Wk1 Day 2

 Read: Isaiah 9:1-7 (focusing on verse 6 this week) Sing: Joy to the Word! Memorize: Isaiah 9:6 (Seeds family worship)

James Montgomery Boice makes a beautiful case in the introduction to his book, "The King has Come," about why Christmas is most remarkable:

     Christmas is the season of the year in which believers in Jesus Christ from around the world mark the greatest of all the Bible's miracles, namely, the taking upon himself of a true human nature and body by the second person of the holy Trinity. The proper term for this miracle is the Incarnation, and it is this doctrine that stands at the very heart of Christianity. No other religion has at its core the person of one who himself is both fully God and fully man. Even more significant is the fact that no other religion has as its chief doctrine the claim that in the person of this unique God-man, God himself paid the price of our salvation by dying to save us from our many sins.

In Isaiah we read, for unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given. The promise of the fullness of God made flesh. Prophesied to the people. This is overwhelming. We can't even begin to imagine this being told to us. But the promise was made well before this. It started in the Garden of Eden. Reconciliation would happen, and we see it here in the promise of the birth of a Savior.

And He shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. The promise of a Savior, of the Savior. Of Christ the Lord. Look at the study notes in your Bible at these titles. Each one has different references and meanings. I highly encourage you to study this on your own over the course of the week; write them out and write them on your heart. This is the Jesus we celebrate at Advent, yes a babe in the manger but the Mighty God none the less!!!

Unimaginable grace was being offered at the birth of the God man. He would come to do what we could not and can not. Take away our sins, he would come to take away the sins of the world. He was born to die. There is no one thing more profound then when we can realize at Christmas we are celebrating not just the birth, but the ultimate sacrifice for us...for our sins. AMAZING GRACE. How fitting is it then yet that we would shout and sing from the rooftops.... JOY TO THE WORLD, The Lord has COME. Let earth receive her King. The promised Messiah, the Son of David, the Son of Man, The second of the Trinity, He who Created, comes down to dwell among the creation, for the purpose of saving us from our sin.  For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son...may we truly delight in the fact that there is no greater gift then Christ himself this season. May we not be a people who walk in darkness for we have seen His great light!