Saturday, December 24

John 1:14

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Reflection

What better verse of scripture for this day.  This evening Christians all around the world will gather in churches and participate in worship services celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.  What are we really celebrating?  We are celebrating the very Word of God becoming flesh and coming to this earth to live among us.  We are celebrating the grace and truth of Jesus being made available to each and every person who humbles themselves and believes in faith in Jesus.

As you prepare to celebrate Christmas take time to focus on what the presence of Jesus has done in your life.

Friday, December 23

John 1:13

Children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

Reflection

Through the coming of Jesus Christ we have been born of God.  We are children of God.  Jesus told Nicodemus in the third chapter of John that if we want eternal life “you must be born again.”  That is what Christmas is about.  The coming of Jesus allows us to be born into the family of God. 

This Christmas we need to understand this: Because of Jesus we are not orphans.  We are not outsiders.  We are loved and embraced in the family of God.  That’s the greatest Christmas gift.

Today spend some time giving thanks for your divine family heritage.

Thursday, December 22

John 1:12

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…

Reflection

Now, we begin to see the good news that is associated with the change that Jesus has brought into the world.  If we receive Jesus, if we have faith that he is the Son of God and that he lived, died and lived again so that we might become all that God wants us to be.  We, through Jesus, have been adopted into God’s family. 

That changes everything.

Remind yourself this day that through the grace of Jesus you are a child of God.

Wednesday, December 21

John 1:11

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

Reflection

This reference is that Jesus came to the Jewish nation, his own people, but they did not on the whole recognize and receive him as the promised Messiah and Savior.  However, let’s take this verse and personalize it.  Jesus, in a very real way came to each of us.  The question is this: How fully have we received Jesus?  Have we received Jesus in a superficial way?  Have we received Jesus in such a way that we are open to any change he wants to bring into our lives? 

The answers to these questions will tell us to what degree we have received Jesus into our lives.

Tuesday, December 20

John 1:10

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.

Reflection

Jesus came to change the world but many people did not recognize that fact.  Many people either ignored Jesus or found him to be a colossal inconvenience.  The latter is how the Jewish Pharisees reacted to Jesus.  They did not want the changes that Jesus brought because they were comfortable with the status quo.  They would rather reject Jesus than deal with the changes that Jesus was working in the world and in people’s lives.  The change Jesus brought required too much work.  They wanted nothing to do with it.

It is not much different today.  Many people, including the religious class, really don’t want anything to do with the change associated with Jesus.  It upsets their comfortable lives so they reject his change while at the same time saying they love and follow him

Consider this question: Have we really allowed the change of Jesus to enter and transform our lives?

December 18-24

Galatians 4:4a

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman…

John 1:10 -14

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.   Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The birth of Jesus was a historical line of demarcation.  With Jesus’ entrance into this world everything was changed.  We are now freed from the Law and we live under grace and freedom.  We are freed from sin and we know the relief of forgiveness.  Death is no longer a dreaded enemy and we are given the gift of eternal life.  The list of how the presence of Jesus has changed this world and our daily lives could go on and on.

Jesus has changed everything.  This week through the daily devotionals we are going to explore the scripture to see how the changes that Jesus has brought into this world have affected our lives.

Monday, December 19

Galatians 4:4a

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman…

Reflection

When the time was right Jesus made his entry into the world.  God, the Father had predetermined the right time and we do not know all the reasons why the time that Jesus was born was the right time over any other time.  However, we can trust it was the right time and we do know that Jesus’ life and his redeeming acts changed everything.  The possibility of reconciliation with God and real salvation became a reality through Jesus.  Jesus changed a world of despair into a world of hope.

Take some time this week and ponder how the gift of Jesus has changed your life.