“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to all whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:14 (Verse on Bible Hub)

Christmas is Jesus

For Advent this year, I’ve been reading a chapter of Luke each day. When I read this verse, the truth that God’s favor rests on me, leapt from the page right into my heart. All because of Jesus.

Right away I began claiming this verse. Every time something doesn’t go as I have planned, I say out loud, “God, I know Your favor rests on me. No matter what happens, I know Your favor rests on me.”

As promised, it brings me peace by refocusing my mind on Jesus and the truth.

The birth of Jesus in chapter two of Luke is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. The Shepherds were out in the fields just doing their job when the angel appeared to them to tell the wonderful news of Jesus’ birth.

Luke 2:9 says, “The glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.” (Verse on Bible Hub)

Close your eyes and try to imagine this. Can you? What if right now as you’re reading this, the glory of the Lord came and shone all around you. How do you think you’d respond? In most movies when an angel appears to someone, the angel comes across as just another person and there is no fear. However, these Shepherds were afraid.

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all the people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:10-12

Christmas is Jesus.

Fear is turned into awe and joy as the angel continues sharing the wonderful news about this special baby. It’s  beautiful. This is the avenue God chose to bring the Savior of the world into this world. As a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.

Christmas is more than Jesus birth, though. Thanks to the Word of God, we get to experience Jesus before His birth, at His birth, as a young boy going about his Father’s (God) business and throughout His short ministry.

“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 (Verse on Bible Hub) 

Christmas is Jesus.

He invites us to have a personal relationship with Him. Along with this relationship comes complete access to God. We can communicate with our Creator and have His favor (approval, support, an act of kindness beyond what is due or usual) and His rest (be placed or supported so as to ‘stay’ in a specified position) on us. Nothing can take this away.

Luke 2:13 continues with, “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace to all whom His favor rests.'”

I love this scene of a multitude of heavenly (coming from heaven) host (troops of angels) praising God! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to witness such beauty?

With fear now gone, the Shepherds went to Bethlehem to see for themselves. Afterwards, they returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Christmas is Jesus.

I love the song ‘Mary Did You Know?’ My favorite stanza is “And when you kiss your little baby, you’ve kissed the face of God.” It brings tears of awe, gladness and joy to my eyes every time because this is how personal God truly is. He left the perfectness of heaven to be the Savior (Redeemer of sin and Saver of souls) of the imperfect world (all of us). And Mary got to kiss Him.

God desires for us to be personal with Him. To spend time with Him and share our intimate feelings with Him. To just sit quietly with Him and to remember:

Christmas is Jesus!

Merry Christmas to you,

Christmas is Jesus @ freshgracefortoday.com

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