Devotional for Monday, December 2nd
Today’s Bible Reading: John 1:1-5, 14
I have a friend who loves Christmas and wants to soak up as much of this season as possible. He looks forward to Halloween because it means he can start playing Christmas music the next day. Although I laugh at this, I am a bit jealous. I wish I could get caught up in the magic of Christmas as easily as he does.
I want to get into the Christmas spirit, but there are so many distractions. This wasn't a problem when I was a kid. Christmas was something I anticipated with great excitement. I remember counting down the days with my grandma by saying, "Today is Christmas Eve Eve Eve Eve Eve!" (That would be December 20th by my logic.) I joined in with the Chipmunks when they sang, I can hardly stand the wait, Please Christmas, don't be late. As I get older, though, I wonder if Christmas wouldn't mind being a little late, so that I don't miss it. It all goes by too fast.
If you also have trouble finding the Christmas spirit, the disciple John offers us some comfort. John doesn't begin his Christmas story with angels, shepherds, or Magi. The nativity scene is nowhere to be found in his version. John reminds us that Christmas has been around since eternity:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1-3)
When John talks about "the Word," he's referring to Jesus. Jesus was with God since before the beginning of time. And it was always God's plan to send us Jesus so that he could save us from our mess. I love the way the Message version puts it:
The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. (John 1:14)
Christmas was moving day for Jesus. It was the day he left heaven and moved into our neighborhood.
For the next few weeks, we're going to look at the story of Christmas. But before we even start, I want to give you permission to "fail" at Christmas this year. It's okay not to get everything right. It's okay to miss a party. It's okay to skip a few days of this devotional. (Just don't tell me!)
John reminds us that no matter how busy things get, it's impossible to miss Christmas because Christmas can't be confined to a date. We can celebrate Christmas on December 26th just as easily as we can on December 25th. We can celebrate Jesus on a hot July day, or when we're passing out candy to trick-or-treaters on Halloween.
You can look up at the stars—heaven's Christmas lights that have been kept up since creation—and remember why Jesus moved into our neighborhood.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (v. 5)
Jesus moved in so we wouldn't be left out.
Questions to Ponder:
How do you rank on the "Christmas spirit" scale?
What stressors and distractions do you have going into this season? How can you lean into the grace of Jesus during this time?
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