Merry Christmas friends! This special Monday post is the last of our Advent series. It's the day that all the expectation and anticipation has been leading up to. For most of us we've been looking forward to Christmas Day since the beginning of December, around the time that the first Advent candle was lit. But on that very first Christmas, Mary and Joseph had spent 9 long months anticipating that wonderful day. Jews everywhere had been waiting for over 400 years for the Messiah to be born. And then it was finally there! The day that we remember everything they were waiting for and all that we've been blessed with.
Christ.
That's what the fifth candle represents, perfect purity embodied. The Messiah, the Son of Man who is God. That's who was born that Christmas Day, Jesus. The story of his birth is recounted in Luke 2:7-19
"Then she (Mary) gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough- because there was no room for them at the in. In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Don't be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. This will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a manger.'
Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors! When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, 'Let's go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us,'
"They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was laying in the feeding trough. After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and mediating on them."
That's what we celebrate on Christmas. Christ. The pure Son of God. The one who came to Earth, was laid in a manger, lived a pure life, died on a Cross, taking on the sins of the whole world- including you and me. Then was buried, rose again three days later and offered all of us the chance to accept his free gift of salvation, to be purified of our sin.
Merry Christmas friends and may God watch over you and keep you on this day of His Son's, our Messiah's, birth.
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