Month: December 2022

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
Hebrews 1:1-3

Finally

We have all been there before. Whether as a child waiting for that special Christmas gift; a mother or father waiting to meet their baby for the first time; or a seasoned worker longing for the day of retirement. Waiting is hard. Especially when the thing you are waiting for is going to be so amazing.

Can you imagine what it must have been like to wait for the Messiah? For thousands of years God’s people lived life based on promises. “He is coming, but not yet. He is going to be life changing. Just keep watching!” It must have been extremely difficult to live in a world of sin and pain in that state of waiting. But do you see what the writer of Hebrews is saying to you and me? We don’t have to live in wait. He has come.

The fact that Jesus Christ came into the world means that the glorious gift has come. He stands right before us and so we don’t have to wait to experience the joy he brings. He no longer says, “wait.” He says, “look.” Jesus, our gift, means we daily get to enjoy Jesus by our side sharing forgiveness, love, and comfort. What a joy to remember every day—he finally came!

Prayer:
Jesus, our Savior, thank you for renewing in me a daily appreciation for your coming into the world. You are our greatest gift, for which I thank you now and forever. Amen.

He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made . . . We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father.
John 1:2,3,14

A Savior Born to Dwell Among Us Bringing Glory

A well-loved Christmas hymn echoes the words that angels sang the night Jesus was born: “Gloria in Excelsis Deo!”—Latin for “Glory to God in the highest.” What a glorious sight that must have been. Shepherds caring for their sheep that night suddenly were surrounded by angels who announced that a child was born in Bethlehem. And the glory of the Lord shone around them—a brilliant light confirming that these were no ordinary messengers.

But the glory wasn’t theirs. They didn’t deserve the praise. “Glory to God!” they sang. But what was so glorious? An almost helpless babe lay in a crude makeshift cradle in a little town off the beaten path. A few lowly shepherds heard the news and went to see him. There was no glow coming from his bed, no angels visibly standing by, no evidence that anything remarkable was happening.

But that’s how the glory of God comes to us—hidden in the humble and lowly, concealed in the ordinary and unexpected. Don’t let looks deceive you. The Savior born to dwell among us brings glory. Heaven came to earth in that humble baby. The one through whom everything was created became one with his creation. The only Son of God became a man so that sinful humans would be forgiven and counted as children and heirs of God.

We see God’s glory most clearly, not in bright lights or jaw-dropping miracles, but in love that went to impossible lengths to serve and save us. Love that left the perfect joy of heaven to come to earth to free us and forgive us. We see God’s glory in that child—our Savior. In the Bible’s message, we see that glory by faith. One day, we will see God’s unveiled glory with our own eyes.

In this new year, may God open our eyes to see his glory more clearly through his Word every day.

Prayer:
Glory to God in the highest! In your hidden glory on earth, help me to see the perfect glory you have prepared for me in heaven. Amen.

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 . . . [He] came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:10,11,14

A Savior Born to Dwell Among Us Bringing Grace

Think of the people to whom you gave Christmas gifts this year. Now think of those from whom you received Christmas gifts. Maybe they include family, friends, co-workers, classmates, neighbors, a significant other. How many gifts were exchanged with complete strangers? Probably not many. What about those whom you would consider your enemies?

A gift given to someone who is completely undeserving, without any qualifications, expectations, or conditions, is called grace. And there is no story more full of grace than the story of Jesus.

At the beginning of time, God created human beings and gave them everything they could ever need. Deceived by the devil, they were discontent and wanted more. They rebelled against God and didn’t want him or his rules. Ever since, human beings have looked for ways to push God out of our lives. We want to be our own gods, seeking God’s blessings on our terms, living by rules that line up with our own self-serving interests and pleasures.

And yet God wanted to give us a gift—the greatest gift anyone could imagine—his own Son. A Savior. And how did people receive him? Many rejected him. Few rejoiced at his coming. Some tried to kill him, and they succeeded. The Son of God, who came to dwell among them as their Savior, was killed.

But God’s grace was at work. Jesus’ death was not the nail in the coffin that ended any hope of being loved by God. It was that which removed every nail from our coffin, so that sin and death can’t hold us, but we will rise to live with God forever.

Christmas is the story of God’s pure grace. In unconditional love, God came to save selfish sinners—you and me and all people—who didn’t deserve anything from him. He came to rescue those who hated him. Jesus is proof that we are loved unconditionally.

Prayer:
Of the Father’s love begotten, Jesus, you came in love to rescue me when I didn’t deserve it. Move me to receive your grace with rejoicing. Amen.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. . . The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
John 1:5,9

A Savior Born to Dwell Among Us Bringing Light

In many parts of the world, candles and strings of lights illuminate homes inside and out in the weeks before Christmas. In the northern hemisphere, where the daylight hours are short this time of year, those lights can make the days feel a little bit longer. One little light makes a difference.

Those lights can also point us to an important truth about Christmas. The Bible describes the natural condition of mankind as darkness. In the darkness that we call sin, we are helpless and vulnerable. Dangers lurk all around us. We can’t see God or anything that is truly good. We can’t see the path through life that ends up anywhere but death.

But Christmas changed all of that. A Savior was born to dwell among us to bring light into our darkness. He overcame the darkness of sin by his perfect life as the Son of God. He destroyed sin’s hold on our hearts and lives by his innocent death. The message of the Bible opens our eyes to see Jesus as the light that shines on the only path away from death to life that never ends.

When we trust and follow Jesus, we don’t grope around in dangerous darkness. We live in light that gives life and hope and freedom. Just as we need light to survive in this life, we need the light of Jesus to have eternal life.

The skies of Bethlehem lit up the night Jesus was born as angels announced his birth to shepherds. A special star in the sky, led wise men to find him there too. But the greatest light shining was the light lying in a manger, the light that drives out the darkness of sin and death with the promise of perfect life that never ends.

With each Christmas light that pierces the darkness of these December nights, remember Jesus, the Savior, born to dwell among us and bring true light into the world. He is the light that keeps shining long after the Christmas decorations are stored away.

Prayer:
Little Lord Jesus, thank you for bringing true light into our dark world. Let your light shine in my heart always. Amen.

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind . . . to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
John 1:4,12,13

A Savior Born to Dwell Among Us Bringing Life

The birth of a child is at the center of the Christmas story. In many ways, it looked like any other birth. Because of circumstances, Mary, the child’s mother, had to travel far away from home, and the baby was born in an animal shelter. But the same thing could have happened to other mothers in other towns in Israel at that time.

As ordinary as it seemed, that child born to Mary was no ordinary child. The child who took his first breath that night was the one who breathed life into the first people created and who gives life to you and me.

“In him was life,” the Bible says. That doesn’t just mean that he was alive. It means that life belongs to him. He gives life and gave you life. If you have children or grandchildren, he gave them life too.

But through Jesus, we also receive an even more profound and important kind of life. “To those who believed in his name,” the Bible says, “he gave the right to become children of God.”

Jesus, the Son of God, came to dwell among us in human flesh and blood. He came to be a part of our human family, so that we could be part of the eternal family of God. By living the perfect life that we have failed to live, Jesus earned a place for us in God’s family. That means we have a perfect, eternal home—not in a lowly animal shelter but in the mansions of heaven!

The birth of Jesus is not the only birth in the Christmas story. As the Christmas carol sings, Jesus was “born to give us second birth.” As God leads you to see and trust that baby as your Savior, you are born again as a child of God, set free from guilt, shame, and death. You have new life—eternal life—in Jesus. What a gift!

Prayer:
Jesus, you were born to give me new birth. Help me live as your child. Amen.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . 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.
John 1:1,14

A Savior Born to Dwell Among Us Bringing Truth

Everyone likes a good story. Christmas is full of good stories. Our family has dozens of children’s Christmas books and several Christmas movies we enjoy reading or watching every year. Stories about moments and memories, sweets and surprises.

But almost all of those stories are fiction. They didn’t really happen. The characters are all made up. The plot lines, even if they are believable, are just the product of someone’s imagination.

The most important Christmas story might sound like another myth or fairy tale, except that the writer of that story made sure to include many verifiable historical details. It is a true story.

The Bible says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” The Word is the Son of God himself. He became a human being. He was born to dwell among us. We know him as Jesus.

It is his birth that we just celebrated. In the little town of Bethlehem, a woman named Mary had a child. She laid him in a manger, an animals’ feed box, and angels sang about his birth. It is a true story.

That child, Jesus, was “full of grace and truth.” He embodied truth. He didn’t embellish the truth. He didn’t cover up the truth or twist it to serve an agenda. Jesus came to dwell among us to be and live and speak the truth.

The truth of a God who came to save a world consumed by self-serving lies. The truth of a God who loves you more than you can imagine. The truth of a God who made his home on earth, so you have a home with him in heaven.

The world wants to put Bethlehem in the same category as the North Pole, Whoville, and Bedford Falls. But the story of what happened there is true. And it is your story. Jesus came for you. Believe it! Celebrate it!

Prayer:
Jesus, help me believe and celebrate the truth of your birth as my Savior. Amen.

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
John 1:11,12

The Gift

Picture this, it is Christmas morning, and the kids are up well before the sunrise. They wake up dad and mom and run downstairs to the tree. To their delight, the presents are wrapped and stacked up under the tree. They begin shaking the presents and figuring out which one is theirs. The air is filled with the sounds of laughter and excited giggles and Christmas music in the background. Finally, it is time to open presents, and one of the children stands up, gives a wave of his hand, and with a frown, says, “no thanks,” before walking away to find something else to do.

Yeah, right! That’s a pretty unrealistic story, isn’t it? Who doesn’t love opening gifts? Who doesn’t love receiving gifts from loved ones—gifts that are unearned and undeserved?

Actually, that’s what many people have done with the greatest gift ever given. Our Bible reading today reminds us that many did not receive Jesus and had no interest in the gift of a Savior. It’s still true. There are many in this world who have no interest in Jesus.

And even those who know Jesus as God’s greatest gift are sometimes not as interested in spending time with him as he deserves. We all have so much going on in our lives and are so busy. We have to work so many hours and have other obligations.

Let’s change that. Let’s spend more time with the One who always has time for us. Let’s receive and appreciate and cherish the gift. Let’s spend time with Jesus and his Word. Let’s talk to him more often and make time for him in our lives. Thank God today and every day for his gift of a Savior.

Prayer:
Dear God, what a wonderful gift you have given to me in Jesus! Help me never to always appreciate what he has done for me. Amen.

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 1:1-5

A Promise Kept

It doesn’t seem to be a hot topic now, at least not as hot as it was in the past. Or maybe it’s just not getting the attention it once did. It’s the debate between “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Holidays”. Rather than spending time on this debate, we are better off spending a few minutes thinking about why we can say”“Merry Christmas” and have it mean more than another superficial holiday greeting.

Why can we wish others a heartfelt “Merry Christmas!”? Focus again on what the apostle Paul wrote in our Bible reading for today. It is not about the night before Christmas when all through the house, not a creature was stirring. It is about the centuries before Christmas when all through the Bible, God’s prophets were revealing a promise, the gospel, the good news, regarding God’s Son.

It is not about whether we have been naughty or nice. (We are all naughty—corrupt by nature and sinful even now.) It is about Jesus Christ our Lord, who became true man—a descendant of David—and as true God gave his perfect life in payment for sin. His resurrection from the dead assures us of victory over sin, death, and the devil.

“Merry Christmas” is not about a wish list that may or may not be satisfied by gifts under a tree. It is about the grace and peace that are ours through God-given faith. It is about belonging to Jesus Christ.

For us, the greeting “Merry Christmas” is about a promise kept—God’s promise and God’s keeping.

May you be blessed in God’s keeping by the promise he kept of sending his Son to be our Savior. Merry Christmas!

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, grant me a Christmas blessed by the gift of your Son, and make me a blessing to others as I share with them your promise kept in him. Amen.

Regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:3,4,7

He Comes to Give Ultimate Peace

I don’t think the first Christmas was as peaceful as we might picture. It was more of a frantic scramble. The time had come for the baby to be born while Mary and Joseph were far from home. They scrambled to find a place to give birth, but there was no room in the inn. So she placed him in a manger, a feeding trough. She must have given birth among the animals. Maybe in a stable.

It was into this world that seriously lacks true peace our Savior has come. He came to bring peace. Maybe we question that at times. Life so often still seems like a frantic scramble. The world around us still lacks real and lasting peace. What we see is division, violence, and war. Where is this peace?

We see it in a manger. Peace came to earth because Jesus Christ came to earth. Peace between God and you. Peace declared from heaven, “We’re not at odds anymore. Your sins are forgiven. I don’t hold anything against you. We are at peace!”

Let’s marvel at the manger this Christmas, but let’s make sure we see more than just a cute baby. The baby is truly a man, born of Mary. He’s also truly God who came into the world to bring real and lasting peace. He grew up and lived a perfect life as your stand-in. His perfect life brings you peace with God. That baby became a grown man and was nailed to the cross with all your sins. His death brings peace between you and God.

And how do you know he’s really God? He proved it by rising form the dead. The empty tomb is proof that his promises are not empty. It proves he’s really God and that you have true peace with God. Grace and peace to you from God, our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer:
Come Lord Jesus and fill my heart with a peace that surpasses all understanding. Amen.