CCM Daily Devotions | Jesus Gave Us the Real Gift |
Posted: 17 Dec 2010 04:00 PM PST Based on “How Jesus’ Birth Changed Everything, Part 2” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 12/11-12/10, Message #MB442; Daily Devotional #5 - “Jesus Gave Us the Real Gift” Preparing the Soil (Introduction): In this holiday season we hear the Christmas story of Jesus’ birth in a stable because there was no room in the Inn. Angels then appeared to tell the Shepherds in the fields to come see the newborn King. But keeping the “main thing, the main thing,” there is much more to celebrate than Jesus’ miraculous birth. The real gift of this season is His miraculous life, death, and resurrection to give each one of us the peace of eternal life! Jesus was born to give hurting people peace and comfort, hope for broken hearts, and “light” for those who feel trapped. But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. (Isaiah 53:5, NLT) Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): This is the gift-giving season, and everyone is frantically trying to find the perfect gift for loved ones. Yet, Jesus is the one who gave the perfect gift: His life for ours. Most of us love the wonderful Christmas season and all the parties and presents that go with it, but this same newborn King would soon become despised and rejected by men (including you and me). We already see the rejection of Christmas in our society today. King Herod tried to get rid of Jesus before age 2. King Herod felt threatened that this newborn King would shine light on his darkness, and give new hope to the people. Herod feared that he would lose his kingdom. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. (John 1:4-5, NLT). Jesus was born to save us from the darkness, to show us how to have real peace and hope and to live empowered lives, not dead lives. I am happy to celebrate His birth, but I am even more thankful for His life, death, and resurrection. Jesus, born King of the Jews, laid down His life and died the death of a criminal in order to be a sacrifice for our sins (Philippians 2:6-8, NLT). Jesus gave us the real gift, the gift of peace that comes from knowing we are justified and have eternal life because He died for our sins. We have the peace of mind of forgiveness of our sins. We have the gift that we don’t have to follow all of the over 600 laws and commandments in order to get to heaven! …he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. (Titus 3:4-7, NLT). Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Wii, $200; Kindle, $150; flat screen TV, $500; peace of mind: priceless! There are some things money can’t buy indeed! “I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27, NLT). Jesus was the real gift, born out of God’s love to give light to those who want to receive it. While Christmas is usually a warm time of year for most of us, it can also be a hard time of year for those who are hurting. As Christ followers, we have the real gift living inside of us. Jesus left us the gift of the Holy Spirit, empowering us to be light in a dark, hurting world. We have the power to be the compassion, hope, and peace that Jesus' birth, life, and resurrection gave to us. Cultivating (Additional Reading): John 3:16-21 JE Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673 All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted. New Living Translation = NLT |
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