10 CHRISTMAS REFLECTIONS ON CHRIST & COMMUNITY
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Hailey Smith INTERIOR DESIGN
Steve Gier EDITORIAL TEAM
Tom Felten, Tim Gustafson, Regie Keller, Alyson Kieda, Becky Knapp, Monica La Rose, Julie Schwab, 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. © 2021 Our Daily Bread Ministries® • All rights reserved. Printed in USA.
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| MARVIN WILLIAMS
CHRIST BRINGS PEACE
n the summer of 2010, I was reminded anew of the healing and reconciliation that Jesus brought to earth by His birth, death, and resurrection. Our church family studied the Old Testament book of Malachi. The series was titled Reset and focused on resetting worship, marriage, and justice. The last message addressed resetting injustice in the world beginning with addressing and resetting injustice in our hearts. After the morning worship service, a man approached me at the front of the auditorium and asked me to forgive him. Immediately, my mind sifted through interactions I’d had with him, trying to remember if I said or did something to offend him. Nothing came to mind. I asked, “What did I do?” He told me I hadn’t done anything to offend him, but instead he had harbored something in his heart. “When you were introduced as a candidate for the senior teaching pastor, I didn’t vote for you.” His comment wasn’t a big revelation. “I’m sure a number of people didn’t vote for me.” Rarely do individuals receive 100 percent affirmation; that’s the nature of interviewing
for a ministry position. What he said next, however, shook me. “You need to know why I didn’t vote for you. Because of my experiences in the past, I’d developed hatred and a racist heart against Black people. So, I didn’t vote for you because you’re Black.” With tears rolling down his cheeks he asked, “Will you please forgive me?” Not realizing the significance of his request, I nonchalantly said it wasn’t a problem. He grabbed my shoulders and looked me in the eyes and said, “Listen! You don’t understand. I really need you to forgive me because I don’t want the junk of racism and prejudice to spill over into my son’s life. I didn’t vote for you because of the color of your skin, and I was wrong. Over the last year, God has used you and your preaching to impact my life.” I forgave him, and we hugged for quite some time, weeping in one another’s arms. The following week when we wrapped up the series, people shared how it had impacted their lives. The man who approached me the previous week stood up and shared with the congregation what he’d shared with me. The congregation stood, unexpectedly, and clapped and whistled in celebration. Jesus was breaking down a wall, and He was creating oneness in His body. Two thousand years earlier, the same Christ—born of a virgin, lived a perfect life, died a redemptive death, raised to life—broke down the wall between Jews and gentiles, which had separated them for years. This wall wasn’t a physical barrier but a spiritual one. Mutual bitterness and religious hostility had separated the Jews and gentiles. But through Jesus’ incarnation, sinless life, broken body, and redeeming death, He broke down that wall, making it possible for Jews and gentiles to be at peace with God and one another (COLOSSIANS 3:11; GALATIANS 3:28). They experienced peace, harmonious friendship with God and with one another in the body of Jesus, the church. Christ came into the world to quench our hostility against
God and one another. Through His incarnation, death, and resurrection, Jesus created a unified new people from the old hostile camps (JOHN 17:20–21). Not only did He bring peace to individuals and between people, Christ Himself became our peace. Isaiah prophesied the coming of the Prince of Peace (ISAIAH 9:6). The requirement for peace between God and us was faith in Jesus. Two thousand years later, the King is still breaking down walls that separate us, inviting us into oneness in His body. In another example, as He did among the Jews and gentiles, Jesus did a powerful thing at a conference in 2009. One evening, a
“I really need you to forgive me . . . I don’t want the junk of racism to spill over into my son’s life.” group of Chinese students, a group of Taiwanese students, and a group of students from Hong Kong met in a large banquet hall to worship and reflect. Large dividers separated these students, however. These walls represented the animosity that each, historically, had toward one another; they thought it was best to worship with their “own people.” While praying, the Chinese students sensed God asking them to invite the other countries to worship with them. The Taiwanese and Hong Kong students accepted the invitation, removed the dividers, and joined the Chinese students for a time of powerful worship. In that moment, literal walls were moved and these students experienced the oneness of the Spirit in worship. Jesus is still bringing peace and breaking down walls that separate us. Christmas reminds us that Christ came to bring peace—the kind of peace that restores our relationship with God and one another. In Him, all cultural differences, animosity, and hatred are reconciled.
o M AT T H E W 2:2
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Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.
A DOWN UNDER CHRISTMAS
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love seeing pictures of our Australian friends celebrating Christmas. Not because they have more creative decorations or a fancier tree, but because they’re usually celebrating at the beach! It’s easy for people who, like me, live in the Northern Hemisphere to forget that countries in the Southern Hemisphere celebrate Christmas during their summer months. It’s just not what I expect to see at Christmas. Sunny Christmas celebrations also point me to the reality that so much about the first Christmas was unexpected. At Jesus’ birth, men from countries east of Israel saw a star and recognized it as a sign that the promised future ruler of Israel had been born (MICAH 5:2). So these highly educated scholars left their homes and, after arriving in Israel, went to the place they expected to find a new king: the palace. But Jesus wasn’t there. Realizing their mistake, they continued to be directed by the star until they reached a humble home in Bethlehem. It was there that they found Jesus (MATTHEW 2:10–11). Regardless of whether we celebrate in the sun or snow, at Christmas we remember the birth of a baby who grew up to teach us about God and offer to all the most amazing of gifts, a relationship with Him. Like the wise men, when we search for Him and accept this gift, we find hope and joy beyond all our expectations. LISA M. SAMRA What were other unexpected aspects of Jesus’ birth? How else did Jesus turn people’s expectations upside down? Jesus, thank You for coming to earth in an unexpected place to bring us peace with God.
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
| M AT T H E W 2:1–12
1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of
King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, 2 “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” 3 King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. 4 He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote: 6 ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling cities of Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’” 7 Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men, and he learned from them the time when the star first appeared. 8 Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” 9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
o IS A I A H 25:6 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world.
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A TABLE FOR ALL
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he upcoming holiday looked grim for Scott. He figured he’d simply be warming up a frozen dinner and watching some football alone. Dreading the isolation, Scott decided to put an ad in the paper, inviting other lonely people to dinner. No less than twelve people showed up! That was 1985, and every year since, Scott has placed a similar ad, welcoming as many as 100 people and now meeting in a local church building. Homeless neighbors, those who’ve lost their family, strangers who can’t travel home—Scott sets a table big enough for all kinds of people. Isaiah describes God’s intention to welcome every wayward straggler, all who are downtrodden or forgotten. He’s a “refuge to the poor . . . [a] refuge to the needy in distress” (25:4). With God, those who are desperate for friendship or forgiveness or hope can find their hearts’ desires. One day “the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world. It will be a delicious banquet with clear, well-aged wine and choice meat” (V. 6). God widely extends the invitation, welcoming everyone to join Him for a feast—friends gathered around the table of grace. This is God’s heart for us, and what He promises to do. We may bear the weight of loneliness or despair; but in Jesus, God welcomes us. And if we’ll simply come, each of us will find our seat at a table with room for all. WINN COLLIER Where have you experienced a welcoming table full of joy and prepared for all kinds of people? What does this image from Isaiah tell you about God? God, I’m lonely, and I know others who feel the same way. We want Your table. We want to laugh and feast with You and with one another. Thank You for Your provision.
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
| IS A I A H 25:1–9
O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them. 2 You turn mighty cities into heaps of ruins. Cities with strong walls are turned to rubble. Beautiful palaces in distant lands disappear and will never be rebuilt. 3 Therefore, strong nations will declare your glory; ruthless nations will fear you. 4 But you are a tower of refuge to the poor, O Lord, a tower of refuge to the needy in distress. You are a refuge from the storm and a shelter from the heat. For the oppressive acts of ruthless people are like a storm beating against a wall, 5 or like the relentless heat of the desert. But you silence the roar of foreign nations. As the shade of a cloud cools relentless heat, so the boastful songs of ruthless people are stilled. 6 In Jerusalem, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world. It will be a delicious banquet with clear, well-aged wine and choice meat. 7 There he will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. 8 He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against his land and people. The Lord has spoken! 9 In that day the people will proclaim, “This is our God! We trusted in him, and he saved us! This is the Lord, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!” 1
o P S A L M 98:4 Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy!
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JOY TO THE WORLD
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“
oy to the world . . .” Meifang stopped mid-sentence and forced down a sob as painful memories of her mom flooded her mind. This time last year, her mother stood right next to her, singing the same song. But now she was gone, her life tragically cut short by an accident. For Meifang, Christmas would never be the same again. It was hard to celebrate when all she had was sorrow and grief. Perhaps, like Meifang, you’re feeling grief or sorrow this Christmas. How can you sing for joy when your heart is full of pain? Isaac Watts originally penned “Joy to the World” not as a Christmas carol but as a reminder of our future hope when Christ returns. It’s based on Psalm 98—a psalm that calls the earth to praise God for His love and faithfulness (V. 3). He came to save (V. 1), announce His victory, and reveal His righteousness (V. 2). And He’ll come again “to judge the earth” with righteousness and fairness (V. 9). These are great reasons for us to sing with joy. If this Christmas is tinged with sorrow and grief, hold on to the hope of Christ. Not only does He provide comfort now but He also assures us of our future hope. One day all sorrow and pain will cease when Jesus comes again and wipes every tear from our eyes (REVELATION 21:4). POH FANG CHIA What has Jesus made possible through His first coming that you can be joyous about? What is the joyous hope you can look forward to in His second coming? Heavenly Father, I sing for joy to You, for You have done wonderful things!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
| P S A L M 98
Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds. His right hand has won a mighty victory; his holy arm has shown his saving power! 2 The Lord has announced his victory and has revealed his righteousness to every nation! 3 He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel. The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. 1
Shout to the Lord, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! 5 Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, 6 with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn. Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King! 4
Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the earth and all living things join in. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands in glee! Let the hills sing out their songs of joy 9 before the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with fairness. 7
The Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! 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
The very purpose of Christ’s coming into the world was that he might offer up his life as a sacrifice for the sins of men. He came to die. This is the heart of Christmas. REV. BILLY GRAHAM
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
When the Lord Jesus has become your peace, remember, there is another thing: good will towards men. Do not try to keep Christmas without good will towards men. CHARLES SPURGEON
Who can add to Christmas? 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. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life. CORRIE TEN BOOM
Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world. C.S. LEWIS
o M AT T H E W 2:18 A cry was heard in Ramah—weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted.
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DREAMING AT CHRISTMAS
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or Irving Berlin, Christmas held not joy but sadness. The composer of “White Christmas” lost his infant son on Christmas Day 1928. His wistful song, which longs for a bygone time of holiday joys, would become wildly popular during World War II, resonating with troops overseas dreaming of Christmases back home. Dreams and grief are crucial themes of the Christmas story. In a literal dream, an angel explained the miraculous conception of Jesus to Joseph (MATTHEW 1:20). Another dream warned the Magi to avoid the murderous Herod (2:12). And an angel told Joseph in a dream to flee to Egypt with the baby Jesus (V. 13). We welcome the dreams of Christmas. The sadness, however, intrudes like a rude guest. Rachel weeps (V. 18). For soon after that first Christmas a paranoid king would slaughter helpless children (V. 16). In Matthew’s gospel, Rachel, a matriarch of Israel, represents a nation’s inconsolable grief. It’s a scene we yearn to see deleted from the story. Why must there be such sadness in this, the greatest of all stories? Jesus Himself is the only satisfying answer to that question. The Baby who escaped the Bethlehem tragedy grew up to conquer all such tragedies, even death itself, by dying and rising for all of us. As another Christmas carol says of Him: The hopes and fears TIM GUSTAFSON of all the years are met in Thee tonight. What Christmas songs speak to you the most, and why? This Christmas, how can you acknowledge your griefs while also celebrating your joys? Heavenly Father, Christmas so often finds us wrapped in sadness. This Christmas, be real to us in ways we haven’t understood before.
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
| M AT T H E W 2:13–21
13 After the wise men were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up! Flee to Egypt with the child and his mother,” the angel said. “Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” 14 That night Joseph left for Egypt with the child and Mary, his mother, 15 and they stayed there until Herod’s death. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “I called my Son out of Egypt.” 16 Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him. He sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and under, based on the wise men’s report of the star’s first appearance. 17 Herod’s brutal action fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: 18 “A cry was heard in Ramah—weeping and great mourning. Rachel weeps for her children, refusing to be comforted, for they are dead.” 19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. 20 “Get up!” the angel said. “Take the child and his mother back to the land of Israel, because those who were trying to kill the child are dead.” 21 So Joseph got up and returned to the land of Israel with Jesus and his mother.
o P ROV E R BS 11:17
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Your kindness will reward you.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
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t was just a few days before Christmas and my wife, Cari, was standing in the checkout line at the market. The young mother in front of her was carefully assessing the contents of her cart and slowly setting aside items one by one. Cari’s initial impatience turned to compassion as she surveyed the growing pile of items that had been removed and realized the woman didn’t have enough money to purchase them. “I’d like to pay for those,” she told the checker. The young mother turned with a surprised look on her face: “That’s too much!” she said. Cari, prompted by God’s love and remembering how a stranger, miles away, had bought our own daughter’s groceries in a difficult time, smiled and responded, “Merry Christmas.” They both left the store with tears in their eyes. Christmas came early to our home with a fresh awareness of God’s kindness and generosity to us through His Son. Solomon wrote in Proverbs of those who are generous: “Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed” (11:25). In the following days we were refreshed by a renewed understanding of how God had met our greatest need of all—our need for a Savior—and how His love can unexpectedly overflow from our hearts to others in need. Kindness is contagious! Because of what Jesus has done for us, may God give us grace to make a generous, practical difference in others’ lives. JAMES BANKS What immediate needs do you see around you? How can you share God’s kindness in a practical way? Thank You, Father, for seeing my need and sending Your Son. Please help me to act on Your love by generously helping others.
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
| P ROV E R BS 11:17–25
Your kindness will reward you, but your cruelty will destroy you. 18 Evil people get rich for the moment, but the reward of the godly will last. 19 Godly people find life; evil people find death. 20 The Lord detests people with crooked hearts, but he delights in those with integrity. 21 Evil people will surely be punished, but the children of the godly will go free. 22 A beautiful woman who lacks discretion is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout. 23 The godly can look forward to a reward, while the wicked can expect only judgment. 24 Give freely and become more wealthy; be stingy and lose everything. 25 The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. 17
o G A L AT I A N S 4:4
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But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.
THE TRUE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS
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ometimes I feel lonely, and it makes me wonder how lonely they must get out here.” Speaking was Asteria, director of a faith-based community group who brought Christmas to El Campamento, a makeshift tent city where many drug-addicted people live. She noted how the holidays can be difficult for those on the street. So she decided to embody Christ’s love by setting up a Christmas tree among the discarded needles; by bringing them gifts, warm drinks, and food; and by leading the singing of Christmas carols. The response was heartening, she said, with many of the homeless voicing their desire to be forgiven by their family and asking for prayer. In serving the people of El Campamento, Asteria and her team illustrate the true message of Christmas—the gift of God coming to meet us through His Son Jesus. As Paul wrote to the Galatians, “God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law” (GALATIANS 4:4–5). Even though we all do wrong, God invites us to become His heirs and children (V. 7). He calls those who live on the streets and those who live in mansions to accept His gift of saving grace. Through Jesus, God gives us the true gift of Christmas right where we are. May we receive and share this gift of love. AMY BOUCHER PYE When did you first understand what Christmas was all about? How have you shared the true gift of Christmas with another? Jesus, bring comfort to those who have no home tonight, and help me to share Your love in practical ways, to be Your courier of grace.
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
| G A L AT I A N S 4:4–7
4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.
o 1 S A M U E L 22:2
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Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented— until David was the captain of about 400 men.
CAPTAIN OF A MOTLEY CREW
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s a child, I always found Christmas Eve one of the most exciting days of the year. I knew there would be presents in the morning, a feast that night, and a candlelight service at church. But it was also exciting because I never knew who was going to end up at our house for dinner. My parents loved inviting people who were alone or had nowhere to go to come share a meal with us. Folks from church, from their places of work, our friends from school—it was always a motley crew. David was on the run from King Saul and in need of good friends to surround him (1 SAMUEL 22:1–2). He needed the right community to help him in his crisis. Instead, what he found were hundreds of men who were also in trouble—those “in trouble or in debt or . . . discontented” (V. 2). Yet, David became captain over the motley crew and they trusted him. Jesus—the true and better David—is exactly the kind of person who gathered those around Him that society had discarded. Throughout the gospels, it’s often the sick and the disabled, the outcast, and the sinner who find belonging and healing in Jesus. The church is meant to be a kind of cave of Adullam (V. 1). It’s not a perfect community, but a ragtag group in need of a loving, GLENN PACKIAM healing Captain. Who are the people Jesus has put in your life? How have they provided unexpected companionship and peace for you in times of trouble? Dear Jesus, thank You for the way You’ve welcomed me into Your family. Help me to recognize the people around me as unexpected gifts.
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
| 1 S A M U E L 22:1–5
1 So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there. 2 Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men. 3 Later David went to Mizpeh in Moab, where he asked the king, “Please allow my father and mother to live here with you until I know what God is going to do for me.” 4 So David’s parents stayed in Moab with the king during the entire time David was living in his stronghold. 5 One day the prophet Gad told David, “Leave the stronghold and return to the land of Judah.” So David went to the forest of Hereth.
Bless us Lord this Christmas with Peace that passes all understanding, Joy that is beyond material possessions, Love that knows no boundaries, and Strength that emanates from faith in you. AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRAYER
Christmas, my child, is love in action. DALE EVANS
But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. GALATIANS 4:4–5
The great challenge left to us is to cut through all the glitz and glam of the season that has grown increasingly secular and commercial and be reminded of the beauty of the One who is Christmas.
Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased. LUKE 2:14
BILL CROWDER
Christmas celebrates the awesome and amazing fact that God is grander, wiser and more mysterious than we could have ever imagined. DAN SCHAEFFER
o L U K E 1:31–32
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You will conceive and give birth to a son . . . . He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High.
MARY KNEW
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our-year-old Kaitlyn was oblivious to everything else in the room. There were no thoughts of stockings hung and wrapped presents. She was simply content to play with our manger scene and its nativity characters. What piqued my interest was something else she was doing as she moved Mary, Joseph, and the Babe around: She was singing “Mary, did you know?” over and over—words she had heard sung by others. As she held Mary, she poignantly asked her if she knew who her precious baby boy was. Kaitlyn’s question for Mary is the vital one everyone needs to answer. Do we know that Jesus is the One predicted in Genesis 3 to strike Satan’s heel (V. 15)—to gain victory over Satan, sin, and death by His death on the cross? Do we know that He’s the Messiah promised in Isaiah 53 and the One Micah prophesied would be born in Bethlehem hundreds of years later? (5:2). We know that His name—Jesus—means that He will save His people from their sins (MATTHEW 1:21). We also know that Mary’s baby grew up and chose to die on the cross as the Savior of the world (LUKE 1:31; 2:30–32). The “Son of the Most High” (1:32) has invited us to know Him and be loved by Him. May we choose to know Jesus, our precious Savior, more and more each day! DAVE BRANON Who is Christ to you? How are you growing in your knowledge of Him and love for Him? At Christmas this year, heavenly Father, may many more people begin to understand who Jesus is and truly trust Him to be their Savior. May I share what I know about Him with others!
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
| L U K E 1:26–33
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent
the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!” 29 Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. 30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
o IS A I A H 9:6
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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.
THROUGH THE TEARS
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dreaded facing another Christmas hundreds of miles away from family. Loneliness and disappointment stirred into discontent, spewing out of my mouth as complaints when my husband suggested we unpack the holiday decorations. How could I be joyful when my heart ached? Sipping a cup of hot chocolate, I glanced at the glass-front cabinet in our dining room. An overhead light shone on the nativity set I display year-round. A figurine of porcelain with Isaiah 9:6 carved on the front sits next to a wooden shepherd. “Wonderful Counselor. Mighty God. Everlasting Father. Prince of Peace.” As I whispered each name, I grew more and more confident that my tear-filled season could never smother the joy of knowing my Savior. The prophet Isaiah announced the coming of the Messiah more than seven hundred years before Christ’s birth in Bethlehem (ISAIAH 9:6). Jesus is Wonderful Counselor—trustworthy and able to guide us. He is Mighty God, who always was and always will be the one true God with limitless power. He is Everlasting Father, the eternal Maker of time. He is Prince of Peace, the one who restored man’s relationship with the Father. Though believers in Jesus can’t avoid the darkness of this world, we can fix our eyes on Him—the greatest light of the world. We can rejoice in knowing Christ even through the tears. XOCHITL E. DIXON How can reflecting on the names of Jesus help you through difficult times? What aspect of God’s character encourages you when your heart aches? Dear God, thank You for bringing light and comfort when I need You most.
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
| IS A I A H 9:1–7
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.
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. 2
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! 6
o CO L OSS I A N S 3:15
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Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace.
O COME EMMANUEL
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t seems we seldom go beyond the first or second verses of our beloved Christmas carols. But, buried deep in the lyrics of one Christmas hymn—in verse seven!—are words that seem uniquely in tune with our times. “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” written in the twelfth century, pleads: O Come, O King of nations, bind In one the hearts of all mankind. Bid all our sad divisions cease And be yourself our King of Peace.
I can’t imagine a more appropriate prayer for our fractious, splintered generation. With the tone of public debate and private disagreement at what seems to be an all-time high for anger and aggression, how desperately we need the King of Peace to come to our help. The “sad divisions” we exhibit in our communities, churches, workplaces, relationships, and families can only be overcome with the help of the One who came to forgive, heal, and restore. No wonder Isaiah anticipated the coming Jesus by calling Him “Prince of Peace” (ISAIAH 9:6). The apostle Paul urged us to put this into practice. “Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts,” he wrote. “For as members of one body you are called to live in peace” (COLOSSIANS 3:15). As we allow this peaceful Prince to restore our relationships, we BILL CROWDER ourselves become agents of His peace. Where do I see broken relationships or divisive behavior in my life? Who do I need to ask for forgiveness for my contribution to the breakdown? Why is it so important to seek reconciliation with others? Father, thank You for sending the Prince of Peace to rescue us. Help us experience His peace not only in our hearts but also in our relationships. Enable us to be peacemakers who are agents of His peace-providing love.
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
| CO L OSS I A N S 3:12–15
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 12
A FI N A L T H O U G H T
| A M Y BO U CH ER P Y E
WELCOMED INTO GOD’S FAMILY
W
e were singles and couples and a family with children, together celebrating Jesus’ birth on Christmas Eve. The conversation flowed, the food tasted scrumptious, and we even had fun washing up the dishes. Between courses we read through the Christmas story from Luke’s gospel, marveling over the greatest gift of the season, Jesus. Because of Christ, we who previously had been a ragtag bunch of strangers were now sisters and brothers. Jesus always welcomed the stranger. Even as at His birth God beckoned the shepherds to come and worship the newborn baby: “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city
of David!” (LUKE 2:11). Curious, the humble shepherds hurried to Bethlehem. And after they saw the baby, they went and spread the good news about Jesus the Savior, and “all who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished” (V. 18). As Messiah, Jesus the baby grew up to be the Man who died on the cross, the perfect sacrifice who wipes away the sins of those who follow Him. Jesus, the Son who
Because of Christ, we who previously had been a ragtag bunch of strangers were now sisters and brothers. is God, humbled Himself to be born in a stable and then willingly sacrificed His life for us. When we bow before Him in worship, even as the shepherds did as they glorified and praised God for all they had seen and heard (V. 20), He makes us part of His family. Jesus welcomes us into His worldwide community of those God uses to spread His love and light. If you’re feeling like an outcast this Christmas, know that if you believe in Jesus, “God places the lonely in families” (PSALM 68:6).
| N OT E S |