Merry Christma(s)

Savior

Luke 2:11

On this day, we celebrate the birth of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He was born for an entirely singular purpose. That was, to be the Savior of the world. Jesus did not come only to show us the way to God. Jesus came to BE the way to God. He is our Savior.

The very term 'savior' identifies Jesus as more than a mere instrument of God. God said, through the prophet Isaiah (43:11), 'I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.' To declare that Jesus is Savior is to, in no uncertain terms, declare that Jesus is God Himself. This should come as no surprise, given that Isaiah also prophesied that Jesus was to be known as 'Emmanuel' or 'God with us.'

The Creator of the universe was willing to humble Himself as but a creation in order to bring about the salvation of the world. But even more than that, the God of all became a man to give YOU the gift of salvation.

Merry Christm(a)s

Announce

Luke 1, 2

When God was about to send His only begotten Son into the world, He used angels to announce it to the 'involved' parties (Zechariah, Mary, Joseph). These were, essentially, private meetings and/or dreams that were given to these people as a way to prepare them for what God was about to do through them.

When the Father saw the birth of His Son on that very first Christmas day, He was so overjoyed that He sent angels to announce it to some shepherds in a field. Heaven could apparently not hold the joy that flowed, and it spilled over into the earthly realms, as witnessed by these incredibly blessed shepherds.

God was overjoyed, not merely as a proud Father, but because He knew that the perfect plan of Salvation for the entire world was set in motion that very night. The prospect of the redemption of a people that God loved so very much filled all of heaven with such joy that it could not be contained. And that joy still flows over the new birth of but one of His children. Even YOU!

Merry Christ(m)as

Manger

Luke 2:7

What does the word 'manger' bring to your mind at Christmas? A nice, quaint stable with a cozy bed of hay for a baby to sleep in? A warm picture of tranquility? Not quite what I would imagine would have been the real story.

The mention of the manger is what leads most to believe that Jesus was born in a stable. In those days, stables were often caves dug out of earth, with the feeding trough (or manger) dug into the rock wall. It would have been a dark and dirty setting for the Son of God to make His entrance into this world.

This, however, is somewhat fitting, considering the rest of Jesus' life. Where there was filth, dirt and darkness, Jesus came to bring holiness, purity and light.

When I first met Jesus, my heart may have rivaled the manger, as far as cleanliness goes, but Jesus came to me just the same, and brought His life.

Merry Chris(t)mas

Tree

I know that the Christmas Tree is certainly not mentioned in scripture, and I know of the probable pagan beginnings of this Christmas tradition. Yet I also know that God can redeem and use anything for His glory, and I believe that He has done so for those who look at the Christmas Tree in the right way.

To me, the evergreen tree is a reminder of God's gift of everlasting life in His Son.

The lights on the tree remind me to always allow my light to shine before men.

The tinsel is reminiscent of the fact that we are only glorious when we reflect the true Glory of God.

And the star on top is a reminder of that wonderful night when God gave the true Light to this darkened world.

May the traditions you cherish at Christmas point you to Christ at every turn!

Merry Chri(s)tmas

Sign

Luke 2:12

The Angels had just told the shepherds the best bit of news ever told. A Savior has been born in Bethlehem. But they didn't stop there.

They went on to give the shepherds a sign to look for. They prepared the shepherds to know what to look for when they went to Bethlehem to meet the Lord. Bethlehem was a big city and it was very busy and crowded at the time. Without that sign, the shepherds would not have known what they were looking for. There may have been dozens of babies born at the same time, yet only one was wrapped in strips of cloth and was lying in a manger. They knew exactly which baby was the one they heard about.

God made sure that those shepherds were prepared to see the Lord, and in the same way, He wants to prepare us, and even the world, to see His glory yet again!

Merry Chr(i)stmas

Indescribable

2 Corinthians 9:15

Ever get that perfect Christmas gift that just left you speechless? Ever have that one special loved one give you something that was so right, so perfect, that there were just no words to describe it?

That is EXACTLY what God did almost 2000 years ago. He knew exactly what it was that we needed. He knew that we needed a savior. And He gave us that one perfect gift. He gave His one and only Son to the world, because He loved us that much.

Think back over your walk with Jesus. Can you describe, with words, what the gift of Jesus Christ has meant in your life? Can you really express all of what Jesus Christ has done for you?

I can think of only one word that captures it. INDESCRIBABLE!

Merry Ch(r)istmas

Receive

Romans 5:11

We have all heard the phrase, 'It is better to give than to receive.' It is a good axiom to live by. A noble thought indeed. I do not dispute that one bit.

But think about this. God knew that we could not GIVE Him what He desired, which is a people with whom He could have fellowship. He knew that we could not GIVE Him that because we were with sin, and He was perfectly Holy.

God didn't leave it like that. He GAVE His own Son so that we could RECEIVE the gift of reconciliation and righteousness. It is His earnest desire that we RECEIVE this gift, because it is only through RECEIVING this gift that we are truly able to GIVE from our hearts.

This is one case where it truly better to RECEIVE than to GIVE, because the gift we RECEIVE we can never repay! RECEIVE God's gift today!

Merry C(h)ristmas

Herod

Matthew 2

King Herod was an Isrealite. While he was not the rightful heir to the throne, he had taken power anyway. He was a ruthless, hard ruler who had personally benefited from the power of Rome in Isreal. But he was an Isrealite; one of God's 'chosen people.' He was seeking Jesus out of fear of losing his power.

The Magi were not Isrealites, but simply wise men and kings from far off lands who together somehow knew that God was doing something special in that time. They were seeking Jesus because they wanted to worship this child for whom they believed God had placed a new star in the night sky.

The Magi obeyed the revealed message of God in their hearts, revealed to them through a means they could relate to. Herod, on the other hand, was rebelling against God, although he had the written word of God at his disposal.

May we ever be like the Magi, seeking God merely to worship Him!

Merry (C)hristmas

Christ

Luke 2:11

The word 'Christ' comes from the Greek equivalent for the Hebrew word for 'Messiah', or 'Annointed One.' Looking back over the Old Testament, we can see many scriptures that speak of the Messiah, especially in the book of Isaiah, where the Messiah is depicted in duality as both Sovereign Lord and Suffering Servant. The Messiah, or the Christ, was to be a man unlike any other man before or since.

This depiction is not missing from the story of the birth of Christ. We see the suffering in the humble, lowly accommodations given to this newborn child. We also see the worship of the wise men that followed the star to Bethlehem. Even as early as His birth, Jesus Christ filled the description that Isaiah, indeed that the whole of the Old Testament, gave in prophesy for the Christ, who is the Savior of the World.

Merr(y) Christmas

Yeshua

Luke 1:31

When we read that the Angel told Mary that her child was to be named 'Jesus,' we actually see a Greek word that has Hebrew origins. The Greek word is 'Iesous' which comes from the Hebrew word 'Yhowshuwa' from which we get the anglicized words 'Yeshua' and 'Joshua.' This was the name of Jesus.

The meaning of this Hebrew name is 'Jehovah is salvation.' I had always considered that Jesus 'brought' salvation to the world. But His name suggests a stronger correlation between Himself and our Salvation. He IS salvation. He did not merely bring salvation to us. He became salvation for us, in the incarnation and in His perfect sacrifice for sin.

This Yeshua, Jesus, still is salvation. He still is God's perfect plan to redeem a world destined for eternal separation from Him. He still is God's best gift ever to this world.

Mer(r)y Christmas

Room

Luke 2:7

There was no room for Mary and Joseph in the inn. The entire city was overcrowded, to the point that the only accommodations that could be found for them was in a stable. So often we have criticized the people of that time for not having room for Jesus in their city. But you can be sure that there were other pregnant women and other people in just as much need as Mary and Joseph at the time. And you can also be sure that they were not aware of who it was they were turning away or sending to a dirty stable. All things considered, they actually had a pretty good excuse.

Most of us have no such excuse. When we refuse to make space in our lives for Jesus every day, we know exactly who it is that we are shunning. When we relegate Him to a few short moments each day, we know exactly who it is that we are sending away.

At this time of year, and all year round, make sure you have room for Jesus in your life.

Me(r)ry Christmas

Rejoice

Luke 2:8-12, 20

The angels came to the shepherds bearing 'good news of great joy.' But those shepherds, after hearing the news, were probably somewhat confused, and perhaps still a bit scared and shaken by what they had seen and heard. Even still, they decided that they had better go see if what the angels said was true, so they headed for Bethlehem.

When they got there, they saw everything exactly as the angels had said it would be, with the baby Jesus lying in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.

These shepherds apparently went away from that place different than when they arrived. They came in perhaps confused, but the left rejoicing in the things they had seen and heard. They allowed the gospel of God to produce joy in their hearts and they allowed that joy to overflow into praise and worship for God. What does the Good News of Jesus Christ do in your own heart?

M(e)rry Christmas

Emmanuel

Matthew 1:23

'God with us.' That is what 'Emmanuel' means. God with us. Just think about that. A holy, just and righteous God dwelling among a sinful and rebellious people. Looking back through the Old Testament, that is exactly what God had always wanted. In Genesis, we read that God used to walk in the Garden and would apparently fellowship with Adam and Eve somewhat regularly. But sin separated man and God.

To bridge the gap, God Himself had to come to earth as a man, in the form of Jesus Christ. During this time of year, and all year round, for that matter, we must realize what love is demonstrated in the fact that God cared enough about man that He would leave Heaven and come down and dwell among us, even become one of us, to make a way that we could dwell with Him for eternity.

(M)erry Christmas

Mary

Luke 1:26-35

In a time that God had been silent to His people for over 400 years, God sent the angel Gabriel to a young woman in Nazareth to deliver what could be considered the most unbelievable message in all of recorded history. This young virgin was told that she would bear the Son of God. Did she scoff at the news? Did she send this heavenly messenger away in disbelief? No. She put her trust in the God who said that she was the one He wanted to use to bring His Son into the world. She didn't understand it all, but she didn't have to. She merely understood that God wanted to use her to bring salvation to the world, and she was willing to be God's servant.

Are we willing to be servants of the Most High God and to bring the good news of God's Salvation through Jesus Christ to the world? If we are, the same God who kept His promise to bring life through Mary will also bring life to the world through us.

Merry Christmas Acrostic

Anyone who has known me for some time may already have seen this, but over the next 12 days, I will be posting a "daily devotional" thought in the format of an acrostic of the phrase "Merry Christmas." It is something that I originally did in 2001 and it can still be seen on my Bible Nuggets website, but I will be posting the entries one day at a time, starting tomorrow.

My hope is that it will be one more reminder to us that Jesus is the reason for the Season and that it will be a blessing to you.

Christmas Decorations 2009

We're not done yet, but here are some photos and a video of our Christmas 2009 decorations so far. I've done some of the outside decorations and we did our tree. The tree is a bit different this year - we took Faith's collection of over 75 Webkinz and nestled them each on a branch in the tree. It's quite cute, actually, and it took about 1/4 of the time that decorating our tree normally takes. Sometimes my wife has the BEST ideas! (BTW...the video is available in HD when viewed from youtube.)

Here is a photo of the outside decorations so far.