For our Christmas devotional this year, we are partnering with some of the great authors and teachers in Evangelical America to create our very own  Christmas devotional guide.  In addition to their offerings, we have devotionals written by men and women of our church interspersed throughout to give it our own UHBC flavor.

Thank you to the numerous authors who made submissions this year to help us focus on the Christ of Christmas this season.  As you make preparations for the holidays, use this devotional each day to encourage your Christ-focus and then join us Sunday mornings this December as we explore various case studies of the Christmas story that culminates with a special Christmas Eve service at 6:00pm.

It is a joy for Sarah and I to share this Christmas season with you and we look forward to recalibrating our focus on Christ this special season!

Rodey Cripps
Senior Pastor, UHBC

The mystery of the incarnate God-man has spawned significant controversies throughout the history of the church, and the early church councils sought to avoid the extreme of rejecting his deity in favor of his humanity, and the opposite extreme of rejecting his humanity in favor of his deity. Only the God-man could fulfill the mission of bearing the sins of the world and giving his life as a ransom for many (John 1:29; Mark 10:45). Even if Jesus was a “great teacher” or a “prophet from God,” if he was only a man, he would not be worthy of worship, and his death could never have atoned for the sins of others. And if Christ had not come in the flesh as one of us, he could not have died in our place.

Subsequent to his incarnation, the One who eternally possessed a divine nature now possesses a divine-human nature. In his resurrected body, the Lord Jesus will forever be the God-man. There is a Man in heaven, and he intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father as our Advocate (Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1)

… who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. (Romans 8:34)

Peter exhorts us to “follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). But the key to imitating Christ is identifying with him. We cannot follow in his steps until we walk in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit and understand that Christ is in us and we are in Christ. The spiritual life is based on an incarnational dynamic; it is a divine–human process. This is why Paul told us to “have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). Just as Christ loved and served others by putting their interests above his own, so he wants to continue this process through us.

There is a magic to Christmas, because it illustrates the way things should be and imitates the kingdom that is yet to come. In his first advent, Christ came in the weakness of infancy to become the Suffering Servant of those who were hopelessly lost; in his second advent, he will come as the sovereign King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

He first came veiled in the form of a child; but next time he comes (and it will be soon), he will come unveiled, and everyone will know him for who he really is.

In his first advent, a star marked his arrival; but in his second advent, the heavens will roll up like a scroll, the stars will fall out of the sky, and he himself will illuminate it.

The first time he came, the magi brought him gifts; but the next time he comes, he will bring gifts and rewards for his own.
The first time he came, there was no room for him; the next time he comes, the whole world will not be able to contain his glory.

At his first appearance, few attended his arrival; but at his second appearance, every eye will behold him.

He came first as a baby; but he will come again as the glorious Ruler of the universe.

The book of Luke starts with the story of John the Baptist, which ties together the Old Testament and New Testament. The last book of the Old Testament, Malachi, foretells of a messenger that will make ready the way for the Messiah. In fact, Luke quotes Malachi 4:6 (the last sentence of our old testament) when Gabriel announces Elizabeth’s pregnancy to Zacharias. Gabriel explained that this miraculous pregnancy was foretold over 400 years before, and that his son would come in the spirit and power of Elijah.

Before he was born, John the Baptist’s job was established for him: point others to the Christ (Messiah). He was only 6 months older than Jesus (Luke 1:26) and lived in the desert until his ministry began (Luke 1:80) around 29AD (Luke 3:1). As Jesus’ earthly cousin, John the Baptist recognized Jesus as the Son of Man, and as the prophet of God he was convinced Jesus was the Son of God.

John the Baptist died before Christ (Matthew 14:12), therefore he likely had a much shorter public ministry than our Lord. However because of knowing his purpose, his life was impactful.
 
John the Baptist fulfilled his purpose, which was to live his life pointing others to the Messiah. In the same way, this is our purpose as disciples of Christ (Matthew 5:14-16) and at UHBC we are to love God, love people, and make disciples We are the light of the world and our light shines through doing good works and pointing others to God as believers. Are you fulfilling your purpose? Is your light visible to others? Does anyone know Christ because of you?

There are many traditions associated with Christmas such as caroling, baking cookies, gift giving, and decorating houses inside and out. I enjoy each one but at the top of my list are Christmas lights. After painstakingly hanging each Christmas tree ornament, I immediately darken the room and plug in the lights. How beautiful!! It would not be near as lovely without each twinkling light. And, the lights on the outside of our house give me cause to smile, too. Our house, being on a hill, can be seen a mile away beckoning us to enter. But what if there were no lights. What if there was only darkness bringing a deep sense of foreboding. Are you walking in darkness? Does it feel like you are living in a land of deep darkness? Take courage! The God of the universe sent His Son, “the rising Sun…to shine on those living in darkness…” Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Do you know anyone needing the light of the world? As followers of Jesus, we are little lights shining in a dark world. This Christmas whenever you see the beautiful light displays remember God sent The Light of the world so that no one has to live in darkness. Now that’s a message worth sharing!

We should never cease to be awestruck by the redemptive story revealed throughout Scripture. Luke often used the word translated “amazed” to describe the emotional reactions to the events in the life of Jesus Christ. When His birth was announced, the shepherds were at first terrified at what they experienced on the Judean hillsides (Luke 2:9). Later, they shared what they had witnessed in Bethlehem, and Luke recorded that “all who heard it were amazed” (Luke 2:18).

This emotional reaction continues as Jesus revealed who He really was and is:

• “His father and mother were amazed at what was being said about Him” by Simeon (Luke 2:33).

• The people in His hometown, Nazareth, were initially “amazed by the gracious words that come from His mouth” (Luke 4:22).

• After He calmed the storm, Jesus’ disciples were both “fearful and amazed” (Luke 8:25).

• When Jesus healed the demon-possessed man, “everyone was amazed at all the things He was doing” (Luke 9:43; 11:14).

• A Pharisee “was amazed” that Jesus didn’t “perform the ritual washing before dinner” (Luke 11:38).

• The religious leaders were “amazed” at Jesus’ answers to their questions that were designed to trap Him (Luke 20:26).

• Peter was “amazed” when he saw the empty tomb (Luke 24:12).

• The disciples were “amazed” when they saw the scars in His hands and feet after the resurrection (Luke 24:40-41).

Have you ever considered how you should live your life for Christ? Like a daily checklist of what to do to prepare yourself to face the day? There are several lists in the bible that can help us navigate life: the 10 commandments, the beatitudes, the fruit of the spirit and the armor of God, these are just a few lists.

During a bible study with my friends here at UHBC we studied the book of James and I came across James 3:17-18. I loved the list it created for my life. As a girl that likes lists, and ordered thinking and living my best life for Christ. James 3:17-18 was a daily reminder of what wisdom from heaven looks like for me.

Each day I try to prepare to be the following from James 3:17:

• Pure
• Peace-loving
• Considerate
• Submissive
• Full of mercy and good fruit
• Impartial
• Sincere

Verse 18 then reminds me that as a peacemaker, if I sow in peace I will reap a harvest of righteousness. This wisdom and words from heaven help me to set my list and intentions for the day so that hopefully I can reap a harvest of righteousness!

Again? Can God forgive me again? For that same sin, that terrible sin—again?

It may be hard to believe, but the answer is yes. If God does not forgive all kinds of sin no matter when and how often they are committed, then His grace would be limited. But this passage teaches us that forgiveness comes with a new life and that our condemnation for sin was wiped away on the cross.

The word used for forgiveness in verse 13 comes from the same word used for grace, which means a free gift. God’s forgiveness is not only freely given, but it is abundant. Romans 5:20 teaches that “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more.” God’s grace so exceeds all of our sin that no matter what we do or when we do it, our eternal standing with God is secure. We cannot out-sin God’s grace and forgiveness.

So when Colossians 2:13 says “all,” it means exactly that. Jesus has forgiven every sin, no matter how terrible. But it also means he has forgiven all sins whether past, present, or future. Some may have trouble accepting the fact that God has forgiven even future sins, but remember— all of our sins were future to Jesus Christ when He paid for them on the cross. He knew the sins we had committed in our past and forgave us anyway when He died on the cross. He also knew the sins we are yet to commit and He forgave us anyway on the cross.

When Jesus said from the cross “It is finished,” He meant “paid in full.” God’s just penalty for our sins was completely satisfied in the death of His own Son. Nothing else could have been an acceptable payment or an eternally sufficient payment. Christ’s death was sufficient for all sin and for all sinners everywhere and anytime.

We should realize that God did not save us only to regret it, because He is not surprised by anything we have done or will do. When Jesus died for our sins, God had our entire life in view. He did not give us eternal life only to take it back when we do something bad. He already knew what sins we would commit as believers, but forgave us anyway. This should cause us to live worshipfully with gratitude, not in licentiousness. Grace teaches that our guiltless position before God depends on His promise of forgiveness, not on our performance. However, according to 1 John 1:9, the quality of our subsequent fellowship with God depends on constant confession of our sins as we become aware of them.

Christmas is a time of gift giving. I’ll admit I’m guilty of buying too many gifts for our grandkids. The joy of seeing them open toys and other things they desire is the best!!! As fun as that may be, our intention in celebrating Christmas should not be about material gifts. It is so much more! We have the opportunity to celebrate the ultimate Gift, The Giver!! As Pastor Rodney taught us from 2 Corinthians 12:4, gifts from God are graciously given however the emphasis is on the giver. Let’s turn our attention to the Giver and see what scripture says about Him and His goodness towards us.

Jesus obviously is the best gift we could ever receive. His birth, death and resurrection provides the only way for us to enjoy a relationship with God and assures eternal life with Him as we place our trust in Him.

Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. Peace is a wonderful gift that we certainly all can use. The Giver of peace shows us several ways to obtain His peace. As stated in Philippians 4:8, we must bring thoughts captive by “thinking of true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy things!” Coincidentally (wink, wink) all those things are characteristics of God. While thinking and pondering on God and His attributes we can access His peace for our lives. Another way to receive the gift of peace is to give thanks for our situation that is causing us anxiety, present that situation to the Giver and He promises His peace. We don’t have to be thankful for the problem itself, but be thankful that He is with us IN the problem and He has the answers to THE problem.

Material provision, which we are assured of in 2 Corinthians 9:8 is a great gift that we all can be thankful for but more importantly the Giver provides many other benefits for our spiritual journey. God’s word to guide our lives, Holy Spirit who promises to abide with us, unmerited favor known as grace that He bestows upon us and deliverance from temptations are just a few. This list does not even begin to tap into all the gifts and favor God through Jesus Christ our Lord gives to us as believers. The Giver is beyond generous to his children and takes great delight when we receive these gifts. Let’s celebrate the Giver of all good and perfect gifts this holiday season. We can love generously knowing His provisions allow us to live generously. The Giver equips us for every good work according to his good pleasure. He’s the greatest gift of all!!

Dad is just as surprised as the kids are on Christmas morning!” One of my kiddos saw this meme on social media this year and shared it with me. It means to suggest that mom takes on the responsibility of picking out, shopping for, and wrapping presents for the family. While this is intended to be a joke, as with most tongue-in-cheek comments, it may point to a potential blind spot that we as men may want to consider this holiday season.

In our home, the holiday season is filled with traditions that include decorations, matching pajamas, meals, presents, baking, games, and of course, football! While these traditions can be opportunities to create lasting memories, as husbands and fathers, it is tempting to withdraw from the chaos and leave the glitter, icing, and decorating to others.

From Ecclesiastes 9:7-9, Solomon tells us, “Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a happy heart, because God has already approved your works. Let your clothes always be white, and do not spare precious ointment on your head. Enjoy life with your beloved wife during all the days of your fleeting life that God has given you on earth during all your fleeting days; for that is your reward in life and in your burdensome work on earth.”

While Ecclesiastes may not be the first book we turn to during the Christmas season, throughout the book, and in this passage specifically, Solomon encourages us to fully engage in the blessings that God has put before us. Rather than stepping back, I encourage us to present. By engaging wholeheartedly with those we love, we have the opportunity to demonstrate the love of the One we celebrate. So, jump in! Embrace those messy, chaotic, and indeed, fleeting moments that God so graciously has for us this season.

From time to time, God intervenes in our life in a significant way and sometimes in a way that changes the course of history. The birth of the Christ to a virgin was one such way God used to get our attention as a people to see His perfect plan to bring sinful man back to Himself using His Son Jesus Christ. Of course, most in our world have missed the significance of this event and merely celebrate a vacation holiday with the kids out of school.

The miracle of the birth of Christ and the miracle of His provision of Immanuel (God with us) is a significant one. God literally sent God His Son to live as mankind and did so without sin so He would be the perfect sacrifice to bring our redemption. And this same God with us as believers is the One who indwells us and guides us as believers so we accurately reflect Him and His love. This life-changing event in our world and in our lives is one that we should continue to reflect on and never let its significance fade in our lives.

This Christmas season we each have the opportunity to recalibrate our perspective on Christmas or to see it in a fresh or different light. Therefore, mix things up this Christmas season and do something different. Read the Christmas story as a family, go ice skating, take a day off as a family and have a birthday party for Jesus, or go to a Christmas Eve service before you tear apart all those presents, but do something different. God with us is still with us and would love to celebrate His birth, death, resurrection, and life He gives with you!

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, and the busiest time of the year, in our household. We thoroughly enjoy the colorful decorations, the often hilarious parties, the glorious music, and, of course, the delicious holiday food that accompanies this unique festival. But with all this extra stuff, as great as it is, we often find ourselves in a big rush.

The Christmas season has always been a rush. Hurry has always marked this special event that we celebrate. Going back to the first Christmas ever, it was the shepherds that were in a hurry. They came “in haste” to the manger to see the child who, angels had announced, would be their Savior. After breathlessly beholding a spectacular sound and light show in the sky, it’s no wonder that they were anxious to find the Christ-child as quickly as possible. And when they found Him they lingered, gazing upon Him in wonder and in worship.

These shepherds provide us with a great example this Christmas. If we’re going to rush around, let’s make sure we make haste to seek out Jesus, as they did. Are we eager to find Him? It’s easy to lose Him in all the holiday tinsel. But He is the reason for the season. He came to save His people from their sins! O come let us adore Him: Christ the Lord! He who created the universe with a word humbled Himself, left heaven’s glories, became one of us, lived a busy life, experienced rejection and persecution, and voluntarily laid down His life as our substitute sacrifice so we could enjoy unbroken fellowship with the only loving and giving God forever. Hallelujah! What a Savior!

We live in a culture that does not value absolute truth, in our society everyone gets the chance to make their own way and live their own truth and yet as believers we are meant to follow THE Absolute Truth, Jesus Christ the Word made flesh.

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6, NASB95)

Clearly Jesus draws a line in the sand when He says that He is the way, the truth and the life. While our society insists that there are multiple approaches to God and often doesn’t even quantify to a god, but points to the divine or spiritual. If not that, then the mantra that being “good” is enough and yet Jesus says He is the only way. This message may seem narrow or even intolerant to our culture, but we know that He is the way. So as believers how can we share this truth with a world on the path to unbelief and ultimately hell?

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by people. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16

We are meant to shine our light by our life actions... we are meant to do good works and this points others to Christ. You may notice some things missing from this message: we do not point others to our Father through spirited debate, judgement and condemnation of their sins, pointing out how we follow The Good Book, or telling them they are going to hell. We point others to Christ through our good works done in a way that our light shines. Our good works do not save us—salvation is by grace alone through faith alone—but our good works testify to the One who has saved us. Just in case you think this might be a one off and maybe out of context in this devotional, here is a bit to solidify the concept:

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10

Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God on the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2:12

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously, and in a godly manner in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, eager for good deeds. Titus 2:11-14

So, if we are meant to point others to The Truth through our good deeds, how might we know how to do this?! Thankfully, God did not leave us in this alone, He has given us His Word and the brethren (other believers).

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, NASB95)

“Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.” (1 Peter 1:22–23, NASB95)

This Christmas season remember that we are celebrating the Word made flesh born as a baby and laid in a manger. He lived a perfect life and revealed to us the absolute truth. Once we have found this, it is our job to shine so others see Him and are brought into a life changing relationship with Him. This Advent, shine bright for Christ.

When it came time for Caesar Augustus (Gaius Octavian) to write his memoirs, he would have preserved the record of his many important accomplishments. He might have believed that his establishment of the Principiate, by which Rome transitioned from Republic to Empire, was his most important accomplishment. Or he may have regarded his defeat of Mark Anthony in the Battle of Actium as most significant. That he stabilized the borders of the far-flung Roman domain was another of his monumental accomplishments. His establishment of the equestrian class within Roman society, by which competent middle class individuals could rise to positions of significant civil service, was also a major accomplishment.

Caesar probably would not have thought that the decree he issued requiring everyone under his authority to return to his or her ancestral hometown and register, so he could collect their taxes, was one of his most significant acts. Yet, in the providence of God, it is that edict that Christians around the world remember yearly as we read the Christmas story. For most Christians, the most important thing Caesar Augustus did was issue this decree, which resulted in Jesus being born in Bethlehem of Judea in fulfillment of messianic prophecy (Micah 5:2).

Often it is the decisions that we make, that we regard as relatively unimportant, that God uses to accomplish His will. Thus, as we seek to live our lives in dependence on Him, we need to remember that every decision we make, on any given day, may have far-reaching consequences. God seemingly delights to use the obscure, “insignificant” events of life to bring His purposes to pass. How imperative it is that we begin each day by rededicating ourselves and all our powers to Him (Rom. 6:12-13).

When we truly understand who the Lord Jesus Christ is and what He has done for us, we should respond by believing in Him and receiving Him as personal Savior. John outlined the key to his message in the very first lines of his Gospel. Jesus Christ and God the Father are one and the same (John 1:1, 14:7-11). Therefore, Jesus has always existed (John 1:1). He was there at the beginning of time and participated in the creation of the universe (John 1:2-3, 10). He is the author and sustainer of life (John 1:4). For who He is, Jesus deserves ardent, wholehearted worship.

But there is more! Jesus Christ, equal with God and the very essence of life and light, left heaven and came to earth as a human being to live among us (John 1:5, 9-11, 14, 18). In Christ, the glorious, eternal God walked among mankind, so that those who looked at Jesus were indeed looking at Yahweh Himself (John 1:14, 18)!

Finally, and most exciting of all for sinful humanity, Jesus Christ had a wonderful purpose for coming to earth. Metaphorically, He brought light to everyone (John 1:9) and revealed God’s grace and truth (John 1:14-17). In other words, He offered an intimate relationship with God to any who would receive it through Him (John 1:12). This is the good news at the heart of the gospel; those who are born again, born of God through Jesus Christ, become children of God and inherit eternal life and immeasurable spiritual riches. Once we hear and understand this gospel,
the only reasonable response is to accept this magnificent gift and gratefully offer all our praise and worship to God.

Few books of the Bible have explicit purpose statements. John’s Gospel is a rare exception. John summarizes the intent of his Spirit-guided revelation around three specifics: a selection of content, the identification of Christ, and an expression of the Christian life. We could say John summarized the whole of the Christian life in three words.

First, Christianity is all about a book. In this context, it is the selection of biblical revelation the Spirit led John to include in his book. By extended application, we would say Christianity is all about the Book—our Bible. Both John and the rest of the Bible point us to Christ.

Second, Christianity is all about a person, and that person is Jesus. Specifically, in this passage, He is identified by two titles central to John’s theology—Messiah and Son of God. The Son of God became the Son of Man so that He could be both the Messiah of Israel (John 1:41) and the Savior of the world (John 4:42). Jesus’ identity is central to the truth one believes in order to be a Christian. The signs which authenticated Jesus’ message were selected to lead the reader “to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.”

Third, Christianity is all about an experience. That experience is eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. His name represents all that is true of His character and role as God’s only provision for our salvation. Eternal life is a central theme of the Gospel of John and the entire Bible. It is Jesus, the Bread of Life, that has come from heaven to give eternal life to all who will believe in Him (John 6:58). Have you read the Book? Do you know the Person? Are you experiencing the quality of life that only Jesus can give? These three may be a great way to share the essence of Christmas with your family this year.

What word could embody a more beautiful expression than the name Immanuel—God with us? That the “only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see” (1 Tim. 6:15b-16a) would come and be “God with us” is unfathomable. And yet, God transcended the bounds of His creation and “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Today, through the lens of the gospel, we can comprehend the profound mystery of Immanuel. We celebrate the coming of “God with us” as a glorious testimony to the manifold grace of God. However, Isaiah did not have the benefit of being able to witness the ultimate fulfillment of the prophecy he was given. Nonetheless, as he contemplated the wonder of the Messiah who would come and deliver His people from darkness, his exaltation was unbridled:

Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name.
Make known His deeds among the peoples;
Make them remember that His name is exalted.
Praise the LORD in song, for He has done excellent things;
Let this be known throughout the earth. (Isaiah 12:4b-5.)

This Christmas let us join with Isaiah and extol the greatness and wonder of God becoming flesh. Let us meditate on the fullness, the depth, the magnificence of Immanuel—that God has come to dwell among men. No gift could be richer, no word sweeter, no promise greater, no love deeper, no reality more abundant, or no name more expressive than the name Immanuel: God is with us!

Although the Star of Bethlehem may not still be shining up there in the sky, it remains a very real presence in our lives in that God is now in our midst just as He was in that light that guided the Magi so long ago. He wants to lead us as much as He led the wise men. He wants us to “navigate” each day by referring constantly to the presence of His Spirit in our lives.

The big problem is that most people these days haven’t learned to follow the Star. They look to other “lights” or refer to charts and maps that are foreign to God’s plan for our lives. The result is that many lose their way. They wander aimlessly in the wastelands of private ambition, satisfaction of personal lust and greed, and indifference to the clear signals God sends out to us from His extradimensional realm.

Another group of people actually believe they are following the God of the Star by living fairly moral lives, or being responsible members of the community or giving lip service to the Christian beliefs and rituals drilled into them during their youth. But this is self-deception. We can’t reach God by our own efforts or through our family church credentials, because He demands individual perfection, and no matter how hard we may try to live up to His standards, we always fall short.

The only way we can overcome our human limitations and stand unafraid in the intense Shekinah light is to enter the extradimensional realm where God dwells. And the door which leads into God’s brilliant, parallel “universe” can only be opened by one Person—the Messiah whose work and destiny are so reflected in the Star of Bethlehem, Jesus Christ.

Christmas often becomes a season of motion, decorating, planning, shopping, hosting, serving. But Zephaniah 3:17 invites us into a radically different posture: stillness in the presence of a God who dwells with us and sings over us.

This verse is tucked into a prophecy of restoration, where God promises not just to rescue His people, but to be among them. “The Lord your God is among you” this is the heart of Christmas. Jesus didn’t come to supervise from a distance; He came to dwell. And not only that — He rejoices over us.

Imagine that: the God of the universe, singing over you. Not because you’ve accomplished enough, served enough, or celebrated perfectly — but simply because you are His child. “He will be quiet in his love.” In a season filled with noise, this is the invitation: to be quieted, not by exhaustion, but by divine affection.

This Christmas, resist the urge to measure your worth by your activity. Instead, receive the gift of presence — God’s presence with you, and His joy over you. Let His song be louder than your schedule. Let His love quiet your soul.

Let His presence be your peace this Christmas.

As Isaiah is writing these words, the greatest power on earth is bearing down on the kingdom of Judah. The nation is living in fear as they witness the brutality inflicted on all the nations around them as one by one they are mercilessly enslaved by Assyria. But in Isaiah 9:2-5 the prophet gives a rousing speech—the people who walk in darkness shall see a great light, God will multiply the nation of Israel, He will break the yoke of oppression, and bring such a complete victory that the blood-soaked garments of their oppressors will be fuel for the fire!

What a message. I can hear the people urging Isaiah, “Preach it brother!” “Tell us more!” “That’s the God we want!” Isaiah’s message was music to their ears—the prophet was finally giving some good news. This was the conquering hero they expected the Messiah to be. But then Isaiah reveals the true identity of this vanquishing victor; it will be a baby. The promise is that a child will be born. Not a mighty warrior who descends from heaven in battle array; not a majestic King in a chariot leading His army to war; not the fierce wrath of God wielding a sword to purge the nations. No, the government will rest on the shoulders of a child.

Seven-hundred years later, to a group of lowly shepherds tending sheep, God made good on His promise with a birth announcement that only the Lord of hosts could deliver. While the resplendent radiance of Divine glory struck fear in their hearts, the words God sent through His messenger brought hope and joy: “Today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Did the shepherds fully appreciate what the angel had just declared? Did they realize that this was exactly what Isaiah had promised? Unto them a

Child had just been born; unto them a Son had been given! This baby who will one day return as the mighty conquering King, was proclaimed this night to the shepherds as the mighty conquering Savior. His first victory would be the defeat of sin and death; His first kingdom would be over a holy nation whose citizens proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called them out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). Because of this baby, born two-thousand years ago, we too can victoriously exclaim, “to me a Child has been born, to me a Son has been given.” This little baby was the mighty conquering Lord of all; He is our Savior; He is Christ the Lord.

Certainly, many notions come to mind during the Christmas season. Perhaps one of those notions concerns the many prophecies that point to the coming of the Messiah. We know Him as Jesus Christ. But a thorough look at what the Old Testament says about the coming of the Messiah shows that there were some prophecies that Jesus did not fulfill. Indeed, in his debate with Christian apologist Norman Geisler, Rabbi Harold Kushner pointed out such unfulfilled prophecies to argue that Jesus could not have been the promised Messiah of Israel.

Isaiah 9 tells us that “the government will be upon His shoulder.” Isaiah goes on to tell us “of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” But injustice still prevails. There is no peace. It would seem that the throne of David remains vacant.

Elsewhere (Is. 11:4) the prophet tells us that the Messiah “shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.” The description of our earth seems conspicuously off the mark. “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb” and other animals who are mortal enemies shall no longer harm each other. What is more, the Messiah will make the earth “full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” This is hardly the earth we are living in now. Has the Messiah failed? Are the prophecies false?
In the midst of our celebration of the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, whose coming is certainly prophesied in the Hebrew Bible, what are we to make of this “rest of the story?” How can we both point to fulfilled prophecies to argue for Jesus as the Messiah and do justice to the prophecies which undeniably have gone unfulfilled?

One mystery we now understand, but was veiled in the Old Testament, is that the Messiah was to come twice. In Luke 4:14-21 Jesus quotes from Isaiah 61:1-2, claiming to His listeners that “in their hearing” this Scripture was fulfilled. The passages described one upon whom the “Spirit of the Lord” was and who would “preach the gospel to the poor.” This one was sent to “heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

It is very telling that Jesus stops reading in the middle of the sentence. After He was to “proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” He would then proclaim “the day of vengeance of our God.” Jesus stopped reading at that point because that latter part was something He would do at his Second Coming. With His first coming, which we celebrate at Christmas, the Messiah would take care of our sin problem as God’s sacrificial Lamb. At His Second Coming, which we anticipate with hope, the Messiah would take care of the sin problem as God‘s triumphant, conquering King. This is why certain Jews missed the meaning of Jesus’ first coming. Looking (rightfully) for a conquering King, they failed to see that, before He comes in judgment, He first would come in mercy. Let us help people come to Jesus as their Savior so that they will not have to face Him as their Judge.

“Jewelry is the gift to give cuz it’s the gift that will live and live…”

Any self respecting Oklahoman can sing that jingle when prompted. In fact, since 1956, it has been the symbol of the start of the Oklahoma Christmas season.

But what would happen if we changed just a couple of words - “Jesus is the gift to give cuz He’s the gift that will live and live…”. It makes our focus exactly where it should be.

The Christmas season is a time of reflection, a time of joy, remembrance, family, friends, and it should be a time of embracing God’s one, true gift - Jesus Christ.

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (NIV). God gave us the perfect Gift when He gave us Jesus!

You can never go wrong with giving jewelry as a gift. Just make sure that you are also giving Jesus as a gift to those who don’t know Him, that need to be reminded of Him, that need to hear that God loves them so much that He sacrificed something even more precious than diamonds and gold.

Jesus is the gift to give cuz He’s the gift that will live and live…

The Proof is in the Pudding phrase has its origin in a 1605 printing of William Camden’s work “Remains Concerning Britain.” It was later used in the 17th century as a test of eating a savory meat-filled sausage to know if it was safe to eat. You couldn’t just look at the dish to determine if it was ready so the idea of finding ‘proof in the pudding’ was to eat it. We might then say the proof is in the eating.

When it comes to the message of the Christmas season and a child being born, even in a manager, it isn’t difficult to believe or find proof since children are born all the time today. However, when the Person and place are predicted years before an event and then come true, that is pretty amazing.

The Bible has more than 300 prophecies of Jesus the Messiah that come true in Scripture. The odds of one person fulfilling just 8 prophecies is a staggering 1 to the 17th power (a 1 with 17 “0’s” behind it). The odds of one man fulfilling just 48 prophecies and the odds are raised to 1 to the 157th power. However, once you get higher than 1 to the 50th power mathematicians generally agree that there is a ZERO probability anything could happen. This would be in the miraculous arena.

The prophet Micah hundreds of years before the birth of the Christ-child prophesied of One who would be the Ruler in Israel and would be everlasting (a characteristic only used of God), and that He would come from Bethlehem or Ephrathah. This was the ancient name of Bethlehem and is the town where Jesse, the great king David’s father was from. Isaiah, even before Micah, had prophesied that a ruler would come from the line of Jesse. These two prophesies alone were fulfilled at the birth of Christ and recorded in Luke 1:32-33 before in Luke 2, Joseph just so happens to need to go to Bethlehem (Ephrathah) for a census.

Even if only a few prophesies came true that would be enough for us to investigate further, but when more than 300 come true through Christ and Christ alone, this should give us pause to realize we have amazing evidence that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And if He is the Son of God then what He says must be true because He is God.

If you have yet to place your faith in Jesus Christ for eternal life this Christmas, let me suggest, there is proof in the pudding when it comes to Jesus. Investigate who He is, what He did, and put those prophecies to the test.

The Christmas Season of 2016 was a special time for Melinda and I, and not just because Melinda started to play Christmas music in the house before Thanksgiving like is usually custom (much to my chagrin). She was pregnant and due anytime with our 1st born.

Growing up, Christmas Eve service held a special place in both our hearts. In particular with the Spirit of Song filling the cold night air with lights and candles, with greenery adorned.

Dec. 24th that night at UHBC was no different, as we congregated in anticipation of another beautiful celebration. Midway through the service, huddled close and singing along, quite suddenly and emphatically, I feel Melinda not only grab my arm but also gave it a very healthy squeeze. Any Dad realizes what that could entail…

In my husbandly wisdom, I whispered to Melinda to hold tight and breathe as we both couldn’t jump up and leave all of a sudden without tipping off the entire congregation she was going into labor. Naturally that didn’t go over well, with a look on her face I’ll never forget! As the night went on, we came to find out those were false contractions. All of us had a good laugh when our nerves finally settled!

Our daughter Merritt was born shortly thereafter on December 27th. Now almost 9 years old, when asked about her favorite person in the Bible, without hesitation her response is Mary. Why? Because she “had the important job of being Jesus’ Mommy.”

Much like in the scripture reading today, we will always treasure the experience that night, pondering its significance and holding it close into our hearts. We eventually chalked up the contractions, to Merritt simply wanting to participate in singing along for Christmas Eve.

What are you treasuring in your heart this Christmas? Is it stress, worry, anxiety or fear? Let’s reflect like Mary did, and practice putting Christ in His rightful place in our heart.

At the end of a year, it’s especially comforting to remember that God promised to provide us with a Prince of Peace: a ruler who would epitomize peace and bring peace to our troubled world. Isaiah described this One as a Prince: a ruler under the authority of another, even God the Father. An outstanding mark of His rule would be peace. The Hebrew word translated “peace” is shalom, which means the fullness of wellbeing, freedom from anxiety, goodwill, and harmony in relationships, not just the absence of hostility. It comes from a root meaning, “to be whole or complete.” The Prince of Peace would Himself possess a perfectly integrated, well-rounded personality, and be at peace with God and man.

When Jesus Christ came to this earth, He provided peace with God by bearing the sins of humankind and dying in our place (Romans 5:1). He made peace through the blood of His cross, and His self-sacrifice reconciled all things to God: all creation, including people (Colossians 1:20).

When Christ returns to the earth, He will bring global peace, having done the work necessary to establish it when He died. Then the nations “will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war” (Isaiah 2:4). Having removed the cause of war: sin and enmity between God and man (Romans 5:11), people will live in peace with God and with one another forever (Isaiah 9:7).

Peace has come and will come to us because a Child was born. We must go to Him to find peace. Come Lord Jesus!

During the Christmas holidays our thoughts most often linger and remain on the baby in a manger. We reflect on the journey of His parents, on the thoughts and song of His mother, the joyful shepherds, and the curious magi. However, we often leave the baby in the manger and never quite finish the redemption story. Or as Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights said, “I like the baby version of Jesus best.”

Jesus came as an infant child and fulfilled His purpose to provide the redemption payment necessary that mankind may receive the righteousness of God through faith in His finished work by His death and resurrection. Today, Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father and one day will return to earth again as the great judge and a conquering King. The image of Christ in Revelation 19:11-21 is not one of an infant however. There are no diapers to change or a toddler to run down. The image in Revelation leaves childhood far behind and gives us a glimpse of the Savior as a powerful warrior.

As you celebrate Christmas Day, my wife Sarah and I encourage you to make time to reflect on what Jesus Christ has done for you. Celebrate Him not only as a babe in a manger, but as the great conquering King who was, who is, and who is soon to return as King. And if you have yet to place your faith in Jesus Christ for Eternal Life, today is the perfect day to trust in this Conquering Christ-Child. He did what you could not do, so He could give you what you do not have – an abundant, everlasting life! Believe in Him today.

Merry Christmas!