JESUS light OF WORLDTHE 10 Christmas Reflections on the Life and Light of Christ
10 Christmas Reflections on the Life and Light of Christ JESUS light OF WORLDTHE
COVER IMAGE Tanya Shulga © Shutterstock.com EDITORIAL TEAM Paul Brinkerhoff, Tom Felten, Tim Gustafson, Regie Keller, Becky Knapp, Monica La Rose, and Peggy Willison ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. © 2022 Our Daily Bread Ministries® • All rights reserved. Printed in the UK.
Their bikes were found outside the mouth of the Tham Luang cave in Thailand, and families feared the worst. Rescue
The waters inside the cave rose, and the cave flooded. The soccer team found refuge on a narrow shelf of rock. There they were stranded, trapped.
INTRODUCTION | KENNETH PETERSEN THE LIGHT OF CHRIST
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n late June 2018, twelve teen members of a Thai football team biked into the foothills. Exploring the forests and caves after a football practice was their favourite thing to do. They had great fun in one cave especially, sometimes venturing five miles into it. There they often performed an initiation rite: scrawling the names of new team members on the cave wall.
The cave system posed dangers: people had got lost in it and even died. It was especially dangerous in monsoon season when rains came. But the boys knew the cave system well and safely played there often.
On this particular day, the team had walked into the cave maybe two and a half miles. They were unaware that while they were there it had started to rain. In fact, it was a heavy, relentless downpour.
What must it have been like to be stranded in darkness— lost, terrified, without hope? In many ways, we’re all just like those boys. We live in a dark world. Sometimes our circumstances seem hopeless. Often the darkness is within us, the pitch-black void of our own sin. We try to make our own light for a time, but our energy for positive thinking runs Christmas,out.as the world celebrates it, is often a hollow show of artificial lights that masks the darkness of the cave all its inhabitants are trapped in. It’s easy to get caught up in the pretence of twinkle, failing to remember what true Christmas really is.
The football team lived in darkness for what must have felt like manyThelifetimes.attention of the whole world pivoted to the fate of the boys. International assistance was offered, and an elite rescue team was formed. A plan emerged to pump out as much water as possible to allow Navy SEAL divers deeper access into the cave before having to go underwater.
Then, nine days after the boys had entered the cave, they saw a light.
was not a simple matter: the waters were still rising, their currents strong. The path into the cave was a treacherous labyrinth for divers to navigate. One plan was to pump water out of the cave, but that would be a mammoth operation. Trapped inside, the boys were in complete darkness. They had flashlights but had to use them sparingly, and as their ordeal continued for days, they ran out of battery power.
True Christmas starts not with lights on a string but with our personal darkness—the life we sometimes feel lost and trapped in. True Christmas isn’t about glitter and tinsel, but about our realisation of how desperately we need to be rescued.
A diver’s head bobbed up from the water, his flashlight shining a glow around the boys huddled together, cold but now bearing hopeful faces.
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (JOHN 8:12).
The true meaning of Christmas is about how this Light rescues us from our darkness: “I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” (LUKE 2:30–32).
Yes, the true meaning of Christmas starts with the realisation of our own darkness. It celebrates the light of Jesus Christ illuminating that darkness. And it becomes the encouragement—the hope of Christ—that we’ll someday be delivered into the light of His presence. Praise God!
The boys would have to remain in the cave on the rock ledge for days longer before they were actually brought out. And that’s like every one of us who trusts Jesus, isn’t it? Even though we have Christ—true Christmas—in our hearts, we must for a time live our lives in a dark world. Christmas celebrates the encouragement brought by our Light, Jesus Christ, who guides us as we wait for final deliverance. As the apostle Paul writes, “We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently)” (ROMANS 8:24–25).
One night more than two thousand years ago, Christ was born, emerging from the dark waters of our history and shining into the world a glowing circle of hope.
One boy said, “Thank you for rescuing us!”
At Christmas this year, perhaps we might say in unison with that young Thai soccer player, “Thank you for rescuing us!”
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | JOHN 12:44–46 44 Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. 45 For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.”
Candlelight services are one of my favourite Christmas traditions because of the wonder of watching the flickering light pierce the darkness. It’s a beautiful reminder that the baby Jesus we celebrate on Christmas Eve came “as a light to shine in this dark world” (JOHN 12:46). Christ Himself declared that His purpose in coming to earth was “so that all who put their trust in [Him] will no longer remain in the dark” (V. 46).
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Jesus came as a human because He didn’t want anyone to have to stay in that darkness (1:9; 12:46). Instead, He offers us light, in the form of a relationship with Him, so that we can know peace and joy. And once we have His light living in us, we can shine as lights to a hurting world (MATTHEW 5:14). LISA M. SAMRA
o JOHN 12:46 DAY
uring our church’s Christmas Eve service, one lit candle burned brightly on the platform. After singing carols together and hearing the nativity story, the lights were turned off and a darkness settled on the room. As the a cappella sounds of “Silent Night” filled the sanctuary, candles throughout the room were lit one by one from the platform candle until the dark room glowed with light.
I have come as a light to shine in this dark world.
SHINING IN THE DARKNESS
Like the feeling of sitting in a dark sanctuary, there’s a harsh reality of living in darkness: the confusion of feeling alone, the discour agement and pain of suffering, the disorienting feeling of our own helplessness.
When have you experienced piercing light in the darkness? How has knowing Jesus illuminated your life?
Jesus, help me to shine Your light living in me to others.
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16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.
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TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | JOHN 1:9–18 9
The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognise him. 11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”
The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
JAMES BANKS
How has God’s true light made a difference in your life? In what practical way can you share His love with another today? God of light and life, I praise You for rescuing me from the darkness. Please help me to shine Your light today!
rom the top of a hotel shines one of the brightest, most visible beams of light on earth. It’s so bright that a book could be read from its light miles away in space. At night, it also attracts insects, bats that feed on them, and owls that eat the bats. The city lights recently attracted a huge swarm of grasshoppers from miles around, dazzled by that unusually brightThebeam.lightthat shines from heaven is brighter still. But far from feeding any food chain, this divine source of light gives life to all who will come. John described it this way: “The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognise him. . . . But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God”
THE TRUE LIGHT
(JOHN 1:9–10, 12).
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world” (8:12). The light of His perfect, loving life shines as the one true beacon of hope for everyone on earth who longs to come out of the darkness. Through His cross and empty tomb, Jesus welcomes us to believe in Him and receive forgiveness, so that even we may become God’s cherished sons and daughters, and begin life anew in His love.
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o JOHN 1:9 DAY
5 God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”
Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
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2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
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TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | GENESIS 1:1–5
And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.
And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.
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In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
GUIDING LIGHT
o GENESIS 1:3 DAY
Finally, a patron quietly pushed back his chair, walked over to a waiter and asked a simple question. “Could you turn on the lights?”
Loving God, we thank You for Jesus, the Light of the World, and the guiding light of His great love.
In what situation do you need Christ’s light to shine? When has His light guided you?
he restaurant was lovely but dark. Only one small candle flickered on every table. To create light, diners used their smartphones to read their menus, look to their tablemates and even to see what they were eating.
Before long, a warm ceiling light flashed on, and the room erupted with applause—but also with laughter. And happy chatter. And thank-yous. My friend’s husband turned off his phone, picked up his utensils, and spoke for us all. “Let there be light! Now, let’s eat!”
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Our gloomy evening turned festive with the flick of a switch. But how much more important to know the real source of true light. On the first day when God created the universe, He spoke the astonishing words “Let there be light” and there was light (GENESIS 1:3). Then “God saw that the light was good” (V. 4). Light expresses God’s great love for us. His light points us to Jesus, “the light of the world” (JOHN 8:12), who guides us from the gloom of sin. Walking in His light, we find the bright path to a life that glorifies the Son. He’s the world’s brightest gift. As He shines, may we walk His way.
PATRICIA RAYBON
For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 4:6
TONY EVANS I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life. JOHN 8:12
2 CORINTHIANS
Jesus is the light who reveals spiritual life. He is the Light of Life. That cannot be said of anybody else.
The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine.
CORRIE TEN BOOM
The perfect motive is that God so loved the world.
The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him.
Who can add to Christmas?
The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life.
ISAIAH 9:2 May we expect and experience the Messiah bringing fresh light, life and help into our daily journey with Him. PATRICIA RAYBON
This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 1 JOHN 1:5 When Christ was born so was our hope. MAX LUCADO
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5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practising the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.8If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | 1 JOHN 1:1–10
10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.
We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. 2 This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.
What does it mean for you to walk in the light of Christ?
As a part of His perfect plan, God chose to send Jesus, His only Son, to bring light to our troubled world. As John wrote, “God is light, in him there is no darkness at all” (1 JOHN 1:5). Christ pushed back the darkness of sin and death as He shared the good news of life and forgiveness (VV. 2, 9). Because of Him, we can live “in the light, as God is in the light,”. . . for “the blood of Jesus . . . cleanses us from all sin” (V. 7).
THE POWER OF LIGHT E
God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.
ven as the darkness of death was present in his sickly body, Augustin-Jean Fresnel persisted in working on his powerful light. Finally, in the early 1820s, he tested the first Fresnel lens in France’s Cordouran lighthouse. The lens—a ring of beehive-like prisms—allowed sailors navigating dark, troubled waters to glimpse life-saving beams many, many nautical miles from land. Called “the invention that saved a million ships,” Fresnel’s work was featured in thousands of lighthouses by the 1860s. Although he died of tuberculosis in 1827 at just thirty-nine years old, the light from his lens would save the lives of countless seafarers over the coming decades.
o 1 JOHN 1:5 DAY
In what practical ways can you shine for Him?
Jesus, thank You for the light You’ve brought to this world and to my heart. Please help me, by Your power, to radiate Your love and ways.
Like Fresnel, Jesus also died in his thirties, but He rose again— providing light and life for all who believe in Him (ACTS 16:31). In Christ, we find the power we need to walk in His light. TOM FELTEN
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To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?
7 He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.
Who has believed our message?
9 He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.
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And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | ISAIAH 53:1–9
My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground.
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He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
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Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
8 Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people.
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him.
3 He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.
How can you make praising Jesus part of your Christmas celebration? What does His sacrifice on the cross mean to you?
o PSALM 63:3 DAY
Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!
As I began to turn away from our humble decor, I glimpsed a red, heart-shaped ornament with a simple phrase scripted on it—Jesus, My Saviour. How could I have forgotten that my family and my hope in Christ are the reasons I love celebrating Christmas? Our simple tree looked nothing like the trees in the storefronts, but the love behind every decoration made it beautiful. Like our modest tree, the Messiah didn’t meet the world’s expectations in any way (ISAIAH 53:2). Jesus “was despised and rejected” (V. 3). Yet, in an amazing display of love, He still chose to be “pierced for our rebellion” (V. 5). He endured punishment, so we could enjoy peace (V. 5). Nothing is more beautiful than that. With renewed gratitude for our imperfect decorations and our perfect Saviour, I stopped longing for glitz and praised God for His glorious love. Sparkling adornments could never match the beauty of His sacrificial gift—Jesus.
Loving God, please help me see the beautiful love reflected through the magnitude of Your sacrifice.
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NO GLITZ, JUST GLORY
XOCHITL DIXON
ooking at the handmade Christmas ornaments my son Xavier crafted over the years and the annual mismatched baubles Grandma had sent him, I couldn’t figure out why I was not content with our decorations. I’d always valued the creativity and memories each ornament represented. So, why did the allure of the retail stores’ holiday displays tempt me to desire a tree adorned with perfectly matched bulbs, shimmering orbs and satin ribbons?
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | LUKE 1:67–79 67 Then his father, Zechariah, was filled with the Holy Spirit and gave this prophecy: 68 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed his people. 69 He has sent us a mighty Saviour from the royal line of his servant David, 70 just as he throughpromisedhisholyprophets long ago. 71 Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. 72 He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant— 73 the covenant he swore with an oath to our ancestor Abraham. 74 We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear, 75 in holiness and righteousness for as long as we live. 76 “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. 77 You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. 78 Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”
o LUKE 1:78–79 DAY
The morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness.
e’re going to give God all the glory right now.” The organ plays, the choir begins to sway, and the congregation starts to sing. But this is no church service, and the speaker is no preacher. Instead, it’s a rap artist at the Glastonbury music festival. That night he leads the onehundred-thousand-strong crowd to sing a gospel song about being “broken” and unworthy of God’s help but “blinded” by His grace. This spiritual interlude in a secular festival may seem surprising, but I think it makes sense. One British poll found that a fifth of those who don’t believe in Jesus pray during a crisis, suggesting that deep down a surprising number of people are ‘religious’. A time comes when we realise that we’re broken and need Someone greater than us to fix our dark world.
So, with Zechariah, let’s thank God that the Light has come this Christmas. With that rap artist, let’s marvel at its blinding brilliance. And let’s pray that one day every stage will announce Jesus’ arrival and every heart prepare Him a home.
Why is it vital for us to grasp our unworthiness and brokenness before God? Into what area of life do you need His light to shine? Jesus, Light of the World, though I’m unworthy, You came to save me. Today I’m amazed again by Your grace!
SHERIDAN VOYSEY
An answer to these prayers came on the first Christmas. At the news of Jesus’ coming birth, Mary sang of corrupt leaders being brought low (LUKE 1:52), and Zechariah sang that a light had come “to give light to those who sit in darkness” (V. 79). After Christ’s birth, angels sang of peace coming to earth (2:13–14). Through Jesus, an unworthy world was about to receive God’s help.
BLINDED BY GRACE “ W
“Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see.
Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you.
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | ISAIAH 60:1–3 1
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All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance.”
For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you.
AMY BOUCHER PYE
“Arise, Jerusalem! Let your light shine for all to see. For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you.”
THE LIGHT OF LIFE O
How has Jesus brought light into your life? How could you share His light with others today?
Jesus, light of the world, shine on me, that I might spread Your light in my community.
o ISAIAH 60:1 DAY
ur church meets the first Sunday of Advent for a Christingle service followed by a tea party. The UK at this time of year can feel damp and dreary, so embracing the light of Christ through the symbol of a Christingle brings not only cheer but also hope. As the church is darkened, we sit in expectant silence as each child holds a Christingle, which is an orange tied with a red ribbon. It has a lighted white candle on top and is poked with four toothpicks holding raisins. The orange symbolises the world, the candle points to the light of Christ, the red ribbon marks His blood and the raisins represent the fruits of the earth. Seeing the many flames dotted around the room makes me thankful for Christ’s light in theGoddarkness.toldHis people, the Israelites, that He was their light: “The glory of the Lord rises to shine on you” (ISAIAH 60:1). Although the earth had been shrouded in darkness, God would beckon nations to Himself through His light in their midst (VV. 2–3). In the New Testament, God’s Son, Jesus, revealed Himself as the light of the world, saying that whoever follows Him will never walk in darkness (JOHN 8:12).
If we feel like we’re surrounded by darkness, we can trust that God shines His light through Jesus. We can hold on to the truth that with Him we’ll always have the light of life.
JOHN 1:4–5
Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased. LUKE 2:14 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.
JOHN 12:46
Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most.
Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world. C. S. LEWIS
The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
RUTH CARTER STAPLETON
So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
Those who do not turn on the Light called Jesus Christ are walking in a dark world and they do not know . . . they are spiritually dead. But they do not have to be like that. All they have to do is turn on the light called Jesus. All they have to do is listen to Him and follow Him. They will never stumble again, and they will see clearly.
JOHN 1:14
TONY EVANS
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | LUKE 2:36–38
36 Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. 37 Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshipping God with fasting and prayer.
38 She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem.
ling Maita’s wrinkled face beams with loving light whenever I visit her on the busy street corner where she sells fried bananas (Aling is a title of respect for older women in the Philippines). She always asks me how I am, giving her usual reminder: “Always pray! Always trust God!” Now eighty years old, she spends her days reading her pocket Bible as she sells her wares in the scorching Manila heat. The sight of her bowed, silver-haired head and her rough hands tenderly holding the tattered pages remind me of what devotion to Jesus means.
Aling Maita also reminds me of the prophetess Anna, an elderly widow who recognised Jesus as the Messiah when His parents brought Him to the temple. Anna’s devotion to God characterised her life. “She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshipping God with fasting and prayer” (LUKE 2:37). The patriarchal traditions of ancient Jewish society made widows vulnerable to neglect and exploitation, but Anna didn’t allow this marginalisation to define her. Instead, she chose to let devotion to God define her and her days. In her old age, God rewarded Anna’s faith by letting her see the Messiah.
Unlike Anna, who had to wait to see Jesus, we can readily enjoy His presence. Like Aling Maita, may we live our days with our hearts bowed and our hands lifted in praise to Jesus, the only One who deserves our devotion.
o LUKE 2:37 DAY
[Anna] never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshipping God with fasting and prayer.
What does the word devotion mean to you? Who or what is the object of your devotion? Dear God, let each day of my life and everything I do be defined by devotion to You.
DEVOTED A
KAREN HUANG
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TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | LUKE 2:1–12
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And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He travelled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, to whom he was engaged, who was now expecting a child.
That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Saviour—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognise him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
o LUKE 2:12 DAY
You will recognise him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.
JOHN BLASE
The characters in the birth narratives of Jesus are important in that they all played vital roles in the unfolding story: Joseph, a “descend ant of King David” (LUKE 2:4); Mary, “to whom he was engaged” and “expecting a child” (V. 5); the shepherds, “guarding their flocks” (V. 8), and a radiant “angel of the Lord” (V. 9). But the focus of the entire scene, the key to Christmas, the “sign” on which everything else depended way back then and still today is “the Messiah, the Lord . . . [the] baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger” (VV. 11–12).
CENTREPIECE OF OUR LIVES
Which of the human characters in the nativity do you resonate with the most? What can you do this season and throughout the year to ensure that Christ stays the centrepiece of your life? Jesus, thank You for inviting me into Your grand story. Help me as I seek to live so that all glory and honour always goes to You.
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wo key characters were suddenly missing from our little town’s nativity scene—Mary and the baby Jesus. I did a doubletake as I drove by. My first thought was to put out a missing person’s report with the local authorities, but then I didn’t quite know what I’d say. Everyone was there, but the two. We’d just had a terrible windstorm, so maybe they’d been blown away. Then again, perhaps criminal activity was at play, and someone stole them (as strange as that may sound). Either way, the nativity scene simply wasn’t the same without them and especially without Him.
Our lives and the roles we play in the ongoing narrative of God’s redemption story are vitally important. But the main character was and is and always will be our beautiful Saviour, Christ the Lord. He’s no longer the baby but the King who reigns forever and ever.
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TODAY’S SCRIPTURE | ROMANS 15:5–13
7 Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.
8 Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors. 9 He also came so that the Gentiles might give glory to God for his mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote: “For this, I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to your name.”
12 And in another place Isaiah said, “The heir to David’s throne will come, and he will rule over the Gentiles. They will place their hope on him.”
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. 6 Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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10 And in another place it is written, “Rejoice with his people, you Gentiles.”
11 And yet “Praiseagain,the Lord, all you Gentiles. Praise him, all you people of the earth.”
o ROMANS 15:13 DAY
Where are you still waiting and longing to see the results of Christ’s victory? What experiences of God’s love and grace can you look to for encouragement and hope?
Loving God, help me to once more learn to live with the hope and joy of a child.
Then, every day, those of us who have put our faith in Jesus experience the priceless gift of having been welcomed into the family of God, a family united by the Spirit’s unconditional love (VV. 5–7). Every day we can experience the joy and freedom of living through the power of Jesus’ Spirit (V. 13). And every day is a fresh opportunity to lift up once more our gratitude and praise to Him (VV. 5–6). MONICA LA ROSE
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
And no matter how much of that victory we can’t yet see (ROMANS 8:24–25), each of us today can experience the kind of joy that’s grounded in genuine hope (15:4) when we begin to comprehend what God’s done and that He did it for us.
M y five-year-old niece, Annica, was puzzled. If it wasn’t Christmas yet, why were there already Christmas lights up? And wreaths? As I explained that Christmas is not just one day but a season, her eyes widened with wonder. “It’s Christmas every day!” she exclaimed, jumping up and down and clapping her hands for joy. That moment remains for me a priceless picture of pure joy—the kind that naturally and spontaneously bursts into celebration. Annica was profoundly right—it is Christmas every day. Each day has been transformed by the reality we celebrate each Christmas—that God chose to enter our world, share our pain and forever defeat evil and death (HEBREWS 2:14–15).
CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY!
Invited to speak to the mums, I felt inadequate and uncertain. Many in the room seemed so young, barely able to put into words their hurt and despairing feelings. Or maybe they’d never been asked how they felt. Instead, they’d been advised to give their bitterness to Jesus. But these young mothers seemed confused by such counsel, some showing anger and frustration. Sitting around a long folding table in the gloom of January, after Christmas lights and decorations had been put away, many young mums sat silent with arms crossed, showing no joy and little hope. What, O Lord, can I say to them? How can I share Your light? With Christmas over, I couldn’t take them upstairs to the humble but lovely sanctuary—stand with them under decorated trees, inviting them to enjoy pretty lights and sing a merry carol. Their faces showed they needed something more, indeed.
A FINAL THOUGHT | PATRICIA RAYBON HIS LIGHT FOR ALL
It was winter and dark. The church programme that week night was sombre too. Mothers who’d lost sons and daughters to gun violence—one victim still a baby—were meeting in a church basement for their monthly support group.
But now with Jesus in their midst, “the people living in darkness have seen a great light,” the prophet Isaiah had prophesied. “For those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined” (MATTHEW 4:16). Or, as John the apostle had taught about Jesus, “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone” (JOHN 1:4).
But Jesus Himself would’ve seen similar faces among the hurting people during His time on earth. In Capernaum, where He moved after hearing about the arrest of John the Baptist, He’d left behind rejection and doubt in His hometown of Nazareth. In Capernaum—a busy seaside village—He encountered yet more despairing, hurting souls.
This way of Jesus can seem too simple. But shining His light is more than plugging in twinkly lights in December. During any time of year, sharing His light is loving people by showing they matter—that they’re seen and heard as Jesus would hear and see them. Thus, I asked, How are you? What, O Lord, can I say to them? How can I share Your light?
In fact, in Capernaum, Jesus would perform some of His most compassionate and life-giving miracles. He healed the centurion’s son (MATTHEW 8:5–13), the paralytic (LUKE 5:17–26), the nobleman’s son (JOHN 4:46–53) and Simon Peter’s mother-inlaw (MARK 1:30–31). In Capernaum, He cast out an unclean spirit (MARK 1:21–25), raised Jairus’ daughter to life (LUKE 8:40–56) and healed the woman with the issue of blood (MARK 5:21–42). Longing in a church basement to reflect His light and life, I offered Christ to them, not by turning on holiday lights, but by asking the young mums a simple question. “How are you feeling tonight?” I confessed to them that I was feeling unsure. So, I asked them, “Before I talk, how are you?”
Offering Christ’s light, I learned that night, was offering the same. Taking a chance, I shared what I’d brought along, almost at the last minute—a handout on grief. Not all the mums had been offered grief counselling, and I’m not a licensed counsellor. But by hearing that grief moves in stages, many seemed eager to learn more about that emotion—more willing to acknowledge their dark pall, then replace their sadness with hope, open their hearts to receive the kind love of Jesus, our healing Saviour, but also the world’s glorious Light. Then, as He shines, we all finally see. We’re not alone. No matter our status or circumstances.
One by one, the young mums raised their hands to talk— some barely whispering, others starting to cry. Longing for them to see Christ and His light, I determined to listen well to their
Taking the child Jesus into his arms, Simeon praised God, saying: “I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!” (LUKE 2:30–32).
answers—desiring to imitate Jesus in how He listened so powerfully to the despairing in Capernaum.
To the bleeding woman who touched the hem of His garment, He simply asked, “Who touched me?” (LUKE 8:45). His question wasn’t condemnation. It showed love, concern, availability for healing and compassionate help.
In the Scriptures, old Simeon confirmed this truth when, led by the Holy Spirit, he finally saw the Messiah—the child Jesus—with His parents in the temple.
We can find in Him our light of salvation too—from even our darkest situations. May the light of Christ lead us to what we all need most—His shining love.
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Celebrate the of His Presence
—Xochitl Dixon We have all experienced darkness. Jesus said, “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark” (John 12:46 NLT). His light rescues us and illuminates our shadows. He asks us to trust Him. As you read these 10 devotions during this Christmas season, may they reignite the astonishment and wonder you experience when He brings light into your world with His presence—as He does for all of us. light
XN432
God promises to be our light in the darkness, offering us tangible help and everlasting hope.