Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Wednesday, December 28, 2022
John 6:38
For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

Jesus came down to earth as a servant of the Father. He knew what His purpose was, and He followed it through to the end. As a human being, I’m sure there were times when He did things that He would rather not have done. After all, right before His crucifixion He begged God for another way to redeem mankind, if there was one. But no matter what, He did what needed to be done… even allowing Himself to be nailed to a cross. Christ’s will was the will of God who sent Him, and it was His love for us that held Him on that tree.

Tuesday, December 27, 2022

Tuesday, December 27, 2022
John 5:24
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment but has passed from death to life.

The way to get to Heaven is simple. Jesus often described salvation as a “narrow gate” because there’s only one means by which you will be saved. It’s not by being a good person or by doing enough good deeds, but by admitting that on your own you can never be good enough. Measuring up to God’s standard of “good” is impossible. His standard is perfection, and the Bible assures us that there are none who are righteous, not even one… but that’s why Jesus came and died for you. He paid the penalty for your sins and offered you the gift of eternal life out of love. Christ wants to spend forever with you. All He asks is that you accept His payment for your sins, put your trust in Him, and believe in the one true God.

Monday, December 26, 2022

Monday, December 26, 2022
John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Those are the opening words of the gospel of John, which goes on to tell of how the Word became flesh. The Creator of the universe, who is three in one, became a mere human and lived among us. Jesus lived with mankind for thirty years, sharing our struggles, our hardships, and our joys. He understands what it’s like to be human, and so set an example of grace and truth for us to follow. He was fully man and fully the Son of God, and those who knew Him saw His glory.

Friday, December 23, 2022

Friday, December 23, 2022
John 3:17
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.

Jesus’ disciples assumed that He was there to conquer the Romans and establish a new kingdom. But Christ had bigger plans. God didn’t send His Son into the world to conquer the Romans, but to conquer death. Not to establish a kingdom here on earth, but a kingdom in Heaven. Soon, death would be defeated, sin would be conquered, and the veil between God and His children would be torn in two. When that baby was born in a manger two thousand years ago, humanity’s story changed forever, because now it wasn’t about us and what we could do to save ourselves… it was about Him, and the debt that He would pay in our place.

Thursday, December 22, 2022

Thursday, December 22, 2022
Luke 2:10-11
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. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

What an experience it must have been to be one of those shepherds in the field the night Jesus was born. They must have been just as astonished as they were frightened when the sky exploded into a host of angels, singing glory to God. The heavenly messengers shared the joyful news that a Savior had been born in the city of David, and the shepherds immediately went to go find Him. This Christmas season, I hope that you too have the opportunity to share the good news with someone; the news that God has sent us His Son, and that because of His grace we all can all find salvation through faith in Him.

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Wednesday, December 21, 2022
Luke 2:7
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.

The Prince of Peace wasn’t born in a palace. Instead, he was born in a stable, because there was nowhere else for His parents to go. Christ’s beginnings were humble, showing us once again how God uses ordinary circumstances to accomplish extraordinary things. The Son of God could have been born as anyone, but He chose to be born as a nobody and live with nobodies. Putting aside all the royalty and honor He was due, He became flesh and dwelt among us as our servant, our shepherd, and our Savior.