| 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). – Matthew 1:22–23
It’s Christmas.
Well almost. Only two more sleeps and Christmas will be here. I’m thankful to say, I’m ready. But by ready I don’t mean all my tasks are complete. As far as that’s concerned, I’ve embraced my own personal tradition of last-minute gift wrapping. By ready I mean, I’m excited for Christmas. It’s hard to explain but I’ve felt my spirits lift as we’ve counted down the days. Tracking the number of sleeps with four boys has a way of building the hopeful anticipation we spoke of in our Promise of Christmas series. How about you? Is your heart ready?
As I think on my readiness for Christmas, I’m seeing how our study in Genesis has led to the growing excitement I feel this year. Let’s be honest, our Genesis study was heavy. But, amidst the weightiness of the text, there remained an “Echo of the Promise.” And, while the Lord was present amidst the darkness of heavy passages, I felt each text increase my longing for the Promised Son to come and permanently restore our broken world and redeem our fallen state. I guess you could say Genesis reminded me of just how deep our collective need for God really is.
Enter Immanuel. You see, Christmas is what our hearts have been longing for throughout our Genesis study. We can see it now. Jesus is the resolution to every text. He is the clarity to every confusion, the healing for every hurt, the truth for each trial we face, and the Savior for every sin we commit. He is Jesus, the Promised Son. Immanuel, God with us. He Is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is the Light that shines in the darkness. He is the fulfillment of the promise.
Come on friend, are you ready? It’s Christmas. The Promise has come. Jesus is here.
Getting Ready (Excited) for Christmas Eve
This Christmas Eve we will be focusing on the names of Jesus as declared by the Prophet Isaiah who’s quoted in Matthew 1. In Isaiah 9:6-7 he declares that the Promised Son shall be the “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.”
If you haven’t registered for a service time, please do so by clicking HERE.
Getting Ready (Excited) for Christmas Morning at Home
Remember, there are no services on campus this Sunday.
Enjoy this DEVOTIONAL for Christmas Morning Worship in your home.
Special note- be sure to watch the devotional before you open gifts.
Trust me, you’ll be glad you did!
Merry Christmas Church,
Jerry Lingenfelter
Senior Pastor |
