Daily Devotionals
DECEMBER 16, 2021
This is the third week of Advent. Our devotions this week are on the theme of “Christ Came as Savior and Lord.”
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:8-12
During the time this scripture was written, the Israelite people were living under Roman occupation. Since the final words of Malachi, the people had waited four hundred years to hear from the Lord, with only silence in return. But here in the middle of a field, the Heavens opened, and the Lord spoke through a Heavenly Host—the Messiah is here! And yet a few short decades later, the Messiah was crucified by His own people. They called Him a blasphemer and placed a crown of thorns on His head, adding insult to devastating injury. Why? He wasn’t what they expected. Surely the Messiah would be a conqueror! He was to bring an end to their oppression, stomp out the enemy entirely, and establish a Judean Kingdom that would reign forever. But then came a baby born to a humble family. He kept company with the poor, the broken, and those cast out by society. He exalted the lowly and condemned the hypocritical, religious elite. He told them there would come a day when they would worship not in a place but in spirit and truth. He even healed the sick on the Sabbath. He wasn’t what they expected. When you think of a Messiah, of a Savior, what comes to mind? A solution to your problems? The end of emotional or physical brokenness? Or simply a “get-out-of-jail-free” card? But Christ is so much more. He is the Savior of all people from their eternal brokenness. He is the bridge between Heaven and Earth, healing the fractured relationship between our Heavenly Father and His people. And He is a conqueror—not of a worldly enemy but of the true enemy, death. As we prepare our hearts for the Messiah, let us remember that Jesus wasn’t what they expected. Praise be to God for that.
For Reflection
What in your life is causing you stress or anxiety? Take a moment and open your hands. Hold the points of tension from your stress and anxiety out to the Lord. Feel yourself offer them over. Thank God for receiving them and carrying them.
Prayer
Help me see You, Jesus, as my Savior and Messiah. Come live in me. Amen.
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