From Eternity



Prayer: O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Read: John 1:1-14

Think about It: The Gospels of John and Mark do not tell us the    Christmas story. We learn all that we know of Jesus' birth from Luke, who spoke as a Gentile and detailed storyteller, and Matthew, who spoke as a Jew steeped in Old Testament prophecy and it's fulfillment. While John does not deal with the details of Jesus birth, he does place us onto a foundation that firmly establishes exactly who Jesus is - not from His birth but from eternity.

This Christ Child whose birth we celebrate every year is True God. As True God He is ever existent. There has never been a time when God did not exist. That means that the person of Jesus was present at the Creation. "In the beginning was the Word (Jesus) and the Word was with God and the Word was God." The Savior who comes to forgive our sins with His blood is also our Creator. John shows us that Jesus came even when we didn't recognize Him or accept Him. He came because we needed Him - desperately! He lowered Himself from  heaven and took on our flesh, actually living here among us full of grace and truth.

As we complete the celebration this year, it would serve us well to remember that even in the midst of the gifts, the shopping, the food, and the family, grace and truth lies at the center of it all. This Christ came for us because of His overwhelming love. There can be no greater thing to ponder in all the world than the Love of a God who would die for us so that we might live with Him forever.

Prayer: Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wise men from
       Out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

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