fully God and Man, a full human being. The virginal conception is necessary to obtain both a true human nature and a completely divine nature. Therefore, His death is superior and sufficient to forgive anyone who believes specifically in Christ and his death and resurrection for sin. Why? Because he died as a substitute for our sins and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

Jesus was a human being. He was made like us in every way except for one: Jesus is perfectly Holy. This means he is like us in every way excerpt for sin. Hebrews 4:15 helps us understand: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 7:26-27 also clarifies: “such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.”

Since the fall of man in Genesis 3, every human father produces a son or daughter with his sin nature. However, the Lord Jesus Christ does not have a sin nature. Because of the virginal conception, he did not inherit the curse of depravity of Adam’s race. The virginal conception is essential!

In the person of Jesus Christ, Christians have a mediator, AND because Jesus is righteous and Holy, his righteousness is imputed to the believer when they believe in Jesus Christ. The simple but profound truth is that believers in Jesus have salvation: the forgiveness of sin. He is our hope!

He becomes a human being and dies on the cross for sinners, like me.

Christ’s sacrifice, unlike the Old Testament sacrifices, is once for all. Just before he dies, Christ cries, “It is finished” (John 19:30). In 1 Peter 2, the uniqueness of Christ’s sacrifice is greatly stressed. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree” (1Peter 2:24).

There is no more sacrifice for sin, Hebrews insists (Hebrews 10:26). Christ’s sacrifice is once for all, paying for our sins and grounding our forgiveness and our assurance before God — we don’t have to earn our way into God's presence, nor can we. All these things flow from the cross. They flow from the sacrifice of Christ. They flow from his shed blood.

All who transfer their faith to Jesus Christ, specifically in his death and resurrection for sin, will be forgiven.

Christmas Devotion for December 9

December 9 Meditation

Few words need a clearer definition than the word hope. Often, hope is reduced to wishful thinking, a positive attitude, or an optimistic outlook. Hope, however, is an expectation and anticipation that relies on God and his promises. Paul writes, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). With God as the foundation, we can have expectant hope in a confusing world.

When Joseph was pledged to be married, he discovered that Mary was pregnant (Matthew 1:18). How did Joseph discover Mary was pregnant? Matthew doesn’t tell us, but Mary likely told him. Joseph knew the child was not his. What should he do? While he could have exposed Mary to disgrace and even to death (Deuteronomy 22:20-21), Joseph chose the merciful option of a quiet divorce (Matthew 1:19). However, as her pregnancy progressed, her condition would have been obvious, and probably his own reputation would have been negatively affected because of their relationship.

Then God sent an angel who told Joseph that the child he and Mary would raise together was conceived by the Holy Spirit and would be the Savior of the world; He would be Immanuel, God with us.

Joseph chose to fear God and, despite the social shame, married Mary. Joseph obeyed the Lord and named the child Jesus. He embraced the responsibility of being a father to him (v. 25). God used Joseph’s actions to save the life of the Savior of the world. Joseph and Mary did not consummate their marriage until after Jesus was born, thus preserving her virginity. Mary conceived her Son as a virgin and gave birth to Him as a virgin (Matthew 1:23). When the child was born, Joseph named Him Jesus. He continued to obey God and went where God commanded to protect the child.

Joseph believed God’s explanation of Mary’s pregnancy. Joseph valued obedience to God, which cost him the right to value his own reputation. How about you? Does life have you down? Like Joseph, place your hope in the promises of God. Rediscover the Savior who rescues sinners from God’s judgment for the guilt of our sin. Romans 5:12 tells us, “For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” Transfer your faith to Jesus Christ. He is our expectant hope in a confusing world.

DISCOVER GOOD TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY:

December 7: Good Tidings...According to Matthew

December 14: Good Tidings...According to Luke

December 21: Good Tidings...According to John

Join us for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (December 24) at 6:00 pm.

The Sunday Worship Service begins at 10:00 am. Join us!

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Christmas Devotion for December 8

December 8 Christmas Devotion

“God with us.”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:26 NIV

On Christmas, we celebrate something quite wonderful: God entering our time and space. The eternal becomes temporal; the infinite becomes finite; the Word that created all things becomes flesh. God entered our time and space through the virginal conception. The virginal conception (virgin birth) explains how God the Son adds to Himself a human nature, how the Word became flesh. Simply stated, Mary conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit apart from the cooperation of man. It means that Mary was a virgin when Jesus was born.

How the virgin conception, resulting in the virgin birth, came about is found in Matthew and Luke: “before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 1:19); “for the child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 1:20); “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means “God with us”’ (Matt. 1:22-23); “he kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a son” (Matt. 1:25); in Luke 1:27, Mary is called a “virgin” twice; and in Mary’s own question in Luke 1:34, “How can this be since I am a virgin?” Mary receives her answer in the next verse: “The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

The virginal conception was the triune God’s supernatural means by which God the Son added to himself a human nature. The result is that in Jesus we truly meet God in full glory. It is essential because through it, God purposed to accomplish in Jesus Christ the nature, purpose, and significance of His work of salvation. “The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.” At the heart of Christianity and the gospel is the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from the “Word becoming flesh” (John 1:14) and the incarnate Son of God living and dying in our place as our Savior, there is no salvation.

Jesus had to be fully human and truly sinless to be our perfect substitute and accomplish God’s work of salvation. Without the incarnation, there is no death and resurrection for sin. Without Christmas, there is no Easter! When the sinner puts his faith in Christ’s death and resurrection alone, he can be assured that God has accomplished in Christ, exclusively and sufficiently, all that the sinner needs for forgiveness. This is what God purposed (but not all!) through the incarnation, which took place by the glorious and supernatural means of the virginal conception. This is the hope of Christmas.

May this Christmas season be a reminder that Jesus Christ assumed a human nature so that he could be the perfect Mediator between God and man, and may you find joy as you consider the surety of your salvation and as you glory in your great Redeemer.

Christmas Devotion for December 7

December 7 Christmas Devotions

The wonder and glory of Christmas begins with the beginning of time, with the eternal existence of the Son of God. John begins his Gospel not with the birth of Jesus or with his mission, but with his eternal existence. “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and was God” (John 1:1). In the beginning, the Son already was. When he was born a man, he has always been. He has always been with the Father. He has always been God. Everyone and everything has a beginning, but not the Son. When he was born as a man, he had always been God from eternity. And from before the beginning of time, Jesus had always been the Light. John records that he came and shone in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome the Light (John 1:1-14).

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:1-5 NIV

John takes us to the beginning of time. What (or who) is the Word? The Word is God’s self-expression; the Word is who God is. Jesus, when he was made flesh, knew God intimately in a way no one has ever known God. He was able to “explain” or “give a full account of him”. The one-of-a-kind son, “God no one has ever seen; God in his own right, who lives in closest relationship with the Father—that one has given full account of him.”

Jesus stood in a close relationship with God and could explain him. God (the Father) is God, and Jesus (the Son) is God. The Father and Jesus stand in the closest possible relationship to one another. When Jesus was a baby in the manger, He was secure in God the Father’s love and protection, no matter how fragile and vulnerable he was in his humanity as a baby. God sent him in the fullness of time, and everything surrounding the circumstances of Jesus’ coming was under God’s perfect control.

It is striking that while the world was made through Jesus, it rejected Jesus when he came to earth. “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (1:10-11). As the Creator, he created light and separated it from the darkness, but he himself was the Light that came into the world. And as Creator, not only did he create life, but he himself was the Life that came into the world. As John says in vv. 4–5, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all people; and the Light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.”

John writes that the light shines in the darkness, but darkness has not overcome it (1:5). Who was that baby born on Christmas Day? According to John, he was God, the Creator, the Light, and the Life. He was the eternal Son of God who has life in himself and who, like God, dwelt in inapproachable light in eternity past. It is this Word that, in Jesus, has become flesh and dwelt among us.

Why did the Word come into the world? Why did the Word become flesh? A lot of people in our culture and around the world don’t understand why Jesus was born. Likewise, many people don’t understand why Jesus died on the cross. But, at the center of the prologue is John’s teaching about the incarnation and about its primary purpose. The reason is found in the 1:12-13, “to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, to those he gave the right to become children of God, born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God”. We become God’s children only by being born, “not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel, failed to understand the necessity of this new, spiritual birth when Jesus told him: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” He thought Jesus was talking about a second physical birth. But Jesus explained that the birth he was talking about was a birth “of water and the Spirit,” that is, a birth characterized by spiritual renewal and transformation. That birth, Jesus explained, is like the wind. How do you know it’s there? By seeing it directly? No, by seeing its effects. When we look at leaves blowing in the wind, we think we see the wind, but what we are seeing is the effects of the wind.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

When we read about the baby lying in the manger, about Jesus’ life and ministry, and his death on the cross for our sins, we ought to see God’s glory. We ought to realize that what God did in and through Jesus ought to give us great occasion for wonder, praise, and worship. Is there any room in our busy Christmas schedule to marvel at the wonder and the glory of God in the Lord Jesus Christ?

“And the Word was made flesh and pitched his tent among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the one-of-a-kind Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

Christmas Devotions for December 6

December 6

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth;

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

’Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.*

What is striking from this Christmas Carol is the phrase, “the weary world rejoices.” If anything is true, we live in a weary world—weary of conflict, weary of war, weary of turmoil, and weary of the brokenness that humans experience. The Advent story chronicles the coming of Jesus Christ to earth. For a people born in sin and for a world damaged by sin, there is a reason to rejoice. Hope lay in a manger.

We must understand that the inescapable condition of sin infects every single human being and has scarred every aspect of creation. The only solution is divine intervention through a Savior. The only suitable Savior righteous enough to accomplish the task is God Himself.

In Matthew, Joseph is given two names for Mary’s baby. The first name is Jesus, which means God saves, “for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The second name refers to Isaiah 7:14, “they shall call his name Immanuel.” Immanuel means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). God kept a promise. God took on human flesh so that he might become one of us, a human being.

Jesus is God with us. Far from reducing Christ to a nativity set, “God with us” leads to an awe of the person of Jesus and his cross-work. Let this truth create space in the busyness of the season, and dwell on the person of Jesus Christ, who is both God and Man, who offered himself as the Lamb without blemish on a cross.

Through trust in Jesus Christ, the believer is forgiven. Christians celebrate a gift far more precious than anything money can buy. The hope of the universe is Jesus Christ.

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 NIV

Jesus is God and man. He came to save or rescue people from their sins through his death and resurrection. He came to serve. He came to die as a substitute for our sins. He came to rescue and to restore. He came to seek and to save the lost. He came to forgive. Anyone who turns to Christ and trusts in his cross work alone will be forgiven. Jesus is our hope, and Hope lay in a manger.

You are invited to Northmoreland Baptist Church as we discover GOOD TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY:

December 7: Good Tidings...According to Matthew

December 14: Good Tidings...According to Luke

December 21: Good Tidings...According to John

Join us for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service (December 24) at 6:00 pm.

The Sunday Worship Service begins at 10:00 am. Join us!