“‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be done to me according to your will.’”
Luke 1:38
This is the season we celebrate Christmas — the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord! Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ came to this earth to be born.
The Bible describes how “God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary…The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the Name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High…His kingdom will never end.”
Even though Mary was a virgin and had never had relations with a man, God said she would give birth to a Son Jesus — and He would be called the Son of God. This was a great miracle — God became a man and lived among us.
How great is the love of God for us! God could have just judged us — He could have ignored us — but He did not. Instead, He came to earth to be born as a man and give His life for our sins. It is a privilege to serve such a wonderful God.
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12
Jesus Christ is the light of the world. What does this mean?
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jesus Christ shines light into our lives. Just as sunlight brightens up the day with warm colors, so Jesus brings joy and love and peace into our lives. Just as sunlight reveals things, so Jesus in His love reveals things so we can see clearly from God’s perspective what is true in our lives.
Just as light dispels darkness, so Jesus causes the dark things in our lives to flee. Someday in heaven, Jesus will be our true light. The Bible says heaven will “not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.”
Finally, Jesus Christ is the light of the world because He, and He alone, is the true source of all that is good and righteous and holy in the world. God alone is the source of all that is good. If you have the light of Jesus shining in your life, then let that light bring joy, and truth, and healing, and revelation to you — and let that light shine into all the world around you! God wants us to be a clear windowpane so the light of Jesus shines through us to others.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea…”
Psalm 46:1, 2
Jesus Christ is our secure hope even in times of trouble.
All around the world there are economic troubles these days. There are “storms” that could sink the boat we are riding in. Our natural reaction is to be afraid.
Jesus and His disciples were once in a situation much like this. “One day Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.’ So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, He fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke Him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown!’ He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.
Sometimes Jesus calms the storm outside our lives. Sometimes the storm may still rage outside, but He can still give us His peace in our hearts. So let us let Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, reign as Lord in our hearts and lives always.
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:10
Do not hurry. Sometimes we rush and hurry through life — always trying to get quickly to the next place.
When Jesus Christ was here on this earth, He did not hurry. Even though He was the Son of God and had so much good to do for the world, He took time to spend with people. Once a woman who had been bleeding for years came up to Him and touched His clothing and was healed. Even though He was going somewhere else, He stopped and looked for her and spoke and ministered to her. He could have said “I am too busy and important and in such a hurry” — but He slowed down and took time.
So you and I can slow down and take time to listen to Jesus. Once I was in a hurry to go somewhere and did not stop and help my neighbor who needed help moving something. If I were really listening to Jesus, I think I should have stopped and slowed down and helped my neighbor, then gone on my way.
These next few days, let us slow down a little bit and listen to God. Ask Christ how He would have you love someone around you. Spend some time with God; He is your heavenly Father and loves to spend time with you as His child.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9
Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God. What does this mean?
When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward Him he said “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” All of us have sinned — we have done or thought many things that are wrong, and our sins deserve judgment. In ancient times in Israel, the priest would sacrifice a lamb for the sins of the people. The problem is that no sacrifice of a lamb can ever take away permanently people’s sins.
So Jesus came to this earth and willingly gave Himself as a sacrifice to pay for our sins. He lived a perfect life and did not deserve judgment. We have lived sinful lives and deserve to be judged. But Jesus went to the cross — He endured pain and humiliation and agony for us — so that we might go to heaven and not be judged.
How great is God’s love and mercy! “To all who received Him, tho those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
John 8:12
Jesus Christ is the light of the world. What does this mean?
Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Jesus Christ shines light into our lives. Just as sunlight brightens up the day with warm colors, so Jesus brings joy and love and peace into our lives. Just as sunlight reveals things, so Jesus in His love reveals things so we can see clearly from God’s perspective what is true in our lives.
Just as light dispels darkness, so Jesus causes the dark things in our lives to flee. Someday in heaven, Jesus will be our true light. The Bible says heaven will “not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.”
Finally, Jesus Christ is the light of the world because He, and He alone, is the true source of all that is good and righteous and holy in the world. God alone is the source of all that is good. If you have the light of Jesus shining in your life, then let that light bring joy, and truth, and healing, and revelation to you — and let that light shine into all the world around you! God wants us to be a clear windowpane so the light of Jesus shines through us to others.
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:10
Do not hurry. Sometimes we rush and hurry through life — always trying to get quickly to the next place.
When Jesus Christ was here on this earth, He did not hurry. Even though He was the Son of God and had so much good to do for the world, He took time to spend with people. Once a woman who had been bleeding for years came up to Him and touched His clothing and was healed. Even though He was going somewhere else, He stopped and looked for her and spoke and ministered to her. He could have said “I am too busy and important and in such a hurry” — but He slowed down and took time.
So you and I can slow down and take time to listen to Jesus. Once I was in a hurry to go somewhere and did not stop and help my neighbor who needed help moving something. If I were really listening to Jesus, I think I should have stopped and slowed down and helped my neighbor, then gone on my way.
These next few days, let us slow down a little bit and listen to God. Ask Christ how He would have you love someone around you. Spend some time with God; He is your heavenly Father and loves to spend time with you as His child.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9
Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God. What does this mean?
When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward Him he said “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” All of us have sinned — we have done or thought many things that are wrong, and our sins deserve judgment. In ancient times in Israel, the priest would sacrifice a lamb for the sins of the people. The problem is that no sacrifice of a lamb can ever take away permanently people’s sins.
So Jesus came to this earth and willingly gave Himself as a sacrifice to pay for our sins. He lived a perfect life and did not deserve judgment. We have lived sinful lives and deserve to be judged. But Jesus went to the cross — He endured pain and humiliation and agony for us — so that we might go to heaven and not be judged.
How great is God’s love and mercy! “To all who received Him, tho those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”
“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.”
Psalm 100:4
“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord.” What is worship? It is telling God you love Him. You can do this in song; you can do this in talking to God; you can do this when you are driving; you can do this in church.
Our first command is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our mind, with all our heart, and with all our strength. A great way to do this is to use music to express our love to God.
We can thank God for all that He has done for us — and we can praise Him for who He is. Praise Him for creating the world; Praise Him for His love, and His mercy, and His goodness.
Finally, When you listen to Christian worship music, you can sing quietly along in your hearts. Listen to the words; and let your thoughts go to God and how wonderful He is!
“The angel answered (Mary, Jesus’ mother), “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God…For nothing is impossible with God.’”
(Luke 1:35, 37)
Jesus is the Son of God! As we celebrate Christmas this year, let us remember and honor Jesus Christ as the true and only Son of God.
The Bible says that Jesus was born of a virgin — that God Himself was the Father of Jesus Christ. This is a great mystery that our human minds may not be able to fully comprehend. God Himself became a man and lived among us. Jesus Christ was fully a man — He was a human being. But He was also fully God — the Son of God here on earth.
When Jesus was born, shepherd were out in the fields at night tending their sheep. Suddenly “an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord…” You can read the full story in the Bible in the gospel of Luke, chapters 1 and 2.
