Jesus was not the Messiah the Jews were expecting. They lived under the oppression of Rome and longed for a political and military deliverer. The One who was born in a stable to a poor Jewish girl did not meet their expectations.
Daily Devotion
All I Want for Christmas
All I Want for Christmas: Jesus
A few days ago, we focused on Isaiah 9:6 in a general way. As we enter the week of Christmas and zero in on Jesus, let’s drill down on each name the prophet uses to describe Jesus. Let’s start with “Wonderful Counselor.”
All I Want for Christmas: Love
We are sinners, and our sin separates us from God. The penalty of our sin is death. But driven by perfect love, the just God became the Justifier. Being fully God, Jesus was the only One who could provide a sinless sacrifice.
All I Want for Christmas: Love
A great teacher uses different methods to drive home the point. That’s what God did in the Old Testament. He communicated his message in a variety of ways. Sometimes he used visions, dreams, and supernatural interventions. Other times he wrote the law on tablets of stone and delivered it to the people by his servant Moses. Then there were occasions when God spoke through the prophets by sending warnings and encouragement.
All I Want for Christmas: Love
Then one day, studying Scripture, I learned that nothing could separate me from the love of God found in Christ alone. It was like a burden had been lifted from my shoulders. That day, on a hot parking lot in Dallas, Texas, I understood that I was a child of God and would forever be!
All I Want for Christmas: Love
God loves us.
That’s an amazing truth, isn’t it? The eternal God has deep affection for you. He wants you to be his child. He longs to have a personal relationship with you. He desires to show you his great love.
All I Want for Christmas: Love
God is always with us. He is the mighty one who saves. He rejoices over us. He quiets us with his love. He exults over us with loud singing. That’s amazing love!
All I Want for Christmas: Love
Our Sin-Bearer paid the penalty for every morsel of juicy gossip, every white lie, every murder, and every despicable action of man. And when we trust in Jesus’ death as our own, he throws our sin into the depth of the sea. He puts it behind his back. The God with perfect memory chooses to remember our sin no more. Forgiveness is love in action!
All I Want for Christmas: Love
God’s love is amazing! While we cannot fully grasp its depth, we seek to understand as much as we can. A. W. Tozer explains God’s love in his book The Knowledge of the Holy. I’ll summarize the thoughts of the great theologian in today’s devo.
All I Want for Christmas: Joy
Jesus was a great teacher, but education was not the reason for his coming. Jesus was a great leader, but simply learning leadership principles from the life of Jesus misses his primary purpose.
All I Want for Christmas: Joy
Seven hundred years before Jesus brought eternal joy, the prophet Isaiah told us that the Messiah was on the way. These titles describe the Messiah’s character.
All I Want for Christmas: Joy
For the joy set before him, Jesus took on the cross for us (Hebrews 12:1-2). Christ the Lord is the One, the only One, who delivers true joy to the deepest part of our hearts.