The One whose birth we celebrate lived a short life and died, seeming to have accomplished little. But just as prophecy had foretold, God’s plan for the world took a giant leap forward because of this Man’s obedience to His mission in life and death.

Now He has been given all authority, supreme over everything in heaven and on earth. No matter what others boast of, He is the one who will have the final victory and who will rule with His justice and rightness. His rule will also bring the peace this exhausted world longs for… and there will be no end to it!

He assures us that He is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Earth’s few moments of existence are held in His hands—everything began with Him and will end with Him. He has ultimate control.

We, too, are held in His hands. We face whatever comes tomorrow knowing that we belong to Him and He claims us as part of His family.

As the world agonizes through the birth pains of the new world coming, we know that our King will be the King forever.

Oh come let us adore Him!

Jesus told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.”
Matthew 28:18

The Lamb will defeat them… because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings.
Revelation 17:14

For a child is born to us. The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

The Light that began burning one dark night in Bethlehem brings a new, different life to everyone who believes.

The Man born that night died… but the Light never did. His death made possible our escape from an empty, hopeless life and gave us a new life.

Then God showed us what He has in mind for us – the Man who had died was brought out of the tomb to live on. God has promised this to all who believe Him. We have been given a life that will never end, and we’re already living that life. In this new life, we have been given the resources and blessings of heaven!

The One born in Bethlehem is the Vine through which this life flows. We no longer have to “work” at this life on our own. He instills a Spirit within us that holds the power we need to do and to be—a Spirit that guides us, molds us, and keeps us connected to our Creator God. This Spirit also connects us to others who live on the Vine, giving us a new, diverse, and far-flung family to support and encourage each other.

We no longer travel alone, helpless, or hopeless. We have a new, immortal life, connected to the life-giving Source.

“Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.
For apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5 

He saved us… giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.
Titus 3:5 

By his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope.
1 Peter 1:3

I celebrate Christmas because the life begun on that night in Bethlehem tore away the barrier between me and the Creator God.

This meditation could be the longest of the seven days. If I went into detail of all the reasons why God should reject me, it would go on for pages.

But this will be the shortest, because of what a Man born in Bethlehem did for me.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”
John 10:11

But he was pierced for [my] rebellion, crushed for [my] sins.
The punishment that brought [me] peace was on him.  
Isaiah 53:5

Having canceled the record of the charges against us
and took it away by nailing it to the cross.
Colossians 2:14

The record against me has been canceled! It is gone.

And one day when I stand at the throne of judgment and the record books are opened, my Rescuer Shepherd will stand with me and say, “This is Elaine. She belongs to me.”

Good tidings of great joy!

Sometime in the last decade, farmers in our area have turned to raising sheep. We didn’t see many of the woolly creatures while I was growing up, but now flocks have appeared on our hillsides. One flock near my home is too large to count and sometimes ranges up the sides of both hills bordering the road. Almost always when I pass those hills dotted with white, I think of Psalm 23.

Psalm 23 might seem an unlikely Scripture to read at Christmas. But may I suggest you do that?

Doesn’t this psalm describe the life we all want, pinpointing our deepest longings and promising that those needs will be satisfied?

The Man whose birth we’re celebrating tells us He is the Shepherd who pours all these things into our lives. Everything our souls long for, we will find provided by Him. And you can depend on your Shepherd to supply whatever specific thing you need today.

The baby born in Bethlehem gathers and cares for His sheep. He never abandons them. He knows all their needs. He keeps them constantly under His watchful eye. He is so passionately committed to His sheep that He submitted to beatings, humiliation, and an ugly death — so that they could live.

The Lord is our Shepherd. We will not be in want.

“My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. I am the good shepherd.”
John 10:10-11

Have you ever put yourself in one of the Gospel scenes as a person coming to Jesus for healing?

Imagine it. You’ve been sick for years, and no doctor can help you. Or your limbs are wasting away, and you’re at the point when your legs no longer support you, and your arms are daily growing weaker. Or you’re living in the hell of a mental illness that has ruined your relationships and cut you off even from your family.

Then you hear news of a Man who has worked miracles for people with similar conditions. They say He can heal anything. People are flocking to this healer, and finding relief from their diseases. They’re given new hope in life. A flame of hope flickers up within you. You are desperate to find this Man and ask Him to help you, too.

Jesus said, “I’ve come to heal the sick, to help those who need help.” It wasn’t just the sick of body, but also those who were sick in mind, broken in heart, and feverish of soul. And Jesus has been working at this mission right up to this very day. He comes into our lives today, too, to heal our diseases.

It’s God’s plan. Ever since Adam and Eve lost the paradise life in Eden, God’s purpose has been to heal our sicknesses, to replant wastelands, and to transform our wildernesses into blossoming gardens.

“A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.”

He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.
Psalm 147:3

“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings.”
Malachi 4:2