TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23
Read: Matthew 1:18-23
Listen: Matthew 1
TODAY’S MESSAGE
The Christmas season is a time of awe and wonders for many people. Twinkling lights and festive decorations adorn homes, businesses and many public streets. Often there are manger scenes with Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus in people’s yards. Against the backdrop of reindeer and snowmen, it can cause us to ask the question “what is Jesus doing here?”
The answer to that question is found by retracing our steps back to the Garden of Ede—God’s first dwelling place where there was a perfect connection between heaven and earth. God walked in the Garden in complete harmony with Adam and Eve until they chose to disobey him, breaking fellowship with God that affects all of humanity. From that moment, God intends to restore the perfect relationship that is lost.
This week we will see the progression of God dwelling among us from the Garden to the tent to the Baby Jesus. Jesus in the manger is the culmination of God redeeming what was lost. God becomes human to fix what we cannot so we can experience his love and friendship for eternity. This is the reason for the festive decorations and manger scenes. Jesus is “Immanuel, God with us.”
IN YOUR CHAIR TIME TODAY
Reflect on what “God with us” means to you. Pray and ask God to give you a deeper understanding of the meaning of Jesus’s birth, life and death—and the true meaning of what we are celebrating. If you’d like to learn more, check out this book by J. Daniel Hays called The Temple and the Tabernacle available at Amazon or locally at Baker Books,
NEW TESTAMENT READING PLAN
Join us this year as we read through the New Testament.
Today’s reading is Revelation 8.
