Day Twenty One

Christmas is a truly wonderful time of year. From the warm and fuzzy Sainsbury’s adverts, to Mariah Carey dusting off her vocal cords to tell us all she wants for Christmas (as if we didn’t hear her the first time!), there’s plenty of fun and exciting things to look forward to.

Despite the goodwill and merriment pushed through the media, Christmas can hit us all differently. For some of us it’s an exciting time to cherish those close to us, continue family traditions and express our love to one another. We may even get everything we asked for on our five page Christmas list (wait, five pages?!).

For others, it may be a reminder of everything or everyone we’ve lost, family feuds yet to be resolved, financial stress to get just one thing from the list.

With the ups and downs of Christmas reality taking us on a rollercoaster ride each year, we need to go back to He who was, and is, and is to come. This season beckons us to seek after the One we can put our hope and trust in, our Saviour who anchors us through the storms of life.

But the angel reassured them, saying, “Don’t be afraid, for I have come to bring you good news, the most joyous news the world has ever heard! And it is for everyone everywhere! For today in Bethlehem a rescuer was born for you. He is the Lord Yahweh, the Messiah."
Luke 2:10-11 TPT

The birth of Jesus marked the gift of salvation God had for us all along. Like the end of every good movie where it looks like evil’s had the last laugh, and the desperation behind the line, “You’ll never get away with this!”, rings through the air, the greatest hero we’ve ever seen comes into the world - which of course was His plan all along. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the One who didn’t break a sweat when He spoke existence into being, the One who is the definition of Love, Peace and Mercy, the undisputed true Champion of the World in the unmistakable body of a baby boy.

Jesus’ birth brought hope to the world, a chance for true freedom from our bondage, a way for joy to blossom from our pain and an opportunity for peace to consume where anxiety once did.

Whilst our struggles are very real and difficulties may be happening even now, Jesus’ birth points us forward. Forward to the Cross, forward to the empty tomb, forward to His Resurrection, forward to our victory over sin and death. He took on everything, so that we could be free from everything. His ultimate sacrifice because of His everlasting love gave us the way to walk with Him; as God had originally planned when He formed all of existence. All of this and more foreshadowed in the miracle birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

His birth changed everything over 2000 years ago. His birth can still change everything today. His love is deeper than any feeling, His grace is bigger than any mistakes we’ve ever made, His power is greater than any opposing forces the enemy may have.

Take some time today to rest in His presence. Take into consideration that our Father is All Powerful, All Knowing and All Present, and He knows you by name. He cares for you and loves you, so much so that He came from Heaven to Earth through the most humbling of births, to show you how much He loves you. Remember His birth as the true Christmas miracle.