Joseph was motivated to obedience by the hope of a savior. His adopted son would make it so that he could be God’s adopted son. And that same truth applies to you and to me this Christmas (and beyond).
Learning to live by the indwelling life of Christ.
Joseph was motivated to obedience by the hope of a savior. His adopted son would make it so that he could be God’s adopted son. And that same truth applies to you and to me this Christmas (and beyond).
So hear the invitation of God today to go and find the Christ child. The Prince of Peace. The one who takes all our sins and all our sorrows and turns them into everything good. The one that will take us to be with him forever. Run to him. Embrace him and embrace your alien God.
Zerubbabel had a choice to make in his waiting. Continue to live in exile in Babylon, or do the hard work of helping others worship the Lord. Zerubbabel made the right choice. How? Because he heard the promise of God, he knew the purpose of God, and he trusted the power of God. The power of God’s grace.
It is Christ’s death and resurrection alone that saves us. These are the two heroic acts that rescue us from the darkness and carry us into the light. Christ’s death saves us from guilt, fear, slavery, sin, death, strife, eternal sorrow, and brokenness, and Christ’s resurrection saves us into innocence, boldness, freedom, love, life, peace, eternal joy, and relationship. Into “to live is Christ.”
By becoming the curse for us he ended the curse of sin and death in the life of every Christian. That’s what Christmas is all about – curse breaking and blessing giving. That’s what our union with Christ is all about too, like Jeconiah the curse is broken and the blessing has come, not just on the outside, but inside our hearts.
His name is our name now. His name is written on our hearts. Yahweh saves is who we are and what we do. His name shared with us in Christ. His name written upon our hearts making “to live is Christ” our identity, our mission, our glory, forever. Amen.