The Privileged Life: A Christmas Call to Worship
“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6 NKJV)
If your calendar looks like mine, you and I will be “dancing as fast as we can” this month to get everything done on our Christmas want-to-do lists.
Usually, it’s more than we can handle. We easily lose the privilege of worshipping Jesus in the frantic shuffle of merriment.
How about hitting the pause button with me for a few minutes, to contemplate the original Christmas story in the Bible?
To the world 2,000 years ago, the arrival of Jesus Christ is a commonplace event. He’s just another baby born in a back-roads Jewish village. So why would His birthday be truly extraordinary? How do we know that this Jesus is the long-expected Messiah, the Son of God?
Listen to the words and reactions of those who were there—ordinary people, chosen by God to experience the greatest miracle in the history of mankind.
While each person has a different viewpoint, there is one common thread: worship. They are awestruck when they find themselves in the presence of the Almighty, the Creator of the Universe. Their hearts are changed by this unimaginable wonder. All of them respond in worship.
The prophet Isaiah, for example, is caught up in worship as he experiences visions of heaven and learns about the coming Savior. Out of an overwhelming love for us, Jesus will ultimately be “a man of sorrows,” despised, wounded, crushed…to save His loved ones from their sins.
It will be hundreds of years, though, until Isaiah’s prophecies are fulfilled. The first inkling in the New Testament about Christ’s birth comes in a remarkable encounter between a priest and a messenger angel.
The priest is Zacharias, chosen to burn incense in the Holy of Holies, deep inside the Jerusalem temple. The angel? Gabriel. He brings astonishing news that Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth will have a son in their advanced age. Their child will be filled with the Holy Spirit—to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children…to turn disobedient souls toward wisdom…to make God’s people ready for their Lord.
Zacharias knows the words of the prophets. Could this really be true? Will he be father to the forerunner of the Messiah? It’s easy to see how Zacharias is doubtful.
The hesitation to believe costs Zacharias his voice—he lapses into silence until the events foretold by Gabriel take place. Elizabeth, his wife, also goes into seclusion for five months after she finds herself with child.
When their son John is born, Zacharias’s tongue is loosened, to prophesy as Isaiah did about the Deliverer of Israel. Zacharias worships the coming Messiah by glorifying His Father in heaven.
But before Zacharias speaks, Elizabeth worships Jesus, too. When she receives an unexpected visit from her cousin Mary, Elizabeth lifts her voice in lofty praise about the coming of her Lord. She feels her yet-to-be-born son leaping in her womb. Elizabeth’s words and her baby John’s reaction are evidence of their worship—in pure joy.
We can see Jesus in the reflection of each of these faces, especially in their immediate response to being in the presence of the Almighty. Re-read their eyewitness accounts in Scripture—Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah 53, Luke 1. See if you can hear the amazement in their words as they try to explain indescribable experiences.
Now imagine that Isaiah, Zacharias, and Elizabeth are sitting at your kitchen table, telling you their stories. How would you respond? Would you believe them? Would their words change your life?
You and I have opportunities to make this Christmas Advent season more like theirs. With Isaiah and other prophets, let us glorify God in our words and in repentance from our sins. With Zacharias, Elizabeth, and John, let us praise Jesus in our testimony to others and by leaping with joy.
Like other faithful believers before us, let us join hands and hearts this Christmas in quiet moments of meditation, in active times of serving others in Jesus’ name, and in boisterous songs of praise at our churches.
Jesus is born. He is here, Immanuel, God with us. And He will come again at the end times. May we worship Him every moment of the Advent season and beyond. Hallelujah!
Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior and King, call me to worship You in the weeks ahead and into the new year. Every time I see or hear the word “Christmas,” let Your name as the Christ resonate with me…make it a tangible reminder that this world and all my days belong to you. May Your presence go with me in my daily tasks, and let me be awestruck by Your beauty and majesty in this holy season. In Your name, Jesus Christ, Immanuel, Amen.
As you read through your Bible this Advent, thank our Savior for each of His gifts that come to your mind. For specific prompts, I’ve created some new tent cards with verses (scroll to the bottom of this post to copy JPG images or a PDF). You’re welcome to print these out, pray through them, and share them with others.
Nancy C. Williams is a Christian wife/mom with a writing career spanning more than 40 years in business and journalism. Williams is the author of the novel To Love a Falcon and the devotional book A Crocus in the Desert: Devotions, Stories, and Prayers for Women Experiencing Infertility. Her blogs are featured on Crossmap.com and AriseDaily. To follow Nancy’s posts and news, go to her home page at NancyCWilliams.com and subscribe at the bottom.
© Copyright 2024 Nancy C. Williams (text and photography). Unless otherwise noted, Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version®, copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. #Advent #Christmas #propheciesaboutJesus #Christmasstory #Adventcalendar
JPG images of “Gifts of God” Advent cards to copy and print:
PDF images of “Gifts of God” Advent cards to copy and print:
