Jesus, the Long-Awaited Promise
The prophet Isaiah promised that God would come close, and in the birth of Jesus, that promise was fulfilled. Today, even when we find ourselves waiting, we know that God is present with us and will always keep his promises.
Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year (so much so, I may or may not secretly listen to Christmas music in July on occasion). I love everything about Christmas—the music, the lights, the Nativity, the cookies, the sweaters—all of it! I love all the preparation for the season as we approach the beginning of fall in September.
I have vivid memories of years spent performing in A Christmas Carol as a child, back when my church used to put on that play every December. I loved the anticipation as practices started each year and the excitement as each day got closer and closer. There’s something so special about all of the live Nativities, Christmas plays, and children’s performances this time of year. It’s a time when it feels like the whole world truly is celebrating the birth of our Savior (even if Amazon wants you to think it’s about certain other characters).
I feel so close to our heavenly Father during Christmas because there is so much celebration surrounding His first coming. Everywhere you go, there are reminders of who we are celebrating amidst all the traditions woven into our society, like gift-giving and Christmas carols. Songs like O Come, All Ye Faithful and O Holy Night give me chills almost every time I hear them.
I think of the first lines from Joy to the World:
Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let Earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, And heaven and nature sing…
Jesus Came When We Needed Him Most
He came to very little fanfare (although I would love to have been a fly in the field where the shepherds were), but that verse says what everyone had been waiting for – THE LORD IS COME! He has arrived! Jesus came at the moment we needed Him most.
The world may look bleak today if you tune into the news anymore, but it was never more bleak than when He stepped onto the stage. We have a long legacy of people before us who were full of His Spirit and have shared His glorious gospel with us, but back when Jesus entered the scene, no one had heard from the Father for FOUR HUNDRED years!
I can’t imagine not hearing from the Lord for that long. Today, all I have to do is open His Word and listen, listen to some uplifting worship music, or spend time in prayer to access Him. Isaiah 7:14 says,
“Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
God Always Keeps His Promises
Immanuel – God WITH us. A promise made centuries before Jesus was delivered in that dirty manger, now fulfilled. Jesus fulfilled every ancient whisper of God’s rescue plan in a single moment and prepared the way for a personal relationship with us once again. Time and time again, God comes through with His promises. He never fails!
This Christmas, take time to enjoy the cozy movies and have fun wrapping the gifts, but don’t forget why we are celebrating. We celebrate because centuries before we were even a thought, God made a promise to His people that He would deliver them. He delivered on that promise with the greatest gift that all people get to enjoy.
