Christmas Devotion 2023

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Jesus Has Come

Scripture: Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)

6           For to us a child is born,

to us, a son is given;

                        and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

and his name shall be called

                        Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 

Devotion:

            Today is the day. All the Christmas shopping, wrapping, and hiding presents is over. Our world likes to pretend this is all there is to the Christmas season. Soon, however, the kids will get tired of their new presents. They may even begin to play with the boxes that high-end toys come in! Soon, it will be time to eat and stuff ourselves full of food, then sit around the TV watching football.

            Our culture has anesthetized itself to the real meaning of Christmas. We pretend that gifts given will assuage the empty feeling inside our souls. Soon, however, life goes back to normal. The scriptures, however, testify to a greater truth. The day that started all this 2,000 years ago was anything but ordinary. We had angels, shepherds, wise men. These all observed that day with awe and wonder. Some child had been born albeit to a simple couple who lacked royal standing or wealth or any other human measure of success. Yet this child was foretold in the passage from Isaiah above would somehow change the world.

            Our culture tries to ignore and cover up the true meaning of this unique child. Attributing all the extraordinary predictions about this child to myths and fairy tales is more convenient. Because if this child is who the scriptures and the angels tell us he is, nothing can be the same. We must worship and obey this simple baby lying in a feeding trough. All of the time will be split into two parts: one for the time before he comes and one for after he comes. Life can never be the same again.

            You see, God has come in the flesh to claim the world as his own. To put down the ancient rebellion of humankind and establish a new world order. One that will be permanent, ruling over every attempt by mere human beings. This baby, Jesus, is his name and would be worshiped by billions of people. All of whom believe that Jesus came to rule over all people's pretensions. Jesus has come, and all who have turned to him believed and received eternal life with God. Reject Jesus as savior, and you will have a terrible ending to your eternal existence apart from God. Let us pray that we may be found to be followers of this Jesus who has come for his people.

Prayer:

            God Almighty in heaven, you came into our midst on a night like this. Help us to receive you as our Lord and Savior so that we may love and obey him with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. Let all who dwell on this earth discover the truth about that child who came so long ago. May they let him change their hearts and minds so that they may believe and worship heaven's true king. Amen

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