Every Day with Jesus

Many people like to attend church services at Christmas time – these are often special times of gathering, with familiar carols and Bible readings. In the time of Nehemiah, after re-building the walls of Jerusalem was seen as an ideal time for the people to meet for worship – to give thanks to God who had brought them thus far.

People like stories. There is something about a story that we can immerse ourselves in, imagine ourselves in, relate to. Have you ever thought why we tell the Christmas story?

One of the things we associate with the Christmas celebrations is eating and drinking – a time, if we are so blessed, to celebrate with those we love. For others, it might be that we cannot be with those we love and care for, perhaps because of work commitments, geographical distance, or loss. 

What a privilege and incredible responsibility it must have been to be Joseph and Mary, the earthly parents of Jesus, entrusted with the care of the long-promised Christ child. In verses 39 and 40 of Luke chapter 2, it tells us that following the consecration ceremony in Jerusalem, Joseph and Mary took Jesus home – they literally lived every day with Jesus!

Luke chapter 2 tells us that when the time had come, Joseph and Mary, in keeping with the Law of Moses, took Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem to be consecrated.

At the beginning of Mark’s Gospel, he gets right to the point, no second guessing what his message is about, ‘The beginning of the good news about Jesus’.

In the midst of darkness and despair, Isaiah chapter 52 proclaimed hope for the people of God. The message of verses 7 through to 10 is a great message for us to share this Christmas too. Isaiah announces it as ‘good news’ of ‘peace’ and ‘salvation’, something to shout about!

An ambassador has an important role, they literally represent a country or kingdom, whilst located within another country or kingdom! The embassies of various countries are ‘little expressions’ of the country to which they belong.

As we approach the Christmas celebrations, we also approach the end of another year. For some, this may mark a welcome conclusion to a challenging time, for others, it may have been a year of joy.

The third chapter of Matthew’s Gospel starts by telling us about the role of John the Baptist, a preacher calling everyone to ‘repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near’.

The start of Matthew’s Gospel gives us the genealogy of ‘Jesus the Messiah’. This may seem like a strange start to the nativity story, but being able to trace their lineage was important to the predominantly Jewish audience to which Matthew was writing. Matthew traces the family tree of Jesus from Abraham, an important and central figure to the Jewish people.

Christmas can be a stressful time for many people, especially when it comes to family. Whilst some families are close and love to get together to celebrate this season, others find it difficult, perhaps still nursing past hurts, misunderstandings and rejection.

Luke chapter 2 tells us of another encounter between heaven and earth – angels visiting shepherds tending their flocks in the fields. The good news of the birth of Jesus was not just for wise men, it was for all people – people doing everyday jobs like the shepherds.

One of the notable things about Christmas is the enormous array of lights that go on display in shops and streets. In many roads, people can become quite competitive as they seek to ‘outshine’ their neighbours’ displays! 

It can be nice to both give and receive gifts at Christmas time. Whilst the earthly value of each gift may vary, the important thing is the love and thought that has gone into buying or making it. In his second letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul is encouraging the Corinthian church to organise a monetary gift, a collection for their less well-off brothers and sisters in Christ in Jerusale...

Despite the excitement of many within the early chapters of Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels at the announcement of the birth of Jesus, there were others who were not so excited. Indeed, they were opposed to and felt threatened by the news. King Herod was one such individual.

Many people love singing their favourite carols and songs at Christmas. As we go about our day-to-day tasks – at home, in the shopping centres – songs of Christmas celebration can often be heard ringing out.

In Micah’s time, when he was prophesying to Israel, he witnessed great devastation, including the destruction of Israel by Assyria (722BC).

When the full realisation and enormity of the angel Gabriel’s announcement sank in for Mary, that she would give birth to the long-promised Saviour, her reaction was one of praise and rejoicing.

Zechariah was a priest who loved God’s Word and God’s things. Luke tells us that both Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth were righteous and blameless people before God. Yet when the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah to announce that his wife was pregnant, he struggled to believe it.

The season of Advent heralds hope. It speaks of God becoming flesh and breaking into this dark world (John 1:14). It speaks of words of promise breaking a long silence between the testaments (Luke 1:26–33). It speaks of the fulfilment of redemptive prophecy (Luke 1:54– 55). This is not a vague or faint hope that something might happen;

Knowing the story we are part of is so important. It can be easy to get caught up in the single chapters of both life’s challenges and adventures. Yet keeping in mind the bigger picture can help us as we seek to make sense of our part in it.

Arguably, the start of 1 Samuel reflects one of the darkest and most depressing spiritual periods of God’s people found in Scripture. Commencing with a story of physical barrenness (chapter 1), chapter 3 depicts a season of spiritual barrenness and darkness. Spiritual

As we enter this season of Advent, building up to the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, it could be easy for us to be distracted by the season’s celebrations and the expectations of others. Within our Advent considerations, we want to encourage focus on the expectations and hope found in looking to God.

Many believers find themselves in a place of discouragement, perhaps weary from criticism, seeing little fruit for their labours, or struggling with past failures and guilt. In our text today from Isaiah chapter 40, the Lord wants to encourage His despondent people.