Tuesday, December 26th
Day 29 - God Is With Us
John 1:1-4, 14
Today, the journey of Advent comes to an end as we have arrived at Christmas day. All the Advent candles have been lit and we are ready to light the white Christ candle in the center of our wreath. This Christ candle represents the life of Christ, and the white color of the candle represents purity because Christ is our sinless, pure Savior.
Today, we also gather at the manger in the little town of Bethlehem to worship the newborn babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. We remember the prophecy written by Isaiah 700 years before the birth of Christ.
Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 NIV
In his Gospel, Matthew quotes this verse adding a note of explanation…
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23 NIV
Here we discover the true meaning of the Advent season-that God loves us so much that He willingly became “Immanuel” for us.
In the gospel of John, Jesus is described as the word of God who was with God in the beginning. John describes Immanuel in this way…
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 NIV
As we gaze upon this child who will grow to be a man who will give His life for us on an old rugged cross, let us remember that in Jesus we see God’s love personified. Let’s surrender to that love today.
Prayer Emphasis: Thank God for the gift of His son Jesus and for salvation we have that is found in Him.
For Family Discussion…
How is the gift of Jesus better than any gift you will receive today?
What is holding you back from receiving this gift?