Day 25: Daniel 7:13-14
I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
We live anticipating the vision given to Daniel. The advent of Jesus, over 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, began what will culminate in a second advent fully realizing the kingdom of God.
Joy to the world! The Lord is come; Let earth receive her King. Let every heart prepare Him room, and heaven and nature sing.
No more let sin and sorrow grow, nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make His blessings flow far as the curse is found.
He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love.
(From Joy to the World!)
Day 24: Psalm 16:10
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.
Psalm 16:10 is quoted in Acts 13:35 as Paul and Barnabas preach the gospel to Jewish people waiting for the messiah & proclaim a king reigning forever over an eternal kingdom. During Christmas we celebrate the entrance of the Son of God into the world; at Easter we celebrate his resurrection from the dead. These two are connected, the baby in the manger and the savior on the cross are the same. The promise of Christmas is a sinless, spotless, eternally living savior who is king.
Silent night, holy night, shepherds quake at the sight. Glories stream from heaven afar; heavenly hosts sing alleluia, Christ the Savior is born!
Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love’s pure light radiant beams from Thy holy face, with the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.
(From Silent Night! Holy Night!)
Tho’ an infant now we view Him, He will share His Father’s throne; gather all the nations to Him; every knee shall then bow down. Come and worship, come and worship; Worship Christ the newborn King.
(From Angels, from the Realms of Glory)
Day 23: Isaiah 53:11
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.
Isaiah 53:11 is good news. By faith in Christ you are accounted righteous before God. Christmas is about far more than Santa and sweets and gifts. Jesus, the one who came to bear our iniquities, is the focus of Christmas. He makes us righteous before God, because he was perfectly righteous in his life: doing everything good and nothing sinful.
Christmas is full of music, movies, festivities. It is easy to lose sight of why we celebrate Christmas: a righteous baby born to save and make many righteous.
Our righteousness is a gift from God given through faith in Jesus Christ. At Christmas, we celebrate the beginning of a life of righteousness that is applied to us. Daily, we anticipate the day when we will experience righteousness in the presence of God. The promised Messiah of the Old Testament was given a task far larger than making a country, he made a people righteous. Are you living out the righteousness of Christ?
Day 22: Psalm 22:1
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
There are many reasons we feel distant from God: neglecting time with God, neglecting fellowship and worship, neglecting Scripture, sin habits to which we return, loss of focus… all reasons based on our behavior and decisions. Jesus willingly went to the cross and hanging there, he quoted this psalm. As he took on our sin, he was forsaken by the Father. Jesus experienced the curse of Genesis 3 (Day 1) for us. The Son was forsaken by God so we would be accepted.
Faithful people of the Old Testament looked forward to a messiah who would close the gap between man and God. Jesus is the messiah. At his birth, angels burst into praise; on the cross, he was separated from God and abandoned by friends. All so that we could be with God. Christmas is a celebration of the promised Savior; the love Jesus has for us to leave heaven and come to earth.
How are you showing love for God? If you’re feeling distant today, take inventory. Are you living in a manner worthy of the Lord? Are you resting, trusting, even throwing yourself onto the gospel knowing Jesus endured the cross to bring you to God?
Day 21: Isaiah 53:12
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Jesus left heaven, for life on earth, to be numbered with the transgressors (sinners). The baby born and placed in a manger is the eternal son of God, second person of the Trinity, and one with the Father who came to die. In his death he would bear the “sin of many”, meaning all those who trust him. Hebrews 7:25 makes clear that Jesus is able to save completely and at all times those who draw near to God through him, because he “always lives to make intercession for them.”
The anticipated savior, born in a manger, executed on a cross, lives and intercedes for believers right now. Jesus came to live and to give life. It is remarkable grace to be able to throw ourselves completely onto Jesus, crucified and resurrected, and draw near to God. We could not earn God’s love, but he loved us and redeemed us by grace, through faith. Jesus gives us far more than a good life in this world; he brings us to God. At Christmas time we ask for gifts, but the real blessing is time with those who give gifts. Are you drawing near to God who gives such a tremendous gift to us?
Day 20: Zechariah 11:12-13
Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter” — the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter.
Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver, prophesied hundreds of years earlier by Zechariah the prophet, as desire for money outweighed love for God. After giving Jesus over, Judas felt guilt and remorse and threw the money into the temple. For him, what promised happiness became worthless. Post holiday blues are common as the anticipation of the holidays fades, gifts begin to wear out, family and friends depart, the health effects of sweets realized, credit card bills arrive, Christmas lights come down.
Where are you looking for happiness? Judas gave Jesus over for 30 pieces of silver. Greed destroyed his love. Do you choose the world and its empty promises over Jesus and His eternal promises? If so, this is idolatry. Look for ways to embrace Jesus’ and his promises today, and experience the good news of great joy.
Day 19: Psalm 41:9
Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
Psalm 41 is a psalm of lament, describing intense suffering: gossip, slander, and betrayal. One of Jesus’ 12 disciples, Judas Iscariot, betrayed him. Judas was a friend and close to the Lord. They shared bread together (when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper). Not long after Jesus washed Judas’ feet, Judas betrayed him to the authorities. Jesus experienced the depth of this emotional suffering for us.
Jesus understands slander, suffered betrayal, faced discouragement. The king suffered and stayed committed and true to his people. David, the author of Psalm 41, was a king who faced this suffering, anticipating a greater king with a greater betrayal to come. Broken trust is painful. Because Jesus was betrayed for us:
We can be forgiven, and forgive.
We can be faithful when others are not.
We refrain from gossip, slander, and betraying actions. Jesus is trustworthy, and his people can be trusted.
Look for opportunities to live faithful to Jesus & others today.
Day 18: Isaiah 53:3
He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Consider Jesus’ life: born on the road, placed in a manger. His family fled to Egypt, they survived. Returning to Nazareth, they started new. They were not rich. As an adult Jesus had no home and lived simply. He faced constant questions, was supported by companions, and hated by the powerful and religious scholars. He had few close friends. Hailed as a king and savior upon entering Jerusalem, one week later he was betrayed by a friend, arrested, abandoned by friends, beaten and nailed to a cross. “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:11).
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). Faith in Jesus is a matter of belief, resulting in identification as a child of God. It is easy to hide our faith, suppress our identity, and shade Christ in the world. Jesus suffered that we might live for him. Where will you stand with him today?
Day 17: Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Zechariah was instrumental in completing the rebuilding of the temple after the return from exile to Babylon. His message: “Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts” (1:3). A day of rejoicing would come to the people of God, as the king would humbly enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Anticipated but unexpected, this is not the grandiose arrival of a king. This king would be righteous and have salvation. Some could easily hear the prophet’s words and presume a good king would come and save them from their current situation and enemies, hoping that the kingdom would rejoice and a ruler would again be in Jerusalem. How often do we make presumptions when we hear the word of God?
All four gospels record the triumphant entry of Jesus on a donkey into Jerusalem. Zechariah 9:9 points to Jesus and a true salvation secured by the righteous Son of God. Would you expect the Lord to come humbly? Riding a donkey? Laid in a manger? Jesus took on human flesh for us. Rejoice greatly!
Day 16: Psalm 69:9
For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.
Psalm 69 is an anticipatory cry for salvation. Verse 9 is cited twice in the New Testament. First, after cleaning the temple of money changers and animals for sale, John 2:17 records that his disciples remembered that it was written “zeal for your house will consume me”. Asking for a sign of authority for these actions, Jesus said destroy this temple and I will raise it in three days,” speaking of his body and the resurrection, not the physical temple.
Second, calling on the church to bear with others and not please ourselves, Romans 3:3 states simply, “For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, ‘the reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.’” Jesus bore our sin, so that we could live. In response, we are called to bear with others and show them the same grace we have received. Jesus loved the Father perfectly, secured his temple, and bore our shame. Undeserved, we are given grace. In the busyness of the holidays, are you showing grace? Take time to thank God for his grace and ask for grace to show others the same.
Day 15: Psalm 78:1-3
Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.
Jesus taught in parables, revealing truth to those with ears to hear. The eternal plan of God to save by grace through faith was accomplished by Jesus. This plan is shown and prophesied and anticipated throughout the Old Testament. Jesus called people to listen.
Knowing God’s word and listening to God are not necessarily the same. We read and forget. We look at our Bibles and walk away without thinking on what we have read: hearing, not listening. “Incline” is a deliberate word choice depicting an act of tilting your head toward the speaker to pay closer attention. We think of “incline” as an opinion or option. For example, I’m not inclined to drink tea. The Psalmist, looking toward the coming Lord, far beyond opinion or preference, tells us to lean in and listen. Jesus calls to turn our attention decisively to Him. In the busyness of life, not just Christmas, we must be even more deliberate to listen. Today, incline your ears to Jesus.
Day 14: Isaiah 35:4-6
Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
Jesus worked miracles: giving the mute voice, the blind sight, the deaf hearing. He made the lame walk. After his ascension, in Acts 3:8, proclaiming the name of Jesus results in a lame man jumping and praising God. He restores what was broken in the fall, in some physical cases reversing the impact on human beings and by his cross forgiving sin to restore our relationship with God.
He calmed storms, walked on water, gave dead people life. He drove out demons, freeing people from spiritual suffering. He healed from illness and fever. He fed thousands with a few loaves of bread. He blessed little children and welcomed them into his arms. He forgave the spiritually destitute. He confronted sin. He produced money out of the mouth of a fish. He commanded fish such that nets were overfilled and breaking. He promises to return. This is the One who “will come and save you.”
Day 13: Isaiah 9:1-2
But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
Isaiah spoke these words before the Assyrian empire invaded Israel. Zebulun and Naphtali were the first lands to fall; the inhabitants groaned in suffering. Light finally came when Jesus ministered in their land.
Challenges in life heighten our anticipation. The darkness, we hope and pray, gives way to a great light. Israel anticipated a light that would deliver hope and freedom. When we suffer we long not just for the end of the suffering, but the end of all suffering; anticipating what will be fulfilled in Jesus’ final return. This hope sustains us through the pains of life. Christmas is a mournful time for many: remembering loss, loved ones, and empty places at tables. How can you shine light and show the hope of Christ to those hurting this Christmas? Consider the comfort God gives you, and from that place comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
Day 12: Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.
Jesus declared this verse fulfilled in Luke 4:16-30. At His birth, the angels announced, “I bring you good news of great joy… unto you is born this day… a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). The anticipation of salvation, felt since sin entered every human heart in Genesis 3, is realized in Christ. For generations, faithful people lived with this anticipation. Psalm 85:7, “grant us your salvation” is just one Psalm voicing this desire. Jesus came to earth to accomplish Isaiah 61:1 by his cross and resurrection.
Never shying from the good news, Jesus pressed into relationships and encounters with people in order to reveal the truth and grow their understanding of Him. Unfortunately, people rejected the true good news in favor of their own definitions of salvation. Have you ever opened a Christmas gift and it wasn’t what you wanted? Consider the gift of salvation: different than expected, better than anticipated. Do you live in gratitude for this gift, or continue to look elsewhere for satisfaction?
Day 11: Isaiah 40:3 & Malachi 3:1
A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” & Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me.
Chronologically, Malachi was the last recorded prophet before John the Baptist (to whom Malachi 3:1 & Isaiah 40:3 refer) arrived on the scene about 400 years later. According to Malachi, God would send his messenger and the messenger would prepare the way before God.
John the Baptist prepared the way preaching a focused message: “repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt. 3:2). For 400 years after Malachi, people lived anticipating a messenger and then the Lord. Breaking the silence was angelic activity surrounding Jesus’ and John’s births. An adult John called for repentance and baptism; preparing the way for the Lord. John proclaimed a Lord who would judge. A Lord who gave up the riches of heaven and took on flesh, to save us from our sin. The kingdom of heaven arrived with Jesus. Christmas is a sentimental and joyous time, but the purpose of Advent was Jesus bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth. And a greater realization of that kingdom is coming. How are you preparing, today, for the eternal kingdom of heaven?
Day 10: Hosea 11:1
When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.
The exodus from Egypt represents a “type” of salvation illustrating a pattern that is realized in Jesus Christ. Israel spent 400 years in Egypt before the exodus, eventually enslaved and suffering. The picture of the exodus is: slavery → God’s provision of a deliver → God’s deliverance. The pattern illustrates the salvation accomplished through Jesus Christ. Hosea, in chapter 11, utilizes that type with a prophetic word: the son of God will be called from Egypt.
After the wise men visited Jesus, Herod feared another king was born and ordered the baby boys of Bethlehem killed. Jesus’ family fled to Egypt where, some years later, an angel of God called them to return to Israel. More than an isolated prophetic word, Hosea’s word illustrates the purpose of God in all of history: to send His son to save sinners. That makes Hosea 11 fascinating. The chapter details God’s compassion and Israel’s response of rebellion. “My people are bent on turning away from me” (11:7). How are you responding to God’s saving love? God’s call to belief is a call to repent from sin and follow Jesus.
Day 9: Isaiah 60:1-3
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
The birth of Jesus was nondescript. An overcrowded village for a government census meant there would be no rooms for stay. Jesus was born and placed in a manger, for there was no place for the family in a guest room. But that unremarkable birth was accompanied by a remarkable sign: a light in the sky, a star. After His birth, wise men (astrologers) from the east followed the star and ultimately came to Jesus bearing gifts. The nations, and kings, were attending to the brightness of His rising. They offered costly gifts: gold, frankincense (see Isaiah 60:6), and myrrh, all recorded in Matthew 2. A newborn baby receiving the worship of nations and gifts.
It is common to give gifts at Christmas, showing love to others. Gifting also presents an opportunity to worship Christ through giving toward His kingdom and purpose. How can you gift this Christmas specifically to honor the Lord and support His mission?
Day 8: Isaiah 9:6-7
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end.
Isaiah lived more than 700 years before Jesus, yet pointed to him and gave him specific names. We can anticipate many things in life: gifts, good food, time with friends and family, vacations. These bring happiness to life and anticipation is part of that joy and experience. Isaiah anticipated a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. For 700 years people anticipated what we now enjoy.
John 14:26 promises us the Holy Spirit, who is the helper (counselor) who teaches us all things and reminds us of what Jesus says. The Wonderful Counselor reminds us of the words of the Mighty God and Everlasting Father. In John 14:27 Jesus gives us His peace: the Prince of Peace gives you peace. When peace is contingent on circumstance, worry and anxiety result. When peace is contingent on Christ we know peace, no matter the circumstance. Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace… Jesus Christ. Where are you looking for peace?
Day 7: Jeremiah 31:15
Thus says the Lord: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.
This prophecy concerns the slaughter of boys in Bethlehem by King Herod which occurred shortly after Jesus’ birth there and is quoted in Matthew 2:18. Rachel was the second wife of Jacob (Israel) and was buried in Bethlehem. Ramah is a village north of Jerusalem, while Bethlehem is south. In the immediate time of Jeremiah’s prophecy, Ramah was a staging point for deportation and much weeping was heard there. The emphasis on Rachel points toward a future weeping, realized in Bethlehem shortly after the birth of Jesus.
Jesus was hated at birth, in ministry, and at his death. To this day 1 in 7 Christians worldwide are persecuted “as a result of one’s identification with Christ” according to Open Doors International. Yet, because of Christ, we endure persecution with joy and hope in a future, eternal home. The anticipation of a coming savior is now our anticipation of a coming king. We celebrate the birth of the savior at Christmas. We live and work in anticipation of a coming king, knowing “there is a reward for your work” (Jeremiah 31:16).
Day 6: 2 Samuel 7:12-13
When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
These words were spoken by God through the prophet Nathan to King David. From David would come a king who would build a house for the Lord and whose throne and kingdom will be forever. David began life as a shepherd in Bethlehem, insignificant even in his own family. He rose to fame. Yet a greater one who will build a house for the name of the Lord is promised.
David never built a temple to God; his son Solomon did, yet that temple was destroyed. When Jesus (descendant of David) lived, a temple completed by Herod was the seat of worship. Jesus spoke in the temple after cleansing it of ungodly practices. He was asked for a sign of his authority to cleanse the temple. Jesus responded, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” He built a home for the people of God to be with God through his death and resurrection. Being resurrected and alive, his kingdom is forever. The Christmas baby in the manger is an eternally reigning king. Does He reign over you and your life, today?