While working on a survey crew as a nineteenyear-old, I fell thirty-eight feet into a dry creek bed. By all rights, the accident should have killed me. My recovery took months.
As I lay in a hospital bed, the wife of the elderly patient in the bed next to mine expressed her deep concern for me— and not merely for my physical health. Through her wonderful, caring words, I began to comprehend the vital importance of the life of Jesus and what it meant to me personally. She told me things I hadn’t really stopped to think about before. What would’ve happened if I’d died that awful day? Where would I be?
With all the time in the world to think about these crucial questions, I came to realize I was missing something. And I made a life-changing decision: I would attend Bible college. That wasn’t the answer, however. The answer was Jesus Himself, and it was during that first semester of college that I finally put my faith in Him.
Immediately, I began to hunger to learn more about God. As a very young believer in Christ, I had the privilege of hearing the great African American preacher Shadrach Meshach Lockridge speak on creation. His dramatic style of speaking captivated me. As I recall it, his sermon began something like this: “A long, long time ago, way back when there was nothing but God, God reached out and grabbed a big handful of nothing and declared, ‘Be something.’ And it was.”
Rev. Lockridge echoes what John the disciple wrote in his account of the life of his friend Jesus.
John writes:
In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. (JOHN 1:1-4)
This account intentionally echoes the Genesis story of creation: John later explains that this pre-existent “Word” is Jesus. According to the Genesis account, God created the heavens and the earth (1:1). By John’s reckoning, the primary agent of creation was Christ—the living Word. He says, “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 1:14). This Son came to live and die—for us. In perhaps his most famous passage, John tells us:
This is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. (JOHN 3:16-17)
Another section of the Bible, the fascinating letter to the Hebrews, elaborates on the mission of this God who came to live among us:
The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven. (HEBREWS 1:3)
Many people know the Christmas story, but we don’t often stop to think about the immense sacrifice Christ made on our behalf. We fail to consider where He came from, what He endured, and what He offers us.
The following pages of this booklet contain ten devotional articles that examine different aspects of the life of the one who stepped into our world—the God who is with us. Our prayer is that you’ll read them carefully, along with the brief Scripture passage on the facing page. We pray that you’ll take the reality of Jesus to heart, as I did in that hospital bed.
We fail to consider where jesus came from, what he endured, and what he offers us. l ove.
In essence, I didn’t have a fall from grace, as the saying goes. I had a fall into grace. My accident led to the conversations and subsequent reflection that would lead me to my Creator, my Rescuer—the one who made us all. Our prayer this Christmas season is that you’ll see Christ in a fresh way, and that you’ll know His presence in everything you experience. He is with us.
She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
The perfect christmas?
while shopping one Christmas, I entered a store with a huge sign that declared, “The Perfect Christmas.” I guess the idea was that if you bought gifts there, it would help guarantee that your Christmas would be flawless. We’d all like a “perfect” Christmas, but what does that even look like? Are we thinking about our favorite Christmas card, movie, or carol?
If we think back to the first Christmas, we find a humble couple who had traveled for miles and miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem to comply with a census. “While they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 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” (LUKE 2:6-7).
Jesus’ first bed was a manger or feeding trough for animals. The guests that helped welcome the newborn were shepherds who were outcasts in that society (VV. 15-16). Doesn’t sound too perfect, does it?
The perfect part of Christmas is Jesus coming to earth to save us from our sins. “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” (V. 11). Let’s not get caught up in the commercialism of Christmas, but instead remember that Christmas is about Christ. Jesus, who is perfect, came into our imperfect world to offer peace and salvation from our sins.
NANCY GAVILANES
What does the perfect Christmas look like to you?
How can you celebrate Christ this Christmas?
Dear Jesus, thank You for coming and redeeming me.
1 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 traveled 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.
6 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.
15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel.
God is with us
the first Christmas, after a loss in our family, was different. Our usual traditions, such as hosting a festive Christmas Eve dinner, didn’t happen. Instead, we tried—some days better than others—to focus on the gift of God becoming human in order to be with us. Christ, Immanuel, would comfort us in our grief and reassure us of His presence.
This idea of Jesus as Immanuel in Matthew is unique to the Gospels. Matthew tells the story through Joseph’s eyes, the man to whom Mary was pledged to be married. In the ancient Near East, a betrothal was a legally binding covenant. So when Joseph found out that Mary was expecting a child who wasn’t his own, he pondered how not to “disgrace her publicly” and to “break the engagement quietly” (MATTHEW 1:19). But God’s angel reassured him that the child was “conceived by the Holy Spirit” (V. 20). The angel quoted the prophet Isaiah, saying the child would be Immanuel, “God is with us” (V. 23).
For Joseph, “God is with us” meant a unique invitation to accept Mary as his wife and raise this amazing child. For believers in Jesus, “God is with us” means the promise that we’ll never be alone, whether we face grief, pain, or hardship. May we cling to that truth as we celebrate the gift of Immanuel.
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AMY BOUCHER PYE
How could your life change if each day you considered that Jesus was present with you? How could you incorporate this practice of pausing and remembering Him in your daily routine?
Dear Jesus, You’re with me every day. Please help me to be conscious of this wonderful and life-changing truth.
18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, to whom she was engaged, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.
20 As he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. For the child within her was conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:
23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’ ”
24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.
The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned. . . . For a child is born to us.
The promise of peace
“
war is over,” declared John Lennon in 1971. Yet each day the news defies his wishful thinking. According to one watchdog agency, the world currently endures 110 armed conflicts. Daily we view the grim evidence. One news photo shows a young man riding a motorbike into battle, an assault rifle slung across his back. Another depicts a woman poking forlornly through the rubble of her home. Rockets launched from over the horizon had demolished her apartment building.
Violence has long been with us. More than seven hundred years before Christ, the people of Judah braced for a looming invasion (ISAIAH 7:2). Then God’s prophet Isaiah made a remarkable announcement. A child called “Immanuel” would be born. His name means “God is with us” (V. 14).
The birth of Jesus marked the entry into the world of the one who is its very light (JOHN 8:12). As Isaiah promised, “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light” (ISAIAH 9:2). This Child would be called, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (V. 6). Because of Him, “The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned” (V. 5). “His government and its peace will never end,” Isaiah declares (V. 7).
The promise of Immanuel is the promise of peace. We await His return to reign as the Prince of Peace.
TIM GUSTAFSON d
How do you feel when you see so many reports of war? How does Jesus’ promise of peace bring you real hope?
Dear Prince of Peace, I long for the day when You’ll rule with fairness and justice.
1 Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.
2 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.
3 You will enlarge the nation of Israel, and its people will rejoice. They will rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest and like warriors dividing the plunder.
4 For you will break the yoke of their slavery and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders. You will break the oppressor’s rod, just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.
5 The boots of the warrior and the uniforms bloodstained by war will all be burned. They will be fuel for the fire.
6 For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His government and its peace will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will make this happen!
God with us
As Meihui’s mom was about to be rolled into the operating room, Meihui gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Mom, I’ll see you soon. When your eyes open again, I’ll be there.” But Meihui’s mom never opened her eyes again. It was supposed to be a minor operation, but she passed away.
When Serene’s birth pangs started, she was ready. She and her husband had made all their preparations and were waiting in eager anticipation for the child’s arrival. But complications happened during childbirth, and her long-anticipated daughter entered the world with permanent disabilities.
Life is full of painful events. The death of a loved one, broken dreams, financial difficulties, illness—the list goes on and on.
Perhaps this year has been a tough one for you too. It was definitely a challenging one for me. My mom suffered a fall and Dad’s emotional and physical health fluctuated like a roller-coaster. We finally had to hire a live-in helper to take care of their daily needs. Work also took on a new level of intensity as I stepped into a management role. There were people dynamics to navigate as well as new skills to hone. I found myself working overtime and on weekends. I became short-fused and easily agitated.
But the good news for all of us is that even though life can be difficult, we don’t need to journey alone. God walks with us.
More than two thousand years ago, God entered our broken world, broken dreams, and broken lives. He came
alongside us in our pain and showed us that He cares. He came to earth in the form of a man, making the invisible God visible for us. Jesus is the fulfillment of a promise made thousands of years ago:
The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’). (ISAIAH 7:14)
Through Jesus, we see and understand the heart of God. Through Him, we see His compassion, His power to heal, and His love—a love that led Him to give up His life for us so that He could bring us into a right relationship with God.
The Bible describes how Christ came upon a funeral procession in a small, obscure village in Israel. He looked at
Through jesus, we see and understand the heart of god. we see his compassion, his power to heal, and his love.
the widow, walking beside her son’s coffin as it was being carried out from the city gate, and “his heart overflowed with compassion” (LUKE 7:13).
The widow, already bereft of a husband and now having lost her only son, was in danger of becoming destitute. She was burying the person who was to take care of her in her old age. So, Jesus did what only He could do. He raised her son from the dead and gave him back to her. After the crowd witnessed this miracle, they said: “God has come to help his people” (V. 16 NIV).
After Christ sacrificed His life for us on the cross, He didn’t remain in the grave but rose on the third day. According to the Bible, more than five hundred people saw Him alive again. And before He ascended to heaven, He gave this promise to all who would believe in Him and follow Him: “Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (MATTHEW 28:20).
Today, we can’t physically see Jesus, but we can be sure that He’s with us. The apostle Paul encourages us that when we put our trust in Him, He’ll “make his home in [our] hearts” (EPHESIANS 3:17).
Yes, this year was tough for me. But as I look back, I see visible signs of Christ’s presence: the added grace to cope with the demands of family and work; the provision of a wonderful helper to attend to my parents’ need; the unexpected break as meetings were rescheduled.
A friend of mine is battling a motor neuron disease and is losing his ability to control his limbs. But he shared how he also has seen signs of God’s presence: “You know God is with you when the stranger seated next to you on your flight sees how impossible it is for you to eat in that small space and offers to help you with your meal. You know God is with you when you’re exhausted from the long journey, and you fall asleep soundly on a clean and comfortable bed that your friend has provided for you.”
How is it for you this Christmas season? Perhaps you’re anticipating a joyous reunion with family and friends. Or you may be struggling with illness, the loss of a loved one, or a challenging family situation. Jesus is the ultimate present one. Have you received Him as your Savior? He promises to walk with us in all the ups and downs, on the good days and the bad days. Will you put your trust in Him?
JESUS DWELLS AMONG US
“‘God is with us’ is a promise that we’ll never be alone, whether we face grief, pain, or hardship.”
—AMY BOUCHER PYE
Christmas is not only a celebration of Jesus’ birth, it’s a celebration of God’s love for us! God loves us so much that He sent His Son not just to save us but to walk with us—today and every day. Please join Amy Boucher Pye and more Our Daily Bread writers to celebrate the gift of Jesus and to embrace the promise of His presence in our lives. God Is with Us: 10 Christmas Reflections from Our Daily Bread will help you ponder the ways that He is always with you.
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