Long Expected Devotional – Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Matthew 1
Although our traditions tend to remind us of the manger scene and the heavenly choir who gathered to give the Messiah a more transcendent welcome than the shepherds could offer, the Christmas story begins long before that well-known night in Bethlehem.
The story of the birth of Jesus Christ into the world starts in the Garden of Eden. God made the world and set aside a Garden and placed a man and woman there. They were made in the image of God to know and enjoy him while spreading his kingdom throughout the earth.
God was there with them, and this world was very good.
This is what each of us is made for: a world where we live with God, loving him, experiencing peace that comes from everything being set up exactly right; God as the King, personally present with His people who know happiness, satisfaction, contentment, and true joy.
But that world did not last. Adam and Eve believed God was holding the best back from them. Friendship with God was broken. We were no longer fit to enjoy His presence, and we were justifiably expelled from His garden. Peace and joy were lost.
This is where the story of Christmas starts. The incarnation is the story of the presence of God with His people being reestablished through a promised Redeemer. On this Christmas Eve as we prepare to celebrate once again this first Advent, don’t simply start and end with a baby in a manger. Ponder on the fallenness of man and God’s merciful and fulfilled promise for a Savior. Think about the long line of Old Testament saints and generations who waited for this long-expected Savior (Mt 1:1-17, Lk 3:23-38). The One who would fulfill the roles of Man, Prophet, Priest, and King. The One in which we find our hope. The One who forever restores peace and joy. The One who loves the Father and us so that we might love the Father and others.
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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- What is your favorite thing about Christmas?
- What is your favorite part of the Christmas story in the Bible?
- What is one unique thing you are thankful for this Christmas Eve?
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