ADVENT DAY 23: Dec. 23
Luke 2:19-21
Jesus
19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. ESV
Jesus – the Savior of the World
By Allison McElwee
God’s people had heard the prophesies. They knew about the promised Messiah. But it had been a very long time since the prophets spoke. Life moved on. Government leaders changed, some more oppressive than others. Yet many of God’s people never lost hope. And one night their hopes were fulfilled…the Messiah arrived. The night that Jesus entered the world as an infant, the angels showed up. They were there to announce the grand entrance of the King of Kings. The entrance certainly didn’t look very grand. He was born in a stable and then laid in a manger.
His parents were poor newlyweds, who were getting over the shock of an unplanned pregnancy, even if it was brought about by a miraculous conception. Despite the majestic nature of this birth, the angels didn’t show up in front of high-ranking government officials, or prominent religious leaders, or even foreign kings. They showed up in a field to speak to some shepherds on night watch. When those shepherds heard the angel’s instructions, they knew they were invited to something incredible, and they hurried to the scene. After witnessing exactly what the angels had proclaimed, they couldn’t keep quiet about it as they left His presence that night. Mary knew this night was special, she committed it to memory. Most mothers remember the joy they experience at the birth of their baby.
But this baby was different. He was the long-awaited Messiah. Centuries long. This tiny package of skin and bones, flesh and blood, held the Creator of the Universe. The King of Kings humbled Himself to become not just a human, but the most vulnerable form of a human: a poor, helpless infant. He did this for us. Sin had severed our relationship with God, and now God the Father had sent His son, Jesus, to give us his all to restore our relationship and to wipe away the sin that separates us from our Creator. Jesus would save us from sin that leads to death - a salvation we do not deserve yet offered freely. Immanuel, God is with us!
Prayer:
Mighty God, this Christmas, help me take time to treasure and
ponder the gift of your great salvation in Jesus. Amen.
