Good Morning Friends,
Today on the Sunday before Christmas we have part of the story of the birth of Jesus as told in the book of Matthew. The scripture is preceded by a genealogy that goes back to Abraham and the promises God made to him. And we begin to see that Jesus is connected to those promises. He is the fulfillment of them. And we also have an Advent scripture from Isaiah that shows how God takes a curse and turns it into a blessing. The prophecy that a virgin would bring forth a son expressed God’s displeasure with Ahab, yet God took that warning to Ahab and used it as a blessing to us in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. God, even today, turns curses to blessings even as I ask, Have You Received And Extended The Blessing Of The Peace Of Grace Beyond Your Generation?
Scripture: Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, “Ask the Lord your God for a sign, whether in the deepest depths or in the highest heights.”But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:10-14 (NIV)
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scripturesregarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David,and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake.And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:1-7 (NIV)
This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.Because Joseph, her husband, was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
Matthew 1:18-24 (NIV)
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:1 (NIV)
Message: From the very beginning God knew we would need forgiveness for peace would escape us if we do not get right with God. There’s a kind of peace the world talks about—quiet moments, calm oceans, uncluttered schedules. But Romans 5:1 speaks of a peace far deeper, far sturdier, and far more transformative. Paul reminds us that this peace isn’t something we earn or maintain by our own strength. It flows from a single, life-altering truth: we have been justified through faith. Not by perfection. Not by performance. By faith—simple, trusting, open-handed faith in Jesus Christ. Because of Him, the distance between us and the Father has been closed. The hostility caused by sin has been replaced with reconciliation. The anxiety of “Am I enough?” is silenced by the assurance of grace. This peace isn’t fragile. It doesn’t evaporate when life gets loud or messy. It’s anchored in the finished work of Christ…of Christ with us.
And So, consider what it would be like to live today as someone who is already at peace with God. Consider if you still feel the pressure to earn what Jesus has already secured for you. Consider how your relationships would change if you had a foundational faith that comes from a place of deep, settled peace.Christmas is the time we remember that Jesus was born-God with us-The Eternal took upon Himself time. The Omnipotent took upon Himself frailty. The Perfect took upon Himself imperfection. By this means He demonstrates that we, imperfect, frail creatures can lift our eyes toward perfection-that we time-bound animals can take upon ourselves the mantle of Eternity. The choice is ours. Jesus is calling us. All we have to do is choose to be part of His Kingdom and never look back on the Hell we create on our own.
Pray we realize that peace with God is not a feeling alone but a reality. Pray we let God’s peace sink into our hearts and begin to shape our reality. Pray we know we are held, forgiven and welcomed into the grace of Christ’s peace. Pray we are thankful for the peace that comes from being justified by faith. Pray we rest in the truth that we are fully accepted, fully loved, and all can be God’s children—not because of what we have done, but because of what God has done for us. Pray we let peace shape our thoughts, our choices, and our relationships today and everyday, for this generation and beyond, set apart for the sharing of the good news that Christ is with us and for us and He is calling us to His Kingdom.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Jokes: Ok, I have been banned from telling Dad jokes around the house during Advent, so you get them instead. So here goes…What’s the difference between a Christmas alphabet and an ordinary alphabet? A Christmas alphabet has no L (noel-get it?) That even makes me groan. Why is it always cold at Christmas? Because it’s Decemberrrrrrrrrr. Well not in Florida. What do you have in December that you don’t have in any other month? The letter “D” What did Adam say the day before Christmas? “It’s Christmas Eve!!!”
Daily Devotionals 