My wife and I watched The Nativity Story last night, and we were (again) touched by the reality of Joseph and Mary's growth in faith as they trusted God's plan for their lives. I was also impressed with the incredible duality of majesty and humility at Christ's entrance into our world - the Miraculous Conception, the Star over Bethlehem, and the visit from wise men contrasted with His birth in a stable and a livestock feeding trough for His bed.
As we celebrate this Christmas season, I am drawn to focus on Christ Jesus more than ever before. There are several classic scriptures from the Apostle John in today's reading that are so sweet to meditate on, especially during Christmas:
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. 16 "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. ... 36 And anyone who believes in God's Son has eternal life.1 John 1:1 We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. ... He is the Word of life. 2 This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. ... 5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. ... 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. ... 9 ... if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
Jesus is the Light of the World, and His sacrificial blood pays the penalty of death for your sins and mine. By walking in the Light, we may experience the power of the Almighty God flowing through our lives as He accomplishes His perfect will.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for your Son! Lord, I praise you for your amazing plan of redemption. Thank you, Jesus, for being so majestic and humble - the perfect God-Man who is Prophet, Priest, and King! Lord, I pray that I will know you better and focus on you only; may nothing in this world capture my attention, but help me keep my eyes fixed on Jesus. Lord, help me raise up Jesus in my life - that you would draw men to yourself. I pray this in His Wonderful Name. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment