December 17–Who He Really Is

It’s Monday and we have begun the countdown to Christmas. Yesterday, Cooper, Amelia, Ozzie and I went to Silver Dollar City. We attended church there and then rode roller coasters and swinging ships and all sorts of other crazy things. As the day went on, the park began to fill up. By dark, it was shoulder to shoulder as we all ooh-ed and ahh-ed at all 6.5 million lights. It was simply amazing. 


With so many people packed in, we occasionally heard someone that was losing their Christmas spirit and in a crowd of that size, you wonder how many know the real reason we celebrate. 


After Jesus was born, wise men from the east came looking for Jesus—they had been following a star for sometime. When they stopped to ask King Herod where was the baby that was born King of the Jews, he became very curious and requested another meeting with them. He told them he wanted to worship the new baby too and to come back when they had found him and tell him where he could find this new King. 


But Herod didn’t really want to worship Jesus—he was just talking, giving lip service. His intentions were to kill Jesus. How many people do you think this Christmas will just be talking, giving lip service, but in actuality, their actions will be quite different. Maybe they don’t intend to “kill” Jesus, but they will choose to ignore what he said and what he proclaimed to be. 


“Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?” “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote...” Then Herod called for a private meeting with the wise men,... he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭2:1-8‬ ‭NLT‬‬


Dear Jesus we pray that this Christmas, we will do more than talk—that our actions will show we know you and why you came to earth. We praise you for the great example you provide for us and for your promise that following you, we will hunger and thirst no more. Hallelujah to the Lamb, who was heaven’s perfect gift. We lift you up to draw all people to you. Amen and amen  


Love you dear one, 

Pam

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