Christmas Devotional - December 26

December 26 Emmanuel

“Our Lord Emmanuel”

Pray

What can I give You, Lord, in response to Your awesome love? Nothing less, nothing else will do; I give You my heart. Amen.

Read – Matthew 1:23/Isaiah 7:14

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"-which means, "God with us."

Reflect

As the prophet Isaiah foretold, God’s promise would bear fruit one day in the birth of a very special child. That child would be “wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”. He would also be “Immanuel,” which means “God with us”. This is the amazing news that Paul would later celebrate in his letter to the Philippians – the Savior who, though He was in His very nature God, did not consider equality with God something that He had to hold on to tightly. Instead, He humbled Himself, taking the form of a man and the nature of a servant and becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross.

This is the Christ we find nestled in Mary’s arms, wrapped in swaddling clothes. The child that Mary bore was everything that the prophet had promised. In Jesus, God made His dwelling place among His people.

In case we are tempted to leave Christ in the stable, we should read the rest of the ancient hymn, which Paul quotes in Philippians chapter two. Paul reminds us that, since Christ was prepared to humble Himself in order to follow the Father’s will, God has now exalted Him, giving Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

So, let us bow before the manger in reverence, awe, and love; then, let us rise to follow Him.

Christmas Devotional - December 25

December 25 Lord

“Abide with us our Lord”

Pray

Lord Jesus, born in a stable, born for me, I worship and adore You. By Your coming You bring light and hope into a dark, cold world, and You bring joy to my soul. Amen.

Read – Romans 10:9

“If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”.

Reflect

What does it mean to call Him Lord? The title means so many things, from a polite greeting to an acknowledgement of divinity. How will you use the word on this most precious of days?

To some, “Lord” simply means “sir,” a way to address a person of some importance. There were some who used this title for Jesus. They recognized His authority, but not the full extent of it. They were deferential but went no further. He may have been a “lord” but He was not Lord of all. Is that how you address Christ today? Are you polite and respectful, but nothing more? Is it as a character from history that you remember Jesus Christ on Christmas Day?

To others, “Lord” means so much more. It carries an echo of the divine name, hidden by the people of God who feared to use it. “Lord” then means “adonai,” the title given to the Most High, the creator and sustainer of all things. To call Jesus “Lord” in this sense, and to mean it, is to acknowledge His authority over the wind and waves, over sickness and sin and death. To call Him “Lord” is to accept His authority over my life, His sacrifice as sufficient for my sin, His promise as security for my future. Is this how you address Jesus Christ today?

This is not a tale for children, richly illustrated and lovingly retold, then set back on the shelf for another year. He is not lord for a day; Christ is Lord of all. On Christmas Day, praise Him from your knees.

Advent Devotional - December 24

December 24 Abide

“O come to us, abide with us”

Pray

On this most holy night, I take my place. Kneeling beside the shepherds, paying homage with the wise men of the ages, guided by a star, I lift my eyes in humble adoration to see the coming of my Savior – Christ the Lord. Amen.

Read – John 15:4

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”(NKJV)

Reflect

“Abide” is an old English word used in the King James Bible to translate at least a dozen different words in Hebrew and Greek. Sometimes it means “to endure” or “to bear,” as in “Who can abide His coming?” At other times “abide” means “await,” as in “Abide here!” In the New Testament it is often a noun meaning a dwelling place. This reflects the most common meaning in Hebrew where “to abide” is “to dwell” or, in an older sense, “to encamp”.

When we sing “O come to us, abide with us,” our words become a prayer. We are asking that God should come and live in us. Just as the Christ Child came to a stable in Bethlehem, so we ask that He might make His dwelling place in us. This is no idle sentiment. By His Holy Spirit, God takes up residence in every believing heart. Paradoxically, as we abide in Him, so His Spirit abides in us. We are enriched and empowered by the presence of our God.

At Christmas, we remember the miracle of the incarnation – how God came into our midst, took on human flesh and bore the weight of human sin. But we also need to remember another miracle – how the holy God, whose true home is in heaven, deigns to dwell in us. Just as the stable was a poor place to welcome the King, so our poor hearts are inadequate for Him. Nevertheless, Christ came. He keeps on coming to those who, in repentance and faith, fling wide open the doors of their hearts, and bid Him “Come!”

Advent Devotional - December 23

December 23 Glad Tidings

“The great glad tidings tell”

Pray

With a glad and open heart I greet You, Lord. May the promises of Your Word continue to bring me hope, as I await the day of Your coming. Amen.

Read – Luke 1:19

“And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings”. (NKJV)

Reflect

“Glad tidings” just means “good news.” In an even earlier vernacular “glad tidings” would have been “God’s spell,” from which we derive our word, “Gospel.” Whatever you call it, it’s good news. In a world where bad news seems to predominate, we take a stand for glad tidings.

It may not have seemed so at the time, but the birth of Mary’s child in a stable, in Bethlehem, was certainly good news. Cynics may have rolled their eyes at stories of angels and a star in the east, but Mary knew better. She had risked her life to have this special baby. Her future could have been ruined, along with her reputation, but Mary didn’t care. God had called her to be faithful – that was all that mattered in the end. And so “good news” was born, into poverty, into a world riddled with violence, into an oppressed land where the common people were far from free. Good news was born in Bethlehem. He is still good news.

Wherever the poverty of ignorance, and the fear of violence, and the yoke of oppression settle on the land like a thick, December fog, there the light of Christ breaks through. That’s why His coming will always be glad tidings. The Gospel is always good news.

Advent Devotional - December 22

December 22 Christmas

“We hear the Christmas angels”

Pray

Unstop my ears, Father, to the glory that surrounds me. Take away every distraction. Help me to hear the angels’ song, and to their praises add my own. Amen.

Read – Luke 2:11

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord”.

Reflect

Music is one of God’s most precious gifts to our world. Is it possible to think of Christmas without humming a melody? It’s annoying, to be sure, to hear the familiar carols pumped out in every store and elevator for three months or more. But, it’s not the music that annoys us, it’s the abuse. Let a commercial Yuletide commandeer Bing Crosby, if it wishes; but there’s something wrong about “Silent Night” sent screaming through the airwaves, or “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” butchered in order to sell a Japanese car.

So, let’s recapture the quiet place. If you can’t “hear the Christmas angels” it may be that the TV is turned up too high, just like the anxiety levels. A celebration of the Lord’s nativity requires the gift of space. Give yourself that gift. If only for a little while, settle into your favorite corner and re-read the story from Matthew or Luke. Play a recording of your favorite Christmas music, from King’s College Chapel or St. Olaf’s College. Hear, again, the old, old story and, like a comforting quilt, Christ will enfold you with His measureless love.