ADVENT - Day Seven

 For Advent this year, we are reading A Weary World Rejoices written by Brittany Rust   ************************************************************** 

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

Luke 2:8-21 NKJV

For thousands of years mankind waited for the coming of Christ; they longed for their King to arrive and free them from oppression. The Bible is full of Scripture pointing directly to the One who would save mankind from their sins.

When Isaiah (Isaiah 9) described His coming, he described His coming as an infant. But this child would grow and establish a Kingdom of righteousness forevermore. When we celebrate Christmas, we are celebrating the moment in history when this and all prophecy was fulfilled. God came to be with us...willingly and lovingly.

But it was so much more than a birth—it was hope. It was a cause for celebration. Because when Jesus came, He also left us with the gift of salvation. His birth is significant because of His death. For thirty-three years Jesus lived a life free from sin so that He could be the perfect sacrificial lamb for the atonement of our sins. On Calvary, Christ paid the price and overcame death so that we could have victory over sin and condemnation. So, when that precious baby was born and placed in the manger, it wasn’t just another birth. It was the beginning of God’s redemptive plan for humanity. An act He didn’t have to take part in but He chose to out of love. Hallelujah!

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Prayer:

Father,
           We haven't the words to properly express just how thankful we are for Your plan of redemption - salvation for us and this sin-sick world. We pray as Paul prayed in Ephesians 3, that from Your glorious, unlimited resources You will empower us with inner strength through Your Spirit. And that Christ will make His home in our hearts as we trust in Him. We pray that our roots will grow down into Your love and keep us strong. And may we have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep is Your love. May we experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then we will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes only from You. All glory to You, Father, who is able, through Your mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen