The Sacrifice of Christmas..Craig Denison Ministries

 The Sacrifice of Christmas

Craig Denison Ministries

Weekly Overview:

Christmas is a time where we as believers celebrate God’s heart to write himself into our story. Prior to Jesus we had no real picture of God’s love. All we had to know him by was through stories of old and commandments written into law. But only in Jesus was a pathway created whereby we could walk in intimacy with the Father again. Only in Jesus was the veil torn allowing God’s manifest presence into the earth. We owe all that we have to Jesus. We owe all that we have to Christmas. May these two days be filled with joyful worship as we celebrate our newborn King.

Scripture:

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” John 6:51

Devotional:

On this wonderful Christmas Eve let’s take a moment to reflect on the heart of Jesus. Let’s take a moment to meditate on the depth of his love for us. It must have been love and love alone that would cause God to take on flesh and dwell among us. It must have been love alone that would give him the desire to leave perfection and take on the suffering and limitations of a human being. Think of the differences! Think of the implications of his decision! Can you imagine being the Maker of heaven and earth and choosing to make yourself low unto the point of death for the sake of humans who have gone astray?

For us Christmas is a time of great rejoicing. It’s a time of joy, nostalgia, and fond remembrance. For Jesus, it was a time of great sacrifice.

Jesus says in John 6:51, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” You and I have been afforded eternal life in utter perfection because of the magnitude of Jesus’ love for us. We’ve been granted boundless communion with our Creator simply because he made a way for us where we couldn’t. Isaiah 53:4-6 says,

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

As we celebrate this Christmas Eve, let’s remember what Jesus carried in his heart for us prior to his birth. Let’s remember the depth of his love for us that he would subject himself to flesh. Let’s press into communion with God and give God the only gift he’s after: our hearts. And let’s worship our Bread of Life in whom we’ve been granted the eternal gift of relationship with our heavenly Father.

Guided Prayer:

1. Meditate on John 6:51. Reflect on the life you’ve been given because Jesus chose to be born for you.

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” John 6:51

2. Take time to meditate on the depth of love Jesus has for you. Allow a revelation of his love to sink past your mind and into your heart that you might find purpose and joy in God’s presence.

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:4-6

3. Worship Jesus in response to his great love. Allow his sacrifice to stir up your heart to give him what he was after all along: relationship with you.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Luke 2:14

Christmas is a unique opportunity where so much of the world stops and in some way acknowledges the celebration of Jesus’ birth. It’s a time where hearts are softer to receiving the reality of God’s love. Look for opportunities today with your family and friends to join in God’s pursuit of their hearts. Look for opportunities to proclaim the availability of life-giving relationship with God. Love them well. Speak life and grace over them. And discover the profound joy God has over those he is drawing to himself, including you. May this Christmas Eve be filled with laughter and celebration given to you as good gifts from the heart of God.

Extended Reading: John 6

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel..Gina Smith

 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

By Gina Smith

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God with us’).” – Matthew 1:23

“Lonely.” “Isolated.” “No support system.” These are some of the words that I have heard moms use to describe what they experience while they are walking through the day-in and day-out of what it means to be a mom. Regardless of how old your children are, each season of motherhood does come with a measure of loneliness, isolation, and a lack of support. Why is that? Because other moms are busy raising their children just like you are. When we prioritize our family and our marriage, there are seasons when there isn’t much time for anything else.

I also know of some who don’t have much in the way of community. My husband and I have gone through times in our lives when God actually withheld community for a season. Yes, community is important, and I encourage you to pray for God to lead you to that particular church body that you can be a part of and live out true, biblical community. It is life-giving and, when intentionally done in a biblical way, will help you grow in your walk with God. But, during those seasons when we haven’t had consistent community, we have sensed that God wanted to do something in us that only He can do. He wanted to have our full attention. He wanted us to experience a loneliness that can only be filled by drawing near to Him and crying out in desperation and need.

We are never alone. Ultimately, He is the only One who can meet us in our deepest longing and loneliness. He wants us to experience this in a new way. When you take time to look at the lyrics of today’s hymn and are able to see what these lyrics are saying, I believe that the truths found there can lift you out of any sense of loneliness or isolation and give you a birds-eye view of the life you have been gifted.

Emmanuel - God with us.
This Christmas Hymn explains what we can experience because Jesus came. We see prophecy being fulfilled when He was born - His first coming. And we see in the same hymn the promise of His return - His second coming.

Jesus is with you.
He was born, lived His life, walked in obedience as He submitted to His Father and accomplished what He was sent to earth to accomplish. He was crucified, died, rose again, and then went back to His Father when His plans were accomplished.

The fact that He rose again means that He is with you. It means that He is alive and walking you through every single minute of your day. Every trial, He experiences with you and enables you to persevere. Every victory, He has enabled you to accomplish and rejoices with you in it.

Intersecting Faith and Life:
You can have joy, knowing He came and is with you. You can have joy knowing that there is so much more to this life than what we are experiencing right now. He is coming again and we will spend eternity with Him. All of His promises will be fulfilled. 

We can worship Him this Christmas as we celebrate His birth, and we can also worship Him as we look forward to His return. We can thank him for coming and thank Him for the promises that we find our hope in, for the future.

And then we can add the following words to describe what we experience while we are walking through the day-in and day-out of life – at times feeling like we are completely alone: “Thankful.” “Rejoicing.” “Anticipating.” “Hopeful.”

Let’s pray:
Father, thank you for coming to earth as a baby and thank you for the promise that You will come again one day in the future. Thank you that these truths and promises give me joy and hope amidst daily life and loneliness. Thank you for being with me. I need You. Thank you for giving me true joy when I focus on You, praising and worshiping You for being Emmanuel - God with us.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
 And ransom captive Israel
 That mourns in lonely exile here
 Until the Son of God appear.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
 Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
 Who orders all things mightily;
 To us the path of knowledge show,
 And teach us in its ways to go.

O come, Thou Branch of Jesse’s stem,
 Unto Thine own and rescue them!
 From depths of hell Thy people save,
 And give them vict’ry o’er the grave.

O come, Thou Key of David, come
 And open wide our heav’nly home;
 Make safe for us the heav’nward road,
 And bar the way to death’s abode.

O come, Thou Bright and Morning Star,
 And bring us comfort from afar!
 Dispel the shadows of the night
 And turn our darkness into light.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
 In one the hearts of all mankind;
 Bid all our sad divisions cease,
 And be Thyself our King of Peace.

When God Interrupts Your Plans ..Lynette Kittle

 When God Interrupts Your Plans

by Lynette Kittle

“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.”— Matthew 1:18

Have you ever had God interrupt your plans? Not just small ones but big ones, like whom you’ll marry, where you’ll live, work, or go to school?

Maybe at the time, you recognized it was God’s hand in your life, intervening and changing your situation? Or possibly when it was taking place, you didn’t have a clue.

Mary the mother of Jesus was living a quiet life engaged to Joseph, when God interrupted her plans by sending the angel Gabriel to deliver a message to her (Luke 1:26-27).

“The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!” (Luke 1:28)

It seemed like such a wonderful kind of message, yet Luke 1:29 describes her reaction, “Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.”

Mary was deeply concerned, “But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; His kingdom will never end’” (Luke 1:30-33).

Sill Mary asked how this could be since she was a virgin, to which, “The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:36).

His words removed her doubt and revealed her heart as she answered, “’I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her” (Luke 1:38).

How does your heart respond when God interrupts your plans with a life-shaking event?

At first, like Mary, do you also feel greatly troubled? As she questioned God at how these things could possibly occur in her life, do you question Him, too? Do you, as Mary did, need reassurance of His presence in the midst of it?

If so, God reassures you in Isaiah 41:13, “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

If your plans have been disrupted, instead of turning to fear, choose to trust God, believing He will help you.

A Prayer for a Silent Night..Alicia Searl

 A Prayer for a Silent Night

By Alicia Searl

"Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28

Silent Night, a beloved Christmas carol with humble beginnings that dates back to 1816. Written by a young priest in Germany after a longstanding war and fall in political and social status, this song was inspired when he took a walk one cold winter night, noticing the stillness and peacefulness of his little town.

Since then, it has been picked up by multiple composers and performed in churches all across the world, from quaint churches in small towns to the largest of cathedrals, and even presenting it to the King of Prussia. All that to say, there is a beautiful message intertwined between the beautiful words in this song. It touches each of us on a different level and in an intimate way. Calling us to pause and take notice of what a silent, peaceful, and calm. It does something to our weary souls.

Silent Night. Holy Night. All is calm. All is bright.

These words are easy to utter, but truly being silent and seeking His holiness in a season that is wrapped and consumed with pressures and demands to do more, be more, get more, can drive us to a place of unforeseen busyness and even disappointment. Unfortunately, the end result can steal our peace.

The history of this hymn reminds us to step away from it all and open our hearts in a way to receive the gift of stillness. May you find time to seek the silent moments this season, where you are met with our Holy Creator. Let that beautiful interaction allow you to lean in and rest, prompting you to praise Him for His faithfulness and rejoice in His Son’s birth!

Let’s pray:

Father God,
We come to You with weary but humble hearts full of thanksgiving. You are a kind and gracious Father, with such unspeakable love for us, giving Your one and only Son to take on our sins so that we can have a life with You outside this one (John 3:16).

Lord, I lift up those that are in need of rest. Those who are craving a silent night. I lift up the mom who is striving to make special memories for her children, only to become overwhelmed by the stress of it all. I pray for the parent rocking a fussy baby to sleep in the wee hours of the morning, in need of much physical rest. I pray for the dad crunching the numbers, wondering how he is going to financially afford all the items on his child’s Christmas list. My heart and prayers go out to the lonely grandparent missing her children and wishing she was closer.

O Gracious God, You know each and every one of us intimately and our dire situations that pull us away from You. Please remove the distractions, heavy burdens, and demands, and grant us Your peace. Replace the fallacies with Truth found in Your Word. Give us grace and space in our schedules to meet with You and be refueled by Your tender love. Make room in our hearts to receive that precious gift of stillness and silence.

We stand upon Your promise to extend rest for not just our physical, mental, and emotional well-being but to meet us and grow us spiritually as well. This is not just a gift we want to receive at Christmas but year-round as You extend Your mighty hand to those in need, calling us to take hold.

When we become weighed down by the burdens we carry, we are so thankful for your Son, Jesus. Jesus reminds us that His yoke is light and to place our trust in Him (Matthew 11:28-30). Yet, we often overcomplicate Your message and fail to see how You step in and offer a safe refuge (Psalm 46:1). You may not take away our burdens, but through Your strength, You make them manageable for us to carry (Philippians 4:19). 

Please open our hearts and minds to accept the image of Your pure rest when we fall into the patterns of this World and become consumed with things that keep us restless. Things that keep our minds swirling all night. When we do this, we fail to recognize the nature of Who You are, and it distracts us from the good You are doing.

Thank you, God, for offering us a silent night in the gift of Your precious Son, as well as an invitation to call upon You to meet with us intimately. You deserve our thanks and praise.
Amen.

A Prayer for Healing this Christmas Season..Debbie McDaniel

 A Prayer for Healing this Christmas Season

By Debbie McDaniel

“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them, he rescued them from the grave.” Psalm 107:19-20

The Christmas season is always the time of year filled with so much joy and hope, a spirit of giving, and celebrations with family and friends. Yet that may also be the very reason why those suffering deep heartache, loss, illness, or struggle during this season, may feel the weight of their burdens even more deeply. Maybe many feel alone. Or forgotten. Maybe some wonder why God isn’t answering their prayers, or why his answers seem so long in coming. If you find yourself there right now, or are praying for a loved one through a difficult time, take heart in this word from Psalms:

“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent forth his word and healed them, he rescued them from the grave.” Psalm 107:19-20

We have a place we can go to. We can cry out to God and be assured He does hear. And He cares.

God saves. He did then, and He does still.

He sent forth his word and healed them. And God never changes.

He rescued them. And He rescues us today.

Through Christ alone, we can find true healing – from physical illness and pain, from past wounds and difficult memories, from the heartache of deep loss, from addiction, despair, and even in the relationships that have been broken.

God already knows of the wounds we've carried. He knows the pain we've felt. He knows how much we've tried to let go, and fix things in our own power. Let's set aside our fears and move towards Him today, in faith.

For He is able.

He is powerful.

He cares.

He heals.

He restores.

He redeems.

Dear God,

You already know the pain we’ve carried, the deep wounds, the feelings of loss and heartache. You know how we’ve so often lost hope. Wondering if we’ll ever be truly free from this burden. It feels too great some days. We desperately need your healing and grace. We need your peace and our hope restored. We need to be reminded that you work on behalf of those you love, constantly, powerfully, and completely. Forgive us for trying to fix our situations all on our own. Forgive us for running in different directions and spinning our wheels to find help, when true help and healing must be found first in You. Forgive us for forgetting how much we need you, above everyone and everything else. We come to you and bring you the places we are hurting. You see where no one else can fully see or understand. You know all the places where we need to be set free, even those we’re not aware of. We ask for your healing and grace to cover every broken place. Every wound. Every heartache. Thank you that you are able to do far more than we could ever imagine. Thank you for your mighty power that acts on behalf of your children. We reach out to you, and know that you are restoring and redeeming every place of difficulty, every battle, for your greater glory. Thank you that you will never waste our pain and suffering. We love you. We need you today.

In Jesus’ Name, 

Amen.