Devotional for the week of Dec. 24 & Christmas Day

Choose someone to light the first candle from three weeks ago.
Choose someone to light second candle from two weeks ago.
Choose someone to light the third candle from last week.
Choose someone to light the fourth (red) candle.

Scripture Reading: Matthew 2: 1—12.

Devotional:

Look under your Christmas tree. There’s been a lot of fuss to get those gifts there, hasn’t there?

You started thinking about the important people in your life. You thought about the kind of gift that would make them happy. You made a decision. You shopped. Maybe you even checked around on-line. You had the gift wrapped. You signed the card. And, be honest, you probably checked out the ones for you and tried to guess what might be in there.

We enjoy giving gifts. We like getting gifts, too. They’re signs of love from people who care about us.

Some really smart folks saw a star in the eastern sky. The star hadn’t always been there. They noticed it as something different and followed it to Jerusalem. These priests and sages must’ve had some powerful connections, too, because they were able to meet with Herod…the king.

“Where’s the King?” they asked.

A strange question to ask a king, don’t you think?

“We need to worship Him,” they said. “We’ve brought gifts.”

A strange thing to tell a king, don’t you think?

Herod is disturbed. He calls his top advisors and asks them to comb the Old Testament and figure out when and where this Messiah is to be born. The manage to find Micah 5: 2 and it tells them: Bethlehem. In Judea. The new King is going to born, ummm, well, right here, sir.

Herod calls the visiting sages and asks them how long they’ve been traveling and when they first saw the star. He tells them to find the Messiah. And when they do, make sure to let him know, okay?

The wise men still followed the star. Took them right to the house where the family lived. They saw the Child…a toddler. They gave the family gifts…fit for a king. Money. Rare presents. These “outsiders” worshiped the King…while His own nation tended to ignore him.

And that’s what Advent is about.

The Child is born. The Savior of the World. Worthy of our worship. Worthy of our gifts.

Because the people who lived in darkness now have a Great Light.


For Christmas Day:

Choose someone different to light the four candles.

Scripture Reading: Revelation 21: 12--17, 20 & 21

Advent.

People living in darkness seeing a great light.

And the reality is that He will have another "advent." He will come again, and we wait in hope. The reminder this Christmas Day is in that very reality, that He will come again for His people and establish His throne forever.

Amen.

Have the head of the household light the center candle.

Reflect on there is now a Great Light to the world through a time of silence and prayer.

Leave them lighted until your gift giving is complete.