*Day 25 - Christmas Day*

^{It's Christmas!} 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. -John 3:16-17

This little passage contains the secret to life. It isn’t the things we get wrapped up in at Christmas… it’s Jesus. God sent his only son into this world so that whoever would believe in him would have eternal life in Heaven. God didn’t send Jesus to this world to condemn us, but rather, he sent Jesus to save us from our sin.

God, in his love, sent his son Jesus to reconcile us to him. Our relationship with God is restricted by a chasm of sin. Jesus is the only way to reconcile that great divide. When we believe in Jesus, he is the bridge that closes the gap. We then have the hope of an eternity with the Creator… the Great Shepherd.

We, like his sheep, need this. We are desperately floundering in our sin, and Jesus is the only one who can rescue us from it. He shepherds us, provides for us, loves us… he went so far as to die for us.

So today, stop what you’re doing, and think about your eternity. Think about your forever… where will you spend it? “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved”—Romans 10:9.

Do you really want to spend eternity apart from the one who made you? The one who loves you? The one who tends to your needs as a shepherd tends to his flock? For the last 25 days, we have studied how God works in mysterious ways. We have seen him orchestrate amazing things in people’s lives. We’ve heard story after story about how we are like sheep and God is our amazing Shepherd. Do you want that forever? I sure hope you do.

Jesus is like a shepherd who has left the 99 to go find 1 lost sheep… come home to the one who wants to love you.

May you always remember why we have so much to celebrate this time of year. We have an incredible hope for our future… with one who loves us tenderly, as a shepherd loves his sheep.

Merry Christmas, and may God bless you!

Esther 

*Day 24 - The Shepherds*

Yesterday we read about Jesus’ birth. This is what happened next:

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

¹⁵ When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.¹⁷ And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

²¹ And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. – Luke 2:8-21.

The shepherds in the fields were surprised by an angel who told them about the birth of Jesus. They were terrified… we probably would have been too. When they heard the great news of Jesus’ birth, they went to see the Messiah, who was lying in a manger.

The shepherds were so excited that they went and told everyone about Jesus’ birth!

The greatest gift those shepherds would ever receive, is to know they had seen the Messiah. They wanted to share that with others. Jesus in the greatest gift we can give to others.

This Christmas, what are you giving? Are you giving the people around you the greatest gift they could ever receive? Do they know Jesus? Do you?

The shepherds likely knew the prophecies from the Old Testament where God promised to send a Messiah to save His people and become their King. The shepherds understood the importance of this event and knew that because of it, things would never be the same.

History was forever altered because of the birth of Jesus, and so was your life. The Shepherds believed because they had the testimony of Old Testament Scripture to confirm what the angels told them. We can also believe because we have confirmation in the completed Word of God. I implore you to make the decision to accept Jesus Christ and follow him. It is so important, that your life depends on it.

I encourage you to be like these shepherds. Be so excited to know Jesus, that you want others to know him too. Their eternity depends on it. Jesus came into the world to live and die for you and me. That’s a gift worth sharing. 

*Day 23 - Jesus' Birth*

Today's story is about the birth of Jesus

When it was almost time for Jesus to be born, everyone had to go to their hometown for the census. For Joseph’s family, it was Bethlehem, also known as the City of David. Do you remember David? David was a small guy who killed a giant, commanded armies, and became a great king. It would be fulfillment of prophecy for Jesus to be born as a descendent of David. Joseph was of the lineage of David. Here is the account in the gospel of Luke:

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ And all went to be registered, each to his own town. ⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. ⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. – Luke 2:1-7

When Mary and Joseph got to Bethlehem, they would have been arriving at the same time as a lot of people. There was no room left for them in the local inn. They had no choice but to stay in a stable, where the king of the world would be born, wrapped in strips of cloth, and laid in a manger.

Jesus had been expected for a long time. His birth had been revealed to prophets hundreds of years before his birth. His mother and earthly father, Joseph, were both visited by angels to tell them of Jesus’ miraculous birth. Mary’s relative, Elizabeth felt John jump in her womb when he knew he was in the presence of Jesus. Jesus was a miracle and a Savior. He was born into the line of David… a line of kings. And after all of this, he was wrapped in strips of cloth and laid in a manger, a place where animals ate from. He wasn’t born in a palace. He wasn’t laid in a golden cradle. The King of the world came in the humblest of beginnings.

This means something to us. The eternal Son of God entered this world not with an attitude of superiority, but, with humility, he came to live among us. He came to not have an easy life as a rich man, but to experience what it means to live like common man. He didn’t have a lavish life. He didn’t have the upper hand. He was humble. He was fully God in fully human form.

Think about Jesus’ first breath, and the life he would have lived. He wasn’t rich, and I’m sure they didn’t have a whole lot, because Joseph was a carpenter. Jesus was never conceited. He lived a sinless life. He was perfect in every way. He was perfect but humble.

What does Jesus’ humility mean to you? I hope it means that he feels more approachable to you. He knew what it felt like to live the harsh realities of life.

Today, just 3 days before Christmas, remember that the greatest gift of all was Jesus, and it was a very humble beginning. Christmas isn’t about how much money is spent or received. No matter how many gifts you give or get, Jesus is still the reason for Christmas. We celebrate this humble beginning. Be different in the Christmas season. Celebrate the true reason for Christmas, Christ himself. Gifts are wonderful, but they will all fade away eventually. Jesus is forever, and that is something to remember and celebrate.

Dear God, thank you for your Son Jesus and his beautifully humble beginnings. Help me during this time of year to focus more on Jesus than I focus on things. I know that everything in this world will eventually pass away, but I have an eternal hope in Jesus. Forgive me when I’m a bit too worldly. Change my heart, and help me set my heart on the true meaning of Christmas. In Jesus’ name, Amen

*Day 22 - Rest and Remember*

Make today a day of rest for you and your family. 

We are so close to Christmas, and this is a hectic time of year.

Today, think back over the last seven days:

·         In Matthew 9, Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few...", were you able to be a laborer this week? Could you be a laborer for some of your family members over Christmas who may not know God?

·         In John 10, Jesus said, "I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture..." If you prayed for discernment this week, were you able to tell a difference in how you perceived people? Were you able to feel a different connection with the Holy Spirit?

The rest of the week we looked at the beginning of the story of Jesus:

·         Multiple prophecies foretold the coming of Jesus. These prophecies give us hope.

·        Zechariah lost his speech when Gabriel the angel told him he would be a father in his old age and he didn't believe. His wife Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist who would go on to prepare the way for Jesus' ministry.

·         An angel appeared to Mary and told her she would give birth to a son, and she received the task of raising the Messiah with grace. The angel told Mary that, "nothing is impossible with God".

·       An angel appeared to Joseph who was a good man, and told him to take Mary as his wife. Joseph graciously went on to take Mary as his wife and raise Jesus as his own son.

·         Elizabeth was pregnant as an old woman. When her relative Mary visited her, John leapt in her womb with excitement and joy.

These are important components of the story of Jesus' birth: the story of Christmas. Over the next several days, remember to not get wrapped up in gifts and family, but remember this amazing story. A story that was orchestrated from the foundation of the world. Our savior came to this earth as a baby, to grow up and live among us, and to give his life to save us from our sins. Remember the true meaning of Christmas this week, and enjoy your day of rest.

*Day 21 - Elizabeth*

Today's story is about Elizabeth

A couple days ago we talked about Zechariah and Elizabeth. Elizabeth was Mary’s relative. Elizabeth and Mary were pregnant at the same time. When Mary heard that her much older relative, Elizabeth, was pregnant, she went to stay with her for about three months.

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Before Jesus was even born, he was already doing remarkable things. Elizabeth’s son leaped when he heard Mary’s voice. Somehow, John knew that Jesus was close by.

How it must have been for Elizabeth to feel her baby leap at the sound of Mary’s voice. Do you think she would have been a little freaked out? It seems like she was startled at first, but Elizabeth knew what had happened because she was filled with the Holy Spirit. It humbled her  to know she was in the presence of God's Son.

Jesus was so amazing that he was doing incredible things before he was even born. John leaped in his mother's womb when he knew Jesus was close by. Jesus didn’t have to talk, he didn’t have to do anything but be in John’s presence, and it was enough to make him leap with joy.

Something was different about Mary, she was pregnant with the Savior of the world. As Christians we often say that the Holy Spirit is in us. We talk about how we are “filled” with the Holy Spirit. Do you think that being filled with the Holy Spirit makes us different?

It should, in a good way. We are supposed to be different from the rest of the world. The reason we are different is because we know Jesus and we believe in him. John the Baptist was already aware of the presence of Jesus. We need to be aware of the presence of Jesus too.

 John leaped in his mother’s womb because Jesus was in the same room. You don’t always have to say words for other’s to know that Jesus lives inside of you. By doing things that are different than the rest of the world, people can see a difference in you.

Today, think about how we can be different than the rest of the world in a positive way.  We can show others how amazing Jesus is by being kind, offering forgiveness, not getting overly angry, and most importantly, showing love. Let others know who Jesus is by striving to be like him.

“Dear Lord, help me to feel you all around me all the time. Help me to trust that I always have you close by, even when it sometimes doesn’t feel like it. Help me to do what you want me to do. Help me to be different in a good way. Help me to show others your love. Help others to see you through me and my actions. Forgive me when I don’t do what you want me to do. Make me someone that people want to be around because of you. Help those people to come to know you as well. In Jesus name, AMEN!”

*Day 20 - Joseph*

Today’s story is about Jesus’ earthly father – Joseph

Yesterday we learned about Jesus’ mother, Mary. Today we’ll learn a little bit about Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph:

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. –Matthew 1:18-19

Mary was engaged to be married to Joseph. As you can imagine, Joseph was a little shocked to find out that Mary was expecting a baby from someone else. He had planned on quietly breaking their engagement so Mary wouldn’t be embarrassed. He didn’t know how she could be pregnant, since they weren’t married yet.

20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, --Matthew 1:20-24

Do you recognize these words? They are the same words the prophet Isaiah spoke of a few days ago. The prophecy was being fulfilled. Joseph would have the honor of being the earthly father of Jesus Christ. He would raise Jesus as his own, and train him to be a carpenter just like he was.

Joseph accepted the task ahead of him. He was apparently a good man. During this period of time, he could have made a huge deal out of Mary being pregnant, but he chose to keep it quiet. It took a good man to not want to shame Mary.

Joseph thought through his decision carefully. He was already a good man, and he wanted to make sure he didn't cause Mary any shame. When you are faced with an uncomfortable situation, especially one God puts before you, what is your reaction?

Do you give in to your anger and frustration? Do you think about what you are doing before you do it? Are you careful with your words, or do you just say whatever comes into your head?

Today think about Joseph and what raising Jesus would have looked like. Jesus wasn't his biological son, but he was the Son Of God. Joseph accepted the task ahead of him with grace. What is God asking you to do that may seem uncomfortable? If God called you today to do something huge, what would your initial response be? Think on these things today.

"Dear Lord, Joseph seems to have been a man of high moral character. He was a descendent of your servant, David. I don't know how I would have reacted if I had been Joseph. He accepted his new responsibility, and appears to do so without grumbling. Sometimes I don't always act like I should when I am being called to do something. Sometimes I reject it all together, or grumble considerably. Change my heart to be a heart that longs to do what you want, Lord. Give me a heart that wants what you want. A heart that is gracious and willing. In Jesus' name, Amen." 

*Day 19 - Mary*

Today’s story is about Jesus’ mother, Mary.

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. –Luke 1:26-27

Yesterday we talked about Zechariah and Elizabeth. Elizabeth had a cousin named Mary. One day, the angel Gabriel went to Nazareth and appeared to Mary. Gabriel was the same angel who had also appeared to Zechariah. Mary was engaged to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of David. Remember, David killed Goliath and went on to become a great king. 

28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. --Luke 1:28-38

The angel told Mary that her cousin Elizabeth was also expecting a miracle baby. Elizabeth’s baby was a miracle because she had been barren for so long. Then Gabriel told Mary something that we all need to remember, “nothing is impossible with God.” God makes the impossible possible. Most people would have rejected the idea, but Mary seems to have accepted the idea of her immaculate conception with a lot of grace. Although she was initially scared, the Bible makes no mention of her ever doubting.

We can learn a lot from the way Mary gladly accepted God’s plan. So many times we don’t trust in God’s plan and we try to run away from it. We think of all the obstacles that could present themselves. We think about all the hurdles we’ll have to jump and the mountains we’ll have to climb, but NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!

Today, think about the miracle that would occur in Mary's life. Nothing like this had ever happened in history, so she had no way to prepare for what took place. God still works miracles. The miracle of Jesus' birth was only the beginning. Spend some time today thinking about miracles. What does that mean to you? Do you need a miracle? Although God doesn't promise everyone a miracle, we still must remember that nothing is impossible with God.

“Dear heavenly Father, thank you for working miracles every day. I know that nothing is impossible if I trust in you! Mary trusted that nothing is impossible with you. Today we pray for your will to be done in our lives: whether that is miraculously or ordinarily. Help us to remember the miracle of Jesus' birth during this time of year. Give us the same kind of faith Mary had. When we don't know what things will look like, give us the faith to always know, that you are a God who can do seemingly impossible things... NOTHING is impossible with you. In Jesus' name, Amen."