December 24
Zechariah 6:1-7:14; Revelation 15:1-8; Psalm 143:1-12; Proverbs 30:24-28
It is Christmas Eve. Many of us will gather at churches to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We will reflect on his incarnation, humility, and his birth in Bethlehem. Yet Jesus is far more than simply a baby.
Zechariah over 500 years before Jesus gives a glimpse of who Jesus is. In a vision, he sees Joshua who is called a branch, and joins together the roles of priest and king. Throughout the Old Testament, kings and priests were two separate groups of people. Saul lost his reign, in part, because he failed to acknowledge this distinction and made sacrifices without Samuel. Yet in Joshua and ultimately in Jesus the roles of priest, king, and prophet are joined together in one person. Jesus is uniquely able to rule over every aspect of our lives because of who he is. He can bring us to God as a priest, rule over us as king, and speak truth into our lives as a prophet. He is uniquely the one who can meet our deepest needs and the ultimate Branch.
The greatness of Jesus calls for a truly great response. We see this modeled by those in heaven in Revelation 15. They were willing to die and suffer for Christ by refusing to submit to the beast. Yet in their death, we are told that they “had been victorious over the beast…” What the world would consider defeat is transformed by God to be a true victory. Jesus alone is the only one who can make us victorious. So, let us see his greatness and live our lives devoted to him alone. He is eternal, took on flesh as a baby, suffered, died, and rose again so that through his victory we can be victorious as well.
Father God, thank you for your Son. Help me to live for him and choose to live committed to him in all my ways. Amen.
Question: How can you stay focused on the greatness of Jesus?
It is Christmas Eve. Many of us will gather at churches to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We will reflect on his incarnation, humility, and his birth in Bethlehem. Yet Jesus is far more than simply a baby.
Zechariah over 500 years before Jesus gives a glimpse of who Jesus is. In a vision, he sees Joshua who is called a branch, and joins together the roles of priest and king. Throughout the Old Testament, kings and priests were two separate groups of people. Saul lost his reign, in part, because he failed to acknowledge this distinction and made sacrifices without Samuel. Yet in Joshua and ultimately in Jesus the roles of priest, king, and prophet are joined together in one person. Jesus is uniquely able to rule over every aspect of our lives because of who he is. He can bring us to God as a priest, rule over us as king, and speak truth into our lives as a prophet. He is uniquely the one who can meet our deepest needs and the ultimate Branch.
The greatness of Jesus calls for a truly great response. We see this modeled by those in heaven in Revelation 15. They were willing to die and suffer for Christ by refusing to submit to the beast. Yet in their death, we are told that they “had been victorious over the beast…” What the world would consider defeat is transformed by God to be a true victory. Jesus alone is the only one who can make us victorious. So, let us see his greatness and live our lives devoted to him alone. He is eternal, took on flesh as a baby, suffered, died, and rose again so that through his victory we can be victorious as well.
Father God, thank you for your Son. Help me to live for him and choose to live committed to him in all my ways. Amen.
Question: How can you stay focused on the greatness of Jesus?
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