Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10–11
My friend, if all is silent and dark in your life now, and you feel like you have been left out in the cold, just know that Jesus came to be your Savior at such a time as this.
He was not born in the comfort of a warm, cozy room, but in a cold manger. There was no room for Him in the inn (Luke 2:7), so that there will always be room at the cross for your healing, deliverance, wholeness and provision, and a mansion in heaven waiting for you!
Jesus was born very quietly, so quietly that the Bible says that only a group of shepherds came to Him, while the rest of Bethlehem slept. (Luke 2:8–9) Like manna falling quietly from heaven in the Old Testament, the true bread from heaven came quietly. It was a silent night, but that was not all.
Jesus was also born during the darkest time in Israel’s history. Israel was under the tyrannical rule of the Romans. It was during this time, when everything was so dark, that Jesus was born. Beloved, He will come to you in the darkest period of your life.
On that cold and silent night, the shepherds were afraid when the angel of the Lord stood before them. But the angel said, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Beloved, it was not a judge or lawgiver who was born. It was a mighty Savior. He came to save His people. He came to save you and me. So even if you are in a cold, dark period of your life, don’t be afraid—the Savior has come and He will save you to the uttermost!
Thought For The Day :
If you are in a cold, dark period of your life, don’t be afraid—the Savior has come and He will save you to the uttermost!
THE SMELLS OF THE STABLE
They shall call His name Immanuel, which is translated, “God with us.” —Matthew 1:23
A stable? What a place to give birth to the Messiah! The smells and sounds of a barnyard were our Savior’s first human experience. Like other babies, He may even have cried at the sounds of the animals and the strangers parading around His temporary crib.
If so, they would have been the first of many tears. Jesus would come to know human loss and sorrow, the doubts his brothers and family had about Him, and the pain His mother experienced as she saw Him tortured and killed.
All these hardships—and so much more—awaited the baby trying to sleep that first night. Yet from His very first moments, Jesus was “God with us” (Matt. 1:23), and He knew what it meant to be human. This would continue for over three decades, ending at His death on the cross.
Because of His love for you and me, Jesus became fully human. And being human allows Him to identify with us. Never again can we say that no one understands us. Jesus does.
May the Light that entered the world that night cast its brilliance into the deepest corners of our souls this Christmas, giving us the peace on Earth of which the angels spoke so long ago.
Father, help our hearts to know the love of Christ and to honor Him with our unyielding devotion in this and every season. We love You.
Jesus understands.
GOD WITH US ...
Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel — which, when translated, means, God with us. - Matthew 1:23, AMP
In scripture, Jesus was called by many names according to His attributes. In today’s verse, He is called Emmanuel, which means God with us. He’s not far away; He’s looking down on us; He is closer than the air we breathe. That means you never have to be alone or feel afraid. You never have to wonder where God is! But, we have to do our part. In the natural, you can have someone sitting right next to you and never really know them. It’s the same way with God. We have to take time to acknowledge Him as Lord and talk to Him throughout the day. When you draw near to God, He will draw near to you!
Today, take some time to meditate on this verse. Be aware of His presence around you. Praise Him and thank Him for being Emmanuel — God with us!
WE ARE ONLY COMPLETE IN CHRIST
John 20:31 "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."
Recognition of our completeness in Christ is a tremendous safeguard against deception. Prior to salvation we are incomplete and constantly strive to satisfy our hunger. But through the new birth, we are complete in Christ and our hunger should only be for more revelation of what we already have in Christ. Total satisfaction with Christ disarms Satan's lies. A big part of all temptation is dissatisfaction.
Adam and Eve would not have eaten of the forbidden fruit if they hadn't been made dissatisfied with what they had. Through Satan's lie they were led to believe that they didn't have it all (Gen. 3:5). The truth is, they did have it all. They were more like God before they ate of the fruit than after they ate the fruit. Their dissatisfaction was a preliminary step to their action of sin.
Satan tempts us in the same way he came against Adam and Eve (2 Cor. 11:3).
Therefore, a full revelation of our completeness in Christ will keep us from chasing after all the things the devil has to offer. If anyone tells you that Christ isn't enough; that you need something more, then that's the devil trying to turn you away from your completeness in Christ.
In the same way that Jesus has the fullness of God in Him, we have the fullness of Christ in us. That makes us complete or perfect in Him - that is our spiritual man. Our born-again spirit is identical in righteousness, authority, and power to Christ's spirit because our born-again spirit is the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9) which has been sent into our hearts crying "Abba Father" (Gal. 4:6).
BORN TO SAVE YOU
Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” - Luke 2:10–11
Meditate on the first words of heaven to man at the beginning of the New Testament: Don’t be afraid.
What encouraging, hope-giving and empowering words of grace! And what were these precious words a prelude to? The proclamation that Jesus would come to be our Savior.
My friend, whatever you are facing today, hear heaven’s encouragement to you—“Do not be afraid.” Do not be fearful. Do not be discouraged. Why? Because Jesus is your Savior.
He came to be your Savior. He didn’t come to be your judge to condemn and punish you. He didn’t come as a lawgiver to give you more laws to fulfill. No, He came to be your SAVIOR. That’s what Jesus is and wants to be to you.
So what does a savior do? If you’re drowning, will a savior condemn you for having fallen into the water and laugh at you for not knowing how to swim? Will a savior throw you an instruction book on how to swim? Of course not! He will jump right in to save you, no questions asked!
Beloved, when it comes to saving you from whatever puts fear in your heart, Jesus is the best there is in the entire universe. He didn’t come just to save you from hell just so you can enter heaven when you pass from this earth. No, He wants to save you every day from anything and everything that you need saving from! See His mighty hand reaching out to you, powered by a heart that has no condemnation, but only love for you!
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