Week One
(first Friday of December)
--- Divine Milestones ---
If Jesus were on facebook today, there would be many milestones marked on his timeline. I'm sure that you would see postings of each time he rejoiced when he met a new disciple and the frustration of when he encountered the Pharisees, the story of woman at the well, and any number of healings and miracles. Of all of these, the three main milestones would be his birth, death and resurrection. Can you imagine Jesus posts knowing that he would be going to his death, and then after his resurrection? “Hey my people... do not weep, for I am still here with you a while longer. I have risen!”
He was born to bring us hope, salvation, and love that would surpass what this world has to offer. His desire was to reveal the Heavenly Father, our Creator so that we would know him. His birth demonstrates his humanity and his death brings us salvation. His resurrection reveals his glory and assures our future resurrection in the future.
The apostle John starts at the beginning with John 1:1,2
(1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) The same was in the beginning with God.
John talks about "the Word"— as you can see by the scripture above, the Word was there in the beginning as the Creator, the Word was with God, and the Word was also God. The Word filled every aspect of the God-head, who was both with God and who was God (verse 1). Verse 4 says he had both light and life.
The Word is Jesus as we learn is verses 9-11 of the first chapter of John. He came into the world and although some did not accept him, the Word, Jesus Christ, made it possible to be re-born in our spirits as children of God, as it says in verses 12-14.
The apostle John tells us boldly that the Word became flesh. God came in the flesh, so that we could have a tangible and real experience to truly learn from him and encounter his love when he walked on the earth.
Paul calls the body our tent or tabernacle in 2 Corinthians 5:1-9, because God comes to dwell within us when we invite him into our life. So when John says that the Word became flesh—"and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14) it translates literally in the Greek using the word “tent” or “tabernacle”. This means that the Word, Jesus Christ, truly pitched his tent, his body, to dwell among us". The Word had a temporary dwelling in a mortal body while Jesus was on the earth. John testifies...
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life...” 1 John 1:1
Because he came to us in the flesh, born to be our Saviour, we have seen the evidence of both his humanity and his divine glory.
Week 2
(second Friday in December)
----- Back to the Beginning ------
It's
quite a beautiful, heroic and endearing story. Imagine that an angel
of God came and told a couple named Mary and Joseph, that she would
give birth to the Saviour of the world! How sweet to think that even
though there was no room at the Inn, that the babe Jesus was born in
a stable, wrapped in swaddling clothes, placed in the manger and
surrounded by animals who lived there. It's amazing that a star
shone so brightly that it led Shepherds to the manger to find the
babe too. It was a pure miracle that even a year or more later, three
wise men did travel far and followed that very same star. They
brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the little Saviour
and King Jesus who was a now a toddler, no longer in a stable. The
story unfolds in such a whimsical and romantic sort of events.
Spiritual
death is separation from God because of our sin. To suffer spiritual
death, being eternally separated from God puts our eternal destiny in
damnation. We need to be rescued from the inherited sin and
disobedience of our human nature. Many people believe that they are
good people, but can they say that they have never lied? Once we can
speak, it's one of the very first things as children that we do. We
also learn the word “no” and can say it at will, whenever we are
asserting our own will as children. This is a sign of the inherited
sin of Adam on the whole human race. It is a human condition.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." -- Romans 3:23
I like
to think that acne and bad breath are a part of it too. We have
become “corruptible”. Only one man was born without sin,
incorruptible, pure and holy who could remove sin from our hearts.
His name is Jesus, God's own son. Today we still face temptation,
but we can resist Satan's temptation because of what Jesus did for
us.
We
are made of spirit, soul and body in God's image. Even though the
body still faces mortal death, our spirit, the person that we truly
are, stays in tact and lives on. When we come face to face with
ourselves and our sin, we are not free from our sin until we have
accepted Jesus as our personal Saviour. He asks us to welcome him
into our lives. When we repent of our sinful nature and ways, he will
wipe out our sin. The price for your sin was paid for, through his
life sacrificed on the cross. He was born, he died and lived again.
Your spirit is made alive because Jesus accomplished victory over the
grave when he resurrected three days after his crucifixion. Now when
the Father in heaven looks at you, he sees you wiped clean because of
the blood of Jesus that washes your sin away . You are victorious
over spiritual death.
"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and
sins;"
Week 3
(the Friday before Christmas)
------ The Promise of Christmas ------
In all of the excitement of the season, there is one story that has passed the test of time. It's glory has never faded! Scripture revealed that it would happen long before it's time. The future would hold the dear promise of a Saviour.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
A babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, found in a humble stable and laid in a simple manger, was the beginning of a life that would change our hearts for generations. A star hung in the sky that night and led shepherds and wise men to find him. This was a sign that the Saviour had been born.
How beautiful that he came, God “in the flesh” to love us and personally show us the way. He went to the cross, died a brutal death that and took our place so that we could be cleansed from our sin and then rose from the dead to give us victory over the death.
The cross is powerful! It makes us come face to face with our short comings, our own sin. For many people, the cross is offensive. The first thing to rise up is “pride”. Man does not believe that they are not self-sufficient and that we are in need of saving from our own sin. However, when pride is present, there is no true peace deep within. A self assurance is missing that will never be known deep inside the heart. For this very reason, it is true, we need saving from our own sin.
"But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong." I John 1:9
His birth was foretold and this scripture also tells us everything that he is. He shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. He has made himself available to us in all of these ways. As our counsellor, our mighty God, our Father who will always remain, and the Prince of Peace. At Christmas time, there are also many who are hurting, alone, and those who have experienced loss and strife. Knowing him is wonderful but sometimes we forget to turn to him. He is the gift of love and in him, is found all that we need. The greatest gift this Christmas is Jesus, a mighty God, in the flesh from heaven above, wrapped up in love, offering you his counsel, refuge and his peace, this Christmas and every day forward. His promise to you will always be “ I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 20: 28
(the Friday before Christmas)
------ The Promise of Christmas ------
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
A babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, found in a humble stable and laid in a simple manger, was the beginning of a life that would change our hearts for generations. A star hung in the sky that night and led shepherds and wise men to find him. This was a sign that the Saviour had been born.
How beautiful that he came, God “in the flesh” to love us and personally show us the way. He went to the cross, died a brutal death that and took our place so that we could be cleansed from our sin and then rose from the dead to give us victory over the death.
The cross is powerful! It makes us come face to face with our short comings, our own sin. For many people, the cross is offensive. The first thing to rise up is “pride”. Man does not believe that they are not self-sufficient and that we are in need of saving from our own sin. However, when pride is present, there is no true peace deep within. A self assurance is missing that will never be known deep inside the heart. For this very reason, it is true, we need saving from our own sin.
"But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong." I John 1:9
His birth was foretold and this scripture also tells us everything that he is. He shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. He has made himself available to us in all of these ways. As our counsellor, our mighty God, our Father who will always remain, and the Prince of Peace. At Christmas time, there are also many who are hurting, alone, and those who have experienced loss and strife. Knowing him is wonderful but sometimes we forget to turn to him. He is the gift of love and in him, is found all that we need. The greatest gift this Christmas is Jesus, a mighty God, in the flesh from heaven above, wrapped up in love, offering you his counsel, refuge and his peace, this Christmas and every day forward. His promise to you will always be “ I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 20: 28
