“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:14, ESV
A sense of sadness usually surfaces as the Christmas festivities come to a screeching halt on December 26th. The presents are all opened, and the shiny newness of everything soon fades back to normalcy. Some will leave their trees up, bringing in the New Year; however, we will begin anticipating the next event on the calendar, the next reason to gather, and the next gift to give. The things of this world have a way of growing dim, and the end of the holiday season has a way of illuminating this to us, doesn’t it?
This is why it's so important to understand the gift of Christmas. The gift of our Savior swaddled in a grimy manger amongst the bellows of cows, donkeys, and the like. Jesus, our pathway to peace with God is the Christmas gift that keeps on giving.
I hope we never get over this gift. May we always revere that we were separated, sin-stricken, and incapable of doing enough good to cross the chasm that was between us and God. We were enemies of God. In Romans 8:6 Paul says that we were enemies because we were controlled by our human nature and did not obey the law, in fact, we couldn’t obey the law. He goes on to say, those who obey their human nature cannot please God (Romans 8:8).
In our sin, we are displeasing to God. I pray this news is halting, sobering, and humbling for those who don't know Christ. But for those of us who are in Christ, this part of the story is as bad as it gets!
Christmas is a yearly reminder that God did not leave us helpless and hopeless. No, instead, He put Himself in a helpless and hopeless state as a vulnerable little baby, born in a barn, destined to die. All so He could take our place and give us peace with God. So God could be pleased with His people.
Christmas is when we acknowledge Christ's gift to the world. For those who believe, when God looks upon us, He no longer sees our sin. No, He sees His Son. He adopts us into His family and calls us by name. We become sons and daughters (John 1:12). Once enemies, now co-heirs (Romans 8:17).
This gift has such sweet implications for this life but is also not bound by time. Christ is the gift that lasts beyond the season. When we believe, He gives us His Spirit. He gives us peace to traverse trials and strength to endure our continuous battle with our human nature and spiritual opposition. But His Spirit is also a seal. We are stamped and identified as belonging to God forever. God gives us peace with Him on earth and for all eternity.
Just like the glitz and glamour of the Christmas season, these earthly temples (our bodies) will also begin to grow dim. This will usher in a familiar sadness we experience as other seasons end. However, glory to God, He has given us peace on earth because of our faith in Christ. Christ is the gift that granted us peace with God forever, and that gift never gets old.
Dear Lord,
You are holy. And even though You are set apart from us because of Your goodness, You still made a way to become our Father! You call us your children. And Jesus, you did not consider your equality with God as something to cling to tightly (Philippians 2:6). No, you came and put Yourself in our position to display to us Your power. You are powerful over sin, separation, and death. You are the gift that never grows dim. You provided a pathway to peace with God for us. And unlike the things of this world, your gift never gets old. For all eternity, You are pleased with us! May we never forget, Lord. May we treasure these things in our hearts as your mother Mary did, and more than any of the temporary treasures of this life (Luke 2:19; Matthew 6:19). Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/jchizhe
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If you've been feeling tired, overwhelmed, depleted, or just quietly wondering where God is in the middle of a very full life — this episode is for you. And honestly? It might be for me too, because I'm recording this in one of those seasons myself.
Today we're doing something a little different. Instead of going deep in a passage, we're talking about what to do when deep feels like too much — when you need less, not more. Specifically, I'm walking you through one of my favorite practices for weary seasons: handwriting scripture.
Not typing it. Not scrolling past it. Actually writing it out, slowly, in your own hand — because something happens in your brain when you do that. The words land differently. They go deeper. And over time, they become part of that personal library of God's voice that the Holy Spirit can pull from when you need it most. That's what Psalm 119:11 means when it says I have hidden your word in my heart — it's scripture moving into your long-term memory, where it lives and stays even when you haven't opened your Bible in weeks.
I'm sharing the five verses I wrote out for myself today — and why each one hit me fresh even though I've known some of them for years. This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to follow the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Wednesday, 25 December 2024.
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