“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14, NASB) Historians until recent times have always used the terms BC, meaning Before Christ, and AD, Anno Domini, meaning the Year of our Lord, placing …
“And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” (Matthew 25:40, NKJV) Christmas offers abundant occasions for compassion. Festive baskets for needy families. Salvation Army bell ringers. Toys for Tots. Citywide feasts …
“I am the gate . . . I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:9–10, NIV) Jesus identified Himself as the gate, declaring that those who walk through that gate into eternal life will also experience abundant life now. His earthly ministry secured that promise. Jesus revolutionized …
“When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was …
“And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” (1 Corinthians 15:14, NIV) Ah yes, it’s another one of those “What if?” questions. “What if President Kennedy had not been assassinated?” “What if Hitler had never been born?” It’s certainly interesting to speculate on “What if Christmas had …
“Therefore Pilate said to Him, ‘So You are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.’” (John 18:37, NASB) There could be no more dramatic scene. Pontius Pilate, the one Roman …
“The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” (John 1:9, NET) God with us” summarizes the hope of God’s people. Moses expressed it this way: “If your presence does not go with us, do not take us up from here. For how will it be known then that I have …
“For nothing will be impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37, NASB) When the angel Gabriel came to visit Mary, he declared, “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.” Mary was perplexed by the angel’s words and asked, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” How …
“And you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21, NIV) Jesus deserves our unwavering trust because He alone has saved us from the destructive power of sin and death. I’ll always remember that indelible moment when my dad, grandpa, uncle, and I were corralling a …
“On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they . . . worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11–12, NIV) Christmas is about gifts. Brightly wrapped paper hides wonderful surprises. Boys and girls squeal, …
“‘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) John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, was a tireless servant of God. During his world-changing ministry in England, he planted churches, established orphanages, opposed slavery, authored books, and trained …
“The LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. . . . to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and . . . to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor . . . and everlasting joy will be yours.” (Isaiah 61:1–2, 7, NIV, emphasis added) News headlines …
“Today your Savior is born . . .” (Luke 2:11, NET) The gathered armies stood at attention, silent as the night. Waiting. Unseen. Their commander moved into position, listening for the signal. Breathless, they stood, poised to do their duty. Their king had gone on ahead of them. Many men had tried to change the …
“‘As for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, seemingly insignificant among the clans of Judah—from you a king will emerge who will rule over Israel on my behalf, one whose origins are in the distant past.’” (Micah 5:2, NET) His parents labored through poverty, drifting through small towns. After graduating from West Point, the Army twice denied his …
“The angel answered [Mary, saying], ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.’” (Luke 1:35, NIV) Back in the beautiful orchard on a Friday afternoon, God made male and female in His image. …
“[He] emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. . . . He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name.” …
So why did God send His Son into the world? The short answer is to bless it, to bring forgiveness of sin. But then what is that forgiveness for? It is about more than merely removing the stain of sin. Jesus came to reconnect us permanently to the living God. The very first evangelistic speech …
“The next day he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29, ESV) When I think of Jesus being born in a manger in the little town of Bethlehem, my imaginary scene usually has a couple of lambs …
“For my eyes have seen Your salvation. You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples—a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to Your people Israel.” (Luke 2:30–32, HCSB) Operation Mufambashiva in Zimbabwe was the clearing of illegal structures, thieves, vendors, and orphans from the public land in the city of Harare. …
“Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! For He has done marvelous things; . . . The LORD has made known His salvation; . . . Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; . . . Shout joyfully before the LORD, the King.” (Psalm 98:1–6, NKJV) An unknown prophet and poet wrote the …
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29–32, NIV) It’s difficult to imagine what it must …
“When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.” (Matthew 2:3, NIV) Jesus was born in the Roman Empire in a time of peace and prosperity, a time of literary giants such as Virgil and Ovid. But the most prominent headline was in Bethlehem rather than Rome. A baby—of all things—stirred …
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son … a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel. … The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” (John 3:16; Luke 2:32; 1 John 3:8, ESV) First, Christmas makes a …
“A battered reed He will not break off, and a smoldering wick He will not put out, until He leads justice to victory.” (Matthew 12:20, NASB) At first blush this verse seems to be out of place in the Christmas devotional booklet, but it has everything to do with the birth of the Lord Jesus. …
“And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the …
