December 25, 2015
Scripture Reading: Luke 2:1-7
1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to their own town to register.
4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Questions for Reflection:
Merry Christmas! Today we celebrate the fact that God took on human flesh so that our lives and eternity would be forever changed. The great theologian, author and apologist, C.S. Lewis wrote, “The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God.”
As you read the passage above, what strikes you about how Jesus Christ chose to make his appearance? How would you have expected God to make His appearance? The birth of Jesus Christ as a little baby boy in a small Jewish town of Bethlehem changed everything. It would have made sense if he had come as a king, loaded with political power and monetary riches. It would have made sense if he had been born in Rome, the center of the world at the time. Yet that is not how God chose to reveal Himself. Darrell Bock in his commentary writes, “In the ancient world, if anyone had asked if there was a more important person than Caesar, the emperor and ruler of the vast Roman empire, the answer surely would have been no. Yet it is the birth a little boy in a rural Judean village that causes the angels to launch into praise.”
Today, in the midst of celebrations, presents and meals, remember the One who changed history. Take time to reflect on how this baby born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago has changed your life. Spend time thanking God for the gift of Jesus.