19 Days Until Christmas!
Song: “Good King Wenceslas,” by Bing Crosby
Christmas Album: “Home for Christmas,” by Susan Boyle
Christmas DVD: “Jingle All the Way”
Netflix Movie: “The Christmas Chronicles”
Amazon Prime Movie: “Jack Frost”
Hallmark Now Movie: “A Christmas Carol: The Musical”
On TV:
• “Elf,” 6 p.m., AMC
• “Dear Secret Santa,” 6 p.m., Lifetime
• “A Majestic Christmas,” 6 p.m., Hallmark
• “Toy Story,” 6:55 p.m., Freeform
• “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” 8 p.m., ABC
• “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” 8 p.m. and 10:15 p.m., AMC
• “Jingle Belle,” 8 p.m., Lifetime
• “A Shoe Addict’s Christmas,” 8 p.m., Hallmark
• “Toy Story 2,” 8:55 p.m., Freeform
• “The Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition,” 9 p.m., ABC
• “A Twist of Christmas,” 10 p.m., Lifetime
• “Christmas in Evergreen,” 10 p.m., Hallmark
Recipe: Sweet Potato Souffle
Quick Thought for Christmas
Read
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14
Reflect
How long do you think Jesus has existed? Did His story start in the manger? Did it start when the angel gave Mary the good news nine months before that?
The Bible actually tells us that Jesus has been with God the Father since the very beginning. Follow this train of thought:
• “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) So God’s Word has always been there, but what is that Word?
• “He was in the beginning with God.” (John 1:2) So this Word isn’t a what, but a who? Who is this Word?
• “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14) This Word is Jesus! He’s been there with God the entire time!
Knowing that Jesus has been around since “in the beginning,” it makes you wonder how long He’s known about the sacrifice He would have to make. Once again, the answer is, “the beginning.” God, being the loving, all-knowing Creator He is, has always known the choices we would make as frail, sinful humans. So He has always known that He would have to make a way for us to spend eternity with Him.
And that choice, that option, has always been Jesus.
Since the beginning of time, Jesus has known that He’d have to give up perfection in Heaven in order to live a few decades in poverty on Earth, followed by a brutal death on the cross. His sacrifice, life and death has always been the plan. For Jesus, Christmas wasn’t a holiday – it was his eternal destiny.
Today, think about the journey Jesus took from the throne room to the manger. Thank Him for being willing to take that journey. And think about what it means to you, and what you can do in response to what He’s done for you.
Reflection copyright © 2018 by Doug DeBolt.
Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
