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The birth of a child is such a wonderful moment in the life of any parent. The pain and labor are quickly forgotten when the mother holds her child for the first time. And no doubt, this would have been Mary’s feelings as she held baby Jesus. This was an important moment not only for Mary, but for the entire world because this child was born for us, this child was given for us.

While for the original audience “us” meant the Kingdom of Judah, for us and for now we understand it as “us” – those who believe in God the Son’s atoning sacrifice on the cross”. John 3:16 tells us that that God loved us in this way: “He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” This child is God’s way of showing His love for us, He is the Savior born for us (Luke 2:11), He is our Immanuel – God with us (Isaiah 7:14) and it is through Him that we can have everlasting life.

Prayer

We thank you, God, that in your sovereignty You chose the most fragile and vulnerable being, a baby, to bring the most wonderful and most powerful news for us: salvation in Jesus Christ. We thank you, Jesus, that You lowered Yourself and chose to dwell with us so that we may know You, believe in You and be reconcile with God the Father. We pray that we may cherish Your gift to us this Christmas and hold fast to our confession of faith: Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen!

*To access the PDF format of the devotional, please click here.