But when the set time had fully
come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those
under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship (Gal. 4:4,5).
It
has been well said that “timing is everything”. And, make no mistake, there was
a set time for the coming of Messiah…as there is for everything. This verse
speaks to me of God’s sovereignty. It speaks of His plan of redemption. It
speaks of the humility of His Son. It speaks of His humanity. It speaks of our
need. And it speaks of His glorious purpose. He did all of this that we might
receive by privilege that which is Jesus’ by right. (Robb
Powell)
Because Joseph her husband was a
righteous man… (Matt. 1:19)
Often the focus of Christmas is upon the
virgin, Mary, and rightly so. But for God’s plan to work there had to be the
right man already committed to this young woman. And that is exactly what we
are told about Joseph. He was righteous. He was open to hearing God’s messages
to him. He maintained self-control in his relationship with Mary. He was
obedient to God’s unusual instructions. And he was a faithful worshipper of
God. Not one word of Joseph is recorded in scripture, but his actions speak louder
than words. Placed into an incredible circumstance, Joseph was a model of the
kind of person God can use when creating miracles. (Deb Roberts)
“The virgin will conceive and
give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” [which means “God with us”] (Matt. 1: 23)
God
is with us. He is for us; for you and me. Have you ever stopped to think about
what it means to have God with us and for us? God does not want to leave us to
our own devices and let the world spin out of control into destruction. God
sent his one and only Son into the world to begin restoring the world to how it
was meant to be. Why? Because he loves us. Christ came to bring calm to where
there is chaos. He came so you may find peace in the storm. This Christmas, may
you find peace and the calmness that is only found in Christ. May you take heart in knowing that Christ
came to earth for you. (Cam Farquharson)
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: 18).
Are
you a carnivore? God is, in a strange kind
of way: he became incarnate: he became meat,
flesh. He doesn’t just talk; he became
one of us. And as He did, he embodied
(i.e. incarnated) grace and truth. Ponder that combination: grace without truth is feel-good, cheap
sentimentality; truth without grace is judgmental legalism. But the intertwining of the two is stupendously
mind and heart-boggling, life transforming, the gift that keeps on giving as we
are “transformed into His Image with ever-increasing glory” (II Cor. 3:
18). May you glimpse a fragment of that
glory this Christmas season. (Syd
Hielema)
“Your attitude should be the same
as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in the very nature God, did not consider
equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the
very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness...he humbled himself and
became obedient to death...therefore God exalted him” (Phil. 2:5-8).
Ponder
this: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” this
Christmas. God sets a pattern: humble
yourself, to be exalted - the way up, is the way down. God demonstrates this pattern by descending
to become a man. We imitate this pattern
and are: “transformed into His Image with ever-increasing glory” (II Cor. 3:18)
Question:
"God, how might I courageously emulate you over the holidays?" (Mark deVos)
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