Pressing on

 Pressing On

 

I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

PHILIPPIANS 3.13-14

The one thing I ask of the LORD — the thing I seek most — is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.

PSALM 27.4

 

God has given us the gift of memory, and it is one of those gifts we can use in a way that hurts us or in a way that helps us. Memories of our successes can fill us with sinful pride or with gratitude for God’s provision and help. Memories of sins and failures can burden us with hopelessness or prompt us to become more like God. As we look back over the past year, we should give thanks for our successes and make humble confessions for failures. Then we turn toward the future.

As Paul looked toward the future, he was determined to “press on.” What would it look like to press on as you enter another year? The kind of straining forward Paul writes about means implementing the self-discipline and self-denial of a serious athlete. It means making plans and setting goals for yourself in the areas of worshiping, studying God’s Word, developing your prayer life, and sharing Christ, so that by next year at this time you will be closer to Jesus.

Today is a good day to look back, look forward, and look inward. We want to see ourselves and our lives as Christ sees us and be willing to face hard truths. But more important than looking inward is looking upward to Christ. Looking at Christ gives us a goal to pursue, a person to enjoy, a passion to feed. Looking to Christ orients the direction of the coming year — and of our entire lives.

God pitched His tent

 God Pitched His Tent

 

The Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

JOHN 1.14

Abram moved his tent and came and dwelt by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD.

GENESIS 13.18, NASB

I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.”

REVELATION 21.3

 

Have you ever put up a tent in your backyard to play in or sleep in? Imagine if another family were to put up a tent in your backyard to live in. They would probably use your bathroom and have their meals with you. They would be with you almost all the time, and no doubt their lives would intertwine with yours.

John 1 says, “The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us” (verse 14, NASB). The Greek word that is translated dwelt is the word for “set up a tent.” This verse is saying that God became a person who has set up his tent in our backyard. He did this so that his life will be intertwined with ours — so that we will share our lives with him and so we can see him up close and really know him.

And when we see him up close, what do we see? John tells us, unfailing love and faithfulness. Doesn’t that seem like the kind of person you would want to have making his home with your family?

The Word became flesh

 The Word Became Flesh

 

The Word became human and made his home among us.

JOHN 1.14

In Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.

COLOSSIANS 2.9

Because God’s children are human beings — made of flesh and blood — the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.

HEBREWS 2.14

 

Have you ever seen someone on TV who was wearing a fat suit or who dressed up as an elderly person to play a different role? When people put on costumes, it is usually for a brief time and then they go back to being who they really are.

We might assume that’s what Jesus did — that he put on a “costume” of skin to be a human for the thirty-three years he spent on this earth, and then went back to his “usual” self when he returned to heaven. But Jesus went much further than that. When the Word became flesh, he became flesh forever. He didn’t just appear to be human, he became human — not just for his brief life on earth, but for eternity. Even now, Jesus, who is God, is in heaven at the right hand of God, the Father, in his glorified human body.

When the Word became flesh, he became capable of new experiences. He entered the world through a mother’s body. He had to learn how to walk. He went through puberty. He got splinters in his hands in the carpenter’s shop and rocks in his sandals as he walked. But the most important experience he went through as a human was physical death. This was his ultimate purpose in becoming flesh — so he could die in our place.

Since the beginning

Since the Beginning

 

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.

JOHN 1.1-3

Through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. . . . Everything was created through him and for him.

COLOSSIANS 1.16

Now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he created the universe.

HEBREWS 1.2

 

While Matthew and Luke started their Gospels with the genealogies of Jesus, wanting us to see his humanness, John wanted us to see that the Son of God’s first appearance on the scene was not as a baby in Bethlehem. He has, in fact, always existed — since the beginning of time. Before the world was created or time began, the Word, who was God, was already there with God.

The word Word is a translation of the Greek word logos. It was used in Greek philosophy to indicate the “first cause.” It referred to the great unknown reason, will, and power behind the universe. John was telling us that Jesus is that first cause. He is the one who started everything, and nothing got its start without him. Jesus was the agent or the means by which God made everything in the world — from the outer galaxies in the heavens to the smallest atom.

John wanted us to know that this one who chose to enter the world is the one who made the world. This truth fills us with wonder and amazement. The God who made the world and everything in it willingly reduced himself to Mary’s womb to be born into this world. 

Family Business

 The Family Business

 

Jesus was known as the son of Joseph.

LUKE 3.23

Three days later they finally discovered him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

His parents didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”

“But why did you need to search?” he asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” But they didn’t understand what he meant.

LUKE 2.46-50

 

Many young men and women grow up thinking about whether or not they want to join the “family business” when they are an adult. Many follow in their father’s or mother’s footsteps professionally or join with their parents in business. That’s what Jesus did. Until he was thirty years old, he worked as a carpenter like his earthly father. But he also knew he was born for a higher purpose — to fulfil the work his Father in heaven had given him to do.

When Jesus was twelve years old, his parents were frantically searching for him. They finally found him in the Temple talking to the religious leaders about what the Scriptures teach. Mary said, “Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.” Jesus answered, “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?” In other words, Jesus had chosen this crucial stage in his life, on the brink of adulthood, to tell his parents in an unforgettable way that he knew who his real Father was and what it would mean for his life. Even though he was young, he recognised that he was God’s unique Son and that his mission would require a devotion to God that would take priority over his devotion to his earthly family.

Pondering

 Pondering

 

All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.

LUKE 2:18-19

He returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.

LUKE 2:51

 

Pretty soon it will be time to take down the Christmas lights and put away the decorations. January will be here, and this Christmas will be a memory. If we’re not careful, ordinary life can cause us to lose our sense of wonder over Jesus’ coming.

That might have happened on the first Christmas too. Though it seems like everyone would keep their eyes on a baby whose birth had been announced by a sky full of angels, evidently people lost interest. The shepherds had to go back to taking care of their sheep. The wise men went back to their own country. It seems as if most people set aside their hopes that this baby could make a difference in the world.

But Mary didn’t. She “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Lk 2:19, NIV). It was as if she said to herself, I won’t forget hearing the angel, having the Spirit come over me, seeing Jesus worshiped by the wise men. Evidently Mary didn’t understand everything about Jesus, but she wanted to, so she began a process of “connecting the dots” in her own mind, adding up the prophecies fulfilled by her son and all the miracles surrounding his birth. She thought through everything again and again while others lost interest.

Don’t let your life slip back into ordinary days with few thoughts of wonder over Jesus’ coming. Ponder him in your heart.

The Greatest Gift

 THE GREATEST GIFT 

 

Since [God] did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?

ROMANS 8.32

From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.

JOHN 1.16

Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!

2CORINTHIANS 9.15

 

What’s the best gift you were given this Christmas? Can you hardly wait to leave the dinner table to play with it, put it on, or figure it out?

At Christmas, one of the ways we celebrate the best gift we’ve ever been given is by giving each other gifts. God is the ultimate gift giver —the most generous giver in the universe. He knows just what to give to us, just what we need most. And he has given us Jesus. Whether or not we realise it, Jesus is the greatest gift we’ve ever been given.

When we realise how generous the gift of Jesus is, we can be confident that whatever else God gives us will be good, and that he will, in fact, give us everything good. It only makes sense. Why would God give us the most precious, costly gift of his own Son, who died for us, and then be stingy with us in other ways, holding out on giving us what we need? Why would God pour out his love on us through Jesus and then refuse to provide for every other need we might have?

Today is a day to celebrate the best gift ever from the best gift giver ever — Jesus, the gift we will enjoy forever.

Christmas weekend suggestion list

 Christmas weekend suggestion box

 

Write a letter to each of your children recounting a special Christmas memory. Describe the scene in vivid detail, sharing what they were wearing, what smells were in the air, who else was there, and how you felt. Even if you don’t consider yourself a writer, allow love to lace your words together.

 

Host a free pancake breakfast for international students, playing gospel-centred Christmas songs in the background and asking them to share what Christmas is like in their home country. Look for opportunities to build bridges and point them to Immanuel—God with us.

 

Bake a birthday cake for Jesus, the Son of Man, who left the splendour of heaven to take on human flesh. Encourage your children to think of ways they might say “Happy Birthday” to Jesus by showing love to someone around them.

 

Have a hot (chocolate) date with your spouse to reconnect and rekindle the romance in the midst of this busy season. Celebrate what’s going well, and look for opportunities to affirm them and speak words of love over their life.

 

Tape £1 in 20p coins on driers in a laundry, or on a vending machine, to serve those who may be going through hardship. As you do, pray that Jesus, the Man of Sorrows, would make His presence known to them through your simple act of kindness, and that they would feel part of their own burden lifted.

 

Set up a soup/coffee/hot chocolate stand for the homeless in your car or van and drive around the city handing out cups of warmth and words of love. Wish them a Merry Christmas, and remind them that Jesus, our Good Shepherd, sees them and loves them.

 

Shovel a neighbour’s driveway or do some unexpected garden work, praying for them as you work. If they join you outside, ask them to share their own favourite Christmas memories and traditions. Consider sharing what you’ve learned through your readings in this Advent devotional, and look for opportunities to speak the truth of Jesus’ love into their lives.

Lamb of God

 LAMB OF GOD

 

Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

JOHN 1.29 (ESV)

 

For most of Jesus’ disciples, the word “lamb” would have conjured images of bloody sacrifices brought to the temple. But let’s take a step back. Why would God require sacrifices in the first place?

Sin requires punishment and atonement. The sacrificial system was instituted by God Himself to satisfy His righteous wrath, turning it from those who deserve it to the object being sacrificed. Think of the first sacrifice recorded in Scripture. God slaughtered an animal to clothe Adam and Eve, covering them and their sins at the animal’s expense.

We find many significant sacrifices in the Old Testament. When God tested Abraham’s love, calling him to sacrifice his own son, Isaac, Abraham assured his son that “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering” (Gen 22.8). And God did provide, the ram Abraham found at the top of the mountain was killed instead of Isaac. This episode foreshadowed God’s provision thousands of years later through the sacrifice of Jesus.

Another momentous sacrifice was the Passover lamb. After nine horrendous plagues sent upon the Egyptians in order to secure the Israelites’ freedom, God sent a final one, meant to kill each firstborn son. But to protect the Israelites, God instructed them to sacrifice a lamb and brush its blood on their doorposts, “The blood will be a sign … when I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Ex 12.13). Here, the Passover lamb points toward Jesus, whose blood would cause God’s wrath to pass over those covered by it.

Throughout the Bible, sacrificial lambs were killed in order to bear the burden of people’s sins. Sin was transferred from the guilty party to the animal. The person was declared innocent while the animal bore sin’s just punishment: death.

This sacrificial system, instituted by God Himself, was limited in scope, the sacrifice of atonement was required every year. But it was all meant to foreshadow Jesus. The Lamb of God came to fulfil and supersede the sacrificial system. His death on the cross atoned for all of humankind’s sins once and for all, through faith in Him.

This is not blind forgiveness but violent justice, not cheap grace but costly grace, not temporary oversight but eternal reconciliation. God doesn’t ignore our sins, He acknowledges them and makes provision for them through His own Son. The Lamb of God makes possible our relationship with God.

 

Prayer 

 

Jesus, how can I ever thank You for taking my sins away? I deserve the wrath of God, but You bore that punishment and gave me Your righteousness. Take my life and let it be consecrated to You alone.

In Jesus’s name, Amen 

 

If you want to read more 

 

Isa 53, Jn 1.29, 1Cor 5.7, Rom 3.25–26, Rev 13.8, 17.14

Man of Sorrows

 MAN OF SORROWS

 

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

ISAIAH 53:3 (ESV)

 

In a society that avoids pain at all costs, Jesus’ actions are hard to grasp. We’re surrounded by medications to relieve pain. Many turn to drugs, abortion, or euthanasia in an effort to eliminate discomfort and inconveniences from life.

But rather than run away from pain, Jesus ran headlong into it.

In the garden of Gethsemane, we glimpse the mental anguish Jesus experienced before His betrayal. He told His disciples, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mt 26.38), and Luke describes Jesus’ distress as so intense that His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (22.44).

Knowing full well the suffering that awaited Him, Jesus pleaded with the Father to consider an alternative plan. The physical suffering He would have to endure alone would be enough to cause any one of us to turn away, and we now know enough about the Romans’ cruelty during crucifixions to be shaken by their brutality. But Jesus also suffered the emotional agony of being forsaken by His Father, and the spiritual anguish of bearing all the ugly, inhumane, horrific sins of the world on His shoulders. It was enough to make anyone want to flee in the opposite direction.

But Jesus knew that there was no “plan B” to satisfy God’s righteous wrath. Only He could secure salvation for His beloved creation, so He willingly accepted the hard road before Him even though He did not deserve any of it, the betrayal, the mock trial, the beating, the scorn, the humility, and the torturous death through suffocation on a cross.

Amazingly, Jesus had the power to stop it all with just one word, but His love for us compelled Him to step forward. He willingly walked into His suffering, humbly allowing Himself to be ridiculed by the very ones He came to save. Every agonising moment He hung on that cross was another whispered “yes” to this painful course.

He who commands the universe and enjoys the worship of angels stepped down from heaven to be despised and rejected by humans. And He did it all for love.

 

Prayer 

 

O Lord, what can I say in the face of such love? The punishment that brought me peace fell upon You, and You willingly leaned into the suffering meant for me. Every sorrow and suffering I face, You faced first, and bore the wrath of God for me. Thank You, precious Jesus. Thank You.

In Jesus’s name, Amen 

 

If you want to read more 

 

Psa 69.29, Isa 53,  Jn 10.17–18

Son of Man

 SON OF MAN

 

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

MARK 10.45

 

A close study of the Gospels reveals that the most common title Jesus used for Himself is “Son of Man.” In fact, He used it eighty-one times in the Gospels though no one else used it to refer to Him.

When the Jews heard Jesus call Himself the “Son of Man,” their minds would have immediately leapt to Daniel 7. In this prophecy, Daniel writes about the end times, when “one like the Son of Man” will come with authority to judge the world. Jesus was claiming that title for Himself and communicating to His first hearers that He has the right to judge humanity.

But this title also refers to Jesus’ own humanity. Think of the humility Jesus endured in becoming the Son of Man. God eternal and magnificent “made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!” (Phil. 2.7–8).

Jesus emptied Himself of heavenly glory, while still retaining His deity, and submitted to the humiliation of becoming a human. From His position as Lord of the universe, He stooped down to become a servant, washing His disciples’ dusty feet. He set aside all His prerogatives and became like one of us, bound by time and space, trading all the riches of heaven and becoming poor in both the literal and figurative sense.

This Son of Man was unlike any other son or daughter of man. Fully God and fully man, Jesus entered our physical existence and experienced the joys and anguishes of being human, yet without sin. What could possibly motivate Him to do this? Love.

That is the beauty of the doctrine of incarnation: God invisible, glorious, and untouchable took on flesh. For us.

 

Prayer 

 

Jesus, Son of God, I’m so awed by Your life of humble service. You laid aside all glory and majesty to take on the form of a servant, while I grasp at the few strands of popularity and prestige I imagine I have. Forgive me, Lord, for the pride in my heart and my desire to be better than or more important than others. Make me a servant, and teach me to serve others joyfully.

In Jesus’s name, Amen 

 

If you want to read more 

 

Dan 7.13–14, Jn 13.3–17, 2Cor 8.9, Phil 2.5–11

Immanuel

 IMMANUEL (GOD WITH US)

 

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, (which means “God with us”).

MATTHEW 1.23

 

The verse above is the first of forty-three Messianic quotes from the Old Testament that Matthew included in his gospel narrative. By linking Jesus’ life to the Old Testament promises, Matthew demonstrates that Jesus’ birth and life fulfilled Old Testament prophecy, to show God’s provision for His people and His faithfulness in following through.

Jesus’ birth and life physically manifest a spiritual reality, God wants to be with His people. He created humans with this relationship in mind, breathing His own life into us, creating us in His own image, and placing within us souls so we may commune with Him.

In the garden of Eden, God’s presence was very real to Adam and Eve as He walked with them in the cool of the evening. Although Adam’s and Eve’s sin separated them from God, He was never far from His people. When He led the Israelites out of Egypt, He went before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. His glory was visible in a cloud covering Mount Sinai, the tabernacle, and the temple as a manifestation of His presence.

Throughout history, God has demonstrated His longing to be close to His people. Sin has marred our relationship with Him, but Jesus’ embodiment shows God’s commitment to dwelling with His people.

This is mind-blowing when you think about it. God Himself set aside His brilliance, took on human form, and became one of us. He walked among us, ate, laughed, cried, slept, and felt tired, angry, happy. He, the Creator of the world, became as one of the created, because He longs to be with us. And He was willing to do whatever it took, even setting aside His glory, humbling Himself to the point of death — on a cross — just to be with us forever. Amazing love!

 

Prayer 

 

Immanuel, I’m so humbled by Your display of love! To think that You would willingly give up the glories of heaven to come to this lowly earth, to live with messy people, to die for ungrateful humanity, to secure for us an eternity with You. Forgive me for being so caught up in my own little life that I lose sight of that amazing love. Help me never to get over the amazement of what You did for me.

In Jesus’s name, Amen 

 

If you want to read more 

 

Genesis 2, Exodus 13.21, 24.15–17, 1Kgs 8.10–13, Isa 7.14, Jn 1.14, Col 1.27

The Good Shepherd

 GOOD SHEPHERD

 

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

JOHN 10.11

 

Some of the metaphors and examples Jesus used in His teaching can be hard for us to understand, though they would have made complete sense to Jesus’ first hearers. Jesus as the Good Shepherd is one such metaphor. When He refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd, His listeners would have pictured a shabbily dressed, possibly smelly man who went all-out for his flock. A shepherd was dedicated to his sheep both personally and professionally; the sheep were his constant companions and his livelihood.

A good shepherd cares for his sheep, he finds pastures with lush green grass that will provide the nutrients they need to be healthy, he anoints their wounds with oil to foster quick healing, he protects them from the elements and from predators.

A good shepherd also knows his sheep, he nicknames them and knows their particularities, he watches them and knows if they’re acting strangely or if they wander off, he provides for them individually exactly what they need as they age and develop.

A good shepherd leads his sheep, he goes before them, he walks the path before they do, making sure there are no dangers ahead, he always stays close to respond to any need that arises, he maintains a presence by whistling or singing so that they know he is always there.

Lots of hired shepherds would do those things too. An employee would have a vested interest in doing his job well. But the distinguishing mark of a good shepherd versus a hired shepherd is this, “the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.” When danger comes, he doesn’t run away to save his own life, he runs straight toward the menacing threat to attack it head-on, before it reaches his sheep. His own life is not worth saving if he loses his precious sheep.

That is our Good Shepherd. He doesn’t have a superficial or halfhearted interest in us. No, Jesus is completely committed to us — caring for us, knowing us, leading us, and laying down His own life for us. Between continuing His existence without us and facing certain death, Jesus chose death. That’s how much He loves us.

And that’s the Good Shepherd who leads us. Be comforted by the reassuring presence of the Good Shepherd by your side.

 

Prayer 

 

Thank You, Jesus, for loving me even when, like a silly sheep, I run away. What a privilege it is to be part of Your flock, and to be known by You! Help me learn to imitate You in the way I love others, laying down my own desires to better serve those You’ve placed in my life. May my life point them to You, my Good Shepherd. 

In Jesus’s name, Amen. 

 

If you want to read more 

 

Psa 23, Mt 2.6, Lk 15.1–7, Jn 10.1–18, Rom 8.31, 1Pt 2.25

Suggestion box 3

 Saturday/Sunday suggestion box 3

 

Go carolling in your neighbourhood to bring the joy of Jesus’ birth to your surrounding community. You can also visit nursing homes, police and fire stations, hospitals, and homeless shelters. This doesn’t have to be long or complicated — just a few gospel-centred songs on joy-filled lips can make a world of a difference in someone’s life.

 

Make snow angels outside or use watercolours to paint angels inside. Reflect on the angels’ role in the nativity story, declaring the birth of the Prince of Peace (Lk 2.14).

 

Ask grandparents about what Christmas was like when they were kids. Share family memories together, and consider how the joy of Jesus’ birth — the Alpha and Omega — has been a continuous cause for celebration year after year, even though customs and traditions may change.

 

Listen to international Christmas music, and dance joyfully in worship to our King. Celebrate the diversity of tribes and languages of all who join together to proclaim the joy of Jesus’ birth.

 

Cheer when you drive by nativity displays in town, helping you remember the true reason for this Christmas season. You may even write out a note to thank them and place it in their letterbox. 

 

Watch a movie about the nativity of Jesus and ponder which of His names are represented in the film. Then discuss together what stood out to you this year that you may not have noticed before.

 

Take biscuits/cookies to your children’s ministry leader or Sunday school teacher, thanking them for sharing the Bread of Life with the children of the church.

 

 

Bread of Life

BREAD OF LIFE

 

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

JOHN 6.35

 

In the ancient Middle East, bread was a staple part of people’s diet. It was the most reliable source of energy for the body and was readily available with little preparation. For the Israelites in particular, bread was considered a special food because of its religious connotations. In the tabernacle and later the temple, there was a table of showbread in the Holy Place that symbolised God’s desire to fellowship with His people as well as the bit of manna that was hidden in the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies as a symbol of God’s provision.

When Jesus used the phrases “bread of life” and “bread … from heaven,” His listeners would have immediately thought of the story of manna. God gave manna to the travelling Israelites in the wilderness to save them from certain death by starvation. In a similar way, God gave Jesus into the world to save us from certain death by separation from Him.

But Jesus wasn’t simply drawing a parallel to Moses. He taught that the Bread of Life is greater than the manna their ancestors received under Moses. In fact, His declaration came shortly after the feeding of the five thousand, a miracle that became an object lesson about the greatness of Jesus over Moses. The manna God provided through Moses satisfied only temporarily. The manna Jesus was offering, His very life, satisfies eternally.

Jesus offers Himself to all who believe in Him, an invitation to fellowship that isn’t restricted to priests as the showbread was but is open to all — just as Jesus Himself ate with tax collectors, prostitutes, and sinners. And in the beautiful picture of the Last Supper, we’re reminded that Jesus’ broken body secures our place at God’s table. As a morsel of bread becomes part of our bodies and gives us energy, so Jesus becomes part of us when we believe in Him and opens access to fellowship with God. He satisfies every longing and desire with Himself, “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore” (Psa 16.11 ESV). The Bread of Life invites us to feast on Him.

 

Prayer 

 

Jesus, You are everything I’ve ever wanted. But how often I turn to other things to satisfy the desires of my soul. Forgive me for replacing You with idols in my life. Only You can satisfy. Teach me to hunger for You and feast on You. May You be my heart’s chief desire.

In Jesus’s name, Amen 

 

If you want to read more 

Lev 24.5–9; Mt 5.6; Jn 6.25–27, 14.6

  

Prince of peace

 PRINCE OF PEACE

 

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given .… And he will be called … Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.

ISAIAH 9.6–7a

 

During His time on earth, Jesus restored peace everywhere He went. He calmed tumultuous storms, He brought healing to the sick, He raised the dead to life, He forgave sinners their sins.

Isaiah prophetically calls the coming Messiah the “Prince of Peace” (Isa 9.6), and the angels announcing the birth of Jesus declare “on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests” (Lk 2.14).

Jesus came to restore not just peace as we understand a cessation of hostility, but a rich, full, abiding harmony of life. His first coming began this process of restoring peace between us and God, His second coming will bring wholeness as He intended His creation to be when He first set the universe in motion.

In contrast to human history filled with war, gloom, and despair, the reign of Jesus will be marked by flourishing peace, wholeness, and delight. Isaiah 9 describes the shift from gloom and darkness to the Messianic Age, and Malachi describes a time when the “the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings” (Mal 4.2 ESV). Jesus’ rule will restore well-being to individuals and to society as a whole when He brings worldwide peace in His future kingdom on the new earth.

But Jesus’ reign of peace is not reserved for His future kingdom; it begins here and now for all those who follow Him. The Prince of Peace brings us peace with God, the end of spiritual enmity and striving to secure God’s favour through our good works, as well as peace of mind and heart, a state of being at rest despite difficult circumstances because we know that God is in control. In fact, the very night Jesus was betrayed, in His last teaching moments with His disciples, Jesus promised them peace, not as the world offers it, but as only He can give give (Jn 14.27). No matter what would happen, they could rest and enjoy sweet fellowship with God, which would then create ripple effects in their relationships with the world around them.

We live the present reality of God’s kingdom, pushing back the kingdom of darkness and bringing to fruition the peace of Jesus. Just as He is the Prince of Peace, so He calls us to be makers of peace all around us (Mt 5,9). Though the world may be caught up in anxiety and worry, we can rest securely in the knowledge that Jesus is making all things right, and we can participate with Him in bringing peace to a broken world as we look forward to the future kingdom of peace.

 

Prayer

 

What a beautiful picture You paint for us, Jesus! I can’t wait for Your reign to begin and for all the ugliness of sin to disappear. But in the here and now, fill me with Your peace and help me to bring peace in all my interactions. Where there is worry, bring a reassurance of Your provision. Where there is strife, bring to mind Your humility. Where there is bickering, bring to our hearts Your love. Be our peace.

In Jesus’s name, Amen 

 

If you want to read more 

 

Jdg 6.20–24, Isa 8.21–9.7, 11.1–9, Lk 2.14, Ac 3.15, Rom 5.1, Eph 2.13–18, Phil 4.7, Rev 1.4

True Vine

 TRUE VINE

 

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener … you are the branches.

JOHN 15.1, 5a

 

When I was growing up, I knew an amateur viticulturist, passionately tending to the grapevines in his backyard. I admit I would have become easily bored of the tedious work he would have to do, but he would spend hours in his little vineyard, pruning, twisting, tying, digging, watering — doing all he could to ensure a full harvest come autumn.

Throughout the Old Testament, the vine was used as a symbol of Israel, often to show how she was lacking in some way. God carefully tended His vine, protecting it from harsh elements and creating an environment for it to flourish, yet Israel rebelled. God was just to judge her harshly, but He graciously provided another Vine.

In contrast to Israel, Jesus is the True Vine. He is the faithful One who fulfils all that Israel failed to do, whereas she was wild and rebellious, He was submissive and obedient, while she yielded bad fruit, He produced good fruit in keeping with righteousness. He was in every way the epitome of all God called His people to do, and He calls us to union with Him so that we may also produce good fruit.

Left to ourselves, we cannot produce good fruit any more than Israel remained faithful, we are subject to the same weaknesses and sin-impulses as they were thousands of years ago. By ourselves, we would go the way of rebellious Israel. So God snipped our branch from the wild vine, grafted us into His family through Jesus, and tenderly creates the opportune environment for us to flourish.

If you wonder about your spiritual fruitfulness, Jesus’ last conversation with His disciples before His death offers a beautiful opportunity for prayerful reflection: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” (Jn 15.5 ESV). These were the very men who in a few hours would abandon their Teacher, but afterwards repented and went on to spread the good news of Jesus throughout the world. So there is hope for any one of us who has walked away but returns with a repentant heart, the Vinedresser will prune us to produce outward fruit that demonstrates inner transformation.

Surprisingly, Jesus does not call us to work hard to be more fruitful, rather, He calls us to abide in Him, to wait on Him. Fruit will naturally follow for those who remain connected to Him, because His Spirit is the One who produces the fruit (Gal 5.22–25). We belong not because of what we do but because of who He is. He is the Vine. We are the branches, and He will bear fruit through us as we remain in Him.

As the True Vine, Jesus both fulfils Old Testament prophecy and makes possible our inclusion in God’s family. He sustains us, connecting us with the nourishment we need to bear fruit. He pulses out healing salve to bind our wounds when the Gardener prunes us to be more fruitful. He supports us when the weight we carry seems too much to bear.

Jesus is the reason we’re part of the Vine. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. In Him, we can bear much fruit for His kingdom. We need only to abide, and He will do the rest.

 

Prayer 

 

My Vine, thank You for being faithful when I — and the rest of the world — was unfaithful. What we were unable to do, You did perfectly, and You invite us into sweet fellowship with You so that we may learn from You and bear much fruit through the Spirit. Forgive me for trying to produce good works on my own, help me to rely on You and to rejoice in my connection to You.

In Jesus’s name, Amen 

 

If you want to read more 

 

Psa 80.8–16, Isa 5.1–7

Alpha and Omega

 ALPHA AND OMEGA

 

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”

REVELATION 1.8

 

For those who are unfamiliar with the Greek alphabet, this name may not mean much at first. But simply saying “Alpha and Omega” means “A to Z” wouldn’t do it justice.

Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet and represent the entirety of not just letters but all knowledge, all existence, and all time. From beginning to end, Jesus was, is, and will be, and all things live, move, and have their being in Him (Ac 17.28). There is nothing outside the realm of His presence. He sovereignly rules over all existence. Through Him all things were created that will be, and in Him all things hold together (Col 1.16–17).

But Jesus is not only the beginning and end of all creation, He is also the author and finisher of our faith. He experienced the full range of human life alongside us, yet without sin. From His birth in a humble stable to being ostracised by His own community to hanging on a cross like a criminal, Jesus lived the life of faith, entrusting Himself to His Father and walking in obedience. And when He breathed His last breath, He declared, “It is finished.” The work of justification had its beginning and its end in Jesus.

Jesus did all this looking at His current circumstances through the eyes of faith, knowing “the joy set before him” (Heb 12.2). For Jesus, that joy was knowing that He would be resurrected in glory and spend eternity with His bride, the church, which He came to save. We can take comfort in our Alpha and Omega, knowing that whatever we experience in this journey of faith, we are not alone: Jesus has gone before us, He welcomed us into this journey, and He will see us safely to the end.

 

Prayer 

 

Jesus, thank You for going before me. Nothing is unknown to You, even when I wonder how bills will get paid and how life is going to work out. You endured so much more in Your life, yet You did it with joy. Help me to trust You not just at the beginning of my journey, but every day until the very end.

In Jesus’s name, Amen 

 

If you want to read more 

 

Jn 1.3, 19.30, Heb 5.9, 12.2, 13.8, Rev 1.8, 17

Great High Priest

 GREAT HIGH PRIEST

 

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

HEBREWS 4.14

 

The most prestigious spiritual leader in Israel was the high priest. Of all the priests and rulers in the nation, he was the only one who could enter the Holy of Holies once a year on the Day of Atonement to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people.

After ceremonial cleansing for his own sins, he would go behind the thick veil that separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. There he would offer the blood of a goat on the golden mercy seat that sat atop the Ark of the Covenant, so that the sins of Israel would be covered for another year.

The old priesthood and system of sacrifices was not meant to last forever. God gave them to Moses and the Israelites to foreshadow their fulfilment in Jesus. They had to repeat sacrifices every year, but Jesus’ death on the cross made final atonement for our sins and abolished the system once and for all.

Just as the Aaronic high priests would disappear from the people’s view when they entered the Holy of Holies, so Jesus passed through the heavens into the sanctuary of God. He is the One to hear our prayers because He has entered the Holy of Holies in heaven.

As the writer of Hebrews explains, there were many high priests throughout history “since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood” (7.23–24). He remains to this day the enduring High Priest who is alive and able to fulfil that role.

In heaven, Jesus sits on the great throne of grace, ready to hear our prayers and assist us in our time of need; He sympathises with our weaknesses because He Himself was tempted in every way, just as we are, yet without sin (Heb 4.15–16). Jesus is not aloof and prideful but rather concerned and available. This comforting truth invites us to approach the throne of grace with confidence.

Because Jesus is our High Priest, we no longer need anyone else to intercede between us and God. We have direct access to the Father through Jesus, and He stands ready and willing to help us in our time of need.

 

Prayer 

 

Dear Jesus, I can’t even fathom what a big deal this is. You freed us of the requirements of purification, rituals, sacrifices, and law. Through Your death on the cross, You tore the curtain that separated us from the presence of God, and now we can come directly to You, without any other mediator. Forgive me for neglecting this privilege so often. Rekindle in me a desire to spend time in Your presence and to live my life in the daily realities of Your throne room.

In Jesus’s name, Amen 

 

If you want to read more 

 

Lev 16.1–34, 1Tim 2.5, Heb 4.14–16, 6.19–7.28, 1Jn 2.1

Suggestion box 2

 Saturday/Sunday suggestion box

 

Make snowflakes by cutting out patterns on simple white paper. On one side, write out prayer requests from your family, your community, or around the world. On the other side, write out a Bible verse that speaks to each request. Then hang them around your living room, pausing to pray as you tape each one up, and continuing to pray whenever you walk through your winter wonderland.

 

Act out the nativity story, either as a play, a musical, or a puppet show. If you have little ones, you could practice it several times over the course of Advent, and then stage an event for the grandparents and extended family. Even if you don’t have children at home, consider acting out the story anyway — little details come alive when we place ourselves in the scene.

 

Sing gospel-centred Christmas carols that centre your heart and attention on Jesus. Find an old hymnal you can thumb through for suggestions.

 

Memorise a Christmas verse or a verse that features a name of Jesus that has stood out to you this week. Write it out on a piece of paper and carry it with you. 

 

Gift handmade nativity ornaments. You could draw a little nativity scene, or a star, or write out a name of Jesus. Or, if you’re more artistic, draw a lion, a lamb, a shepherd, or a vine. You could make an entire set of coordinating ornaments based on the names of Jesus.

 

Write a letter to Jesus, responding to what you’ve learned about Him this week. Thank Him for who He is, confess any sins that have accumulated in your life, and ask Him to give you a deeper love and understanding of Him. Then surrender any area of your life that is hurting this Christmas season, and ask Him to fill you with His joy.

 

Play “traveling wise men” with your nativity set. Set up the scene as you normally would, but instead of placing the wise men with the rest of the figurines, place them in the farthest corner of the house. Each day, move them closer and closer to the nativity set, until they finally reach the baby Jesus.

Lord of lords

 LORD OF LORDS

 

God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honour and might forever.

1 TIMOTHY 6:15–16

 

Though lords still exist today in some parts of the world, the term is used mostly as an honorary badge, so it’s easy to forget what the term even means. Throughout history, lords were rulers who had authority, control, or power over others. In feudal societies lords passed their title from father to son, and their subjects were expected to give immediate and full obedience to whatever their lord ordered.

But Jesus is not just a lord. He is the Lord. He is the Lord of lords, the Lord of righteousness, and the Lord of glory. As such, He is more than just one of a few who rule, He is the Ruler of those who rule.

Many people who came to Jesus addressed Him as Lord, but did not place themselves under His rule. To call Jesus “Lord” but to allow Him no influence over our daily decisions is to make a masquerade of our spiritual lives. He is not our Lord if He does not have supreme authority to direct our actions, from the big-picture decisions of life to the minute daily details. We cannot bring only parts of our lives into submission to our Lord.

Jesus deserves to rule our lives by virtue of who He is, but in this life, He does not impose that lordship on us. For now, it is our choice to willingly acknowledge Him, but one day “every knee should bow … and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2.10–11).

When we submit to His lordship in our lives, we can rest assured that we are in good hands. Unlike earthly lords who are motivated by greed and pride, our Lord is motivated by goodness and righteousness. Our best interests are intimately woven into His, so when we act on what He tells us to do, we inevitably do what will bring us into a more abundant life of joy.

 

Prayer 

 

Lord, too often I’ve called You “Lord” from my lips, only to selfishly guard the ruling of my own life. Teach me to humble myself before You, to bow my heart, my knees, and my will to You. I give You all I have; it is Yours. Do with me as You will.

In Jesus’s name, Amen 

 

If you want to read more 

 

Jer 23.6, Ac 10.36, 1Cor 2.8, 1Tim 6.15

Holy One of God

 HOLY ONE OF GOD

 

We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.

JOHN 6.69

 

There is something about holiness that scares us, and rightfully so.

In his description of heaven, Isaiah writes that as the seraphim called out “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory,” the whole temple shook and filled with smoke (Isa. 6:3). On the throne sat the LORD, the preincarnate Son of God, surrounded by seraphim who covered their faces and feet in appropriate humility. At the sight of this heavenly scene, Isaiah fell to the ground, filled with terror over his own uncleanness.

In fact, throughout the Old Testament God warns the Israelites not to enter His holy presence because their sinfulness would lead to certain death. Only the high priest could enter the Holy of Holies, and that only after going through a painstaking process to purify himself from any sin, known or unknown (Ex 19.21–22). A holy God requires absolute holiness; anything less leads to death.

To be holy is to be set apart, to be different from everything else, to be free from any blemish or hint of sin. In the entire history of humanity, no one has been holy, except Jesus. Jesus’ holiness sets Him apart from everyone else. He is morally perfect. He has never sinned. He has never tempted anyone else to sin. He Himself has defeated sin. The writer of Hebrews refers to Him as “holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners” (7.26 ESV).

That’s why the self-righteous religious rulers of the day hated Him, they stood condemned in His presence. And that’s why the demons trembled before Him: they feared for their very existence.

But we do not have to fear. Jesus’ holiness does not threaten those who love Him. In fact, it’s His very holiness that gives us reason to hope. Because Jesus is the Holy One of God, He alone is able to clothe us with divine righteousness that we would not have on our own. No one else could do what Jesus has done for us.

We do not have to draw back from God or fear entering His presence, precisely because Jesus’ sacrifice pays the penalty of our sins and cleanses us from our unrighteousness. He who knew no sin became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God (2Cor 5.21). When God looks at us, He sees us as holy and righteous because of Jesus. We are already positionally holy before God even as we continue to grow practically in this holiness day by day, through the power of His Holy Spirit in us.

 

Prayer 

 

Jesus, You are the Holy One of God. But You are also close to everyone who calls on You. What can I do but praise You? Like the angels standing before Your throne, I too join them in singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come!” (Rev 4.8). Help me to see today’s minor annoyances and problems as insignificant in light of Your eternal holiness. Make my every word and action today an act of worship to You.

In Jesus’s name, Amen 

 

If you want to read more 

 

Leviticus 9–10, Psalm 16.10–11, Isaiah 41.14, Mark 1.24, John 6.69, Acts 3.14, 1 Peter 1.19, 2.22, 1John 3.5