For centuries Israel offered sacrifices to God for sin. Over and over, a substitute shed its blood to earn forgiveness. Then Jesus appeared, the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. He died as the substitute for sinful mankind. Connected to him by faith, you have new perspective and new motivation for living a Christian life.

“Christ” is not the family name of Jesus. It is a title. The Greek word “Christ” and the Hebrew word “Messiah” both mean the same thing: “The Anointed One.” Anointing was the practice of pouring liquid over the head of someone to signify selection for some special task. When the Lord had someone anointed, he also poured his Spirit over them. It was the fulfillment of promises made over centuries.

From eternity, Jesus has been God, holy and majestic. When we look tenderly at the holy infant, we are looking at the same God who once told the prophet Moses, “No one may see me and live.” Yet, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds all saw their holy God and survived. How? God became human, hiding his glory within flesh, so that he could come to us without instilling fear or dread.

A famous theologian once said, “We are to think of the Lord’s birth, where the Word became flesh, not as a past event which we recall, but as a present reality on which we gaze.” It’s not that Christ the Savior was born. It’s that Christ the Savior is born.

Families cherish their Christmas traditions. Year after year, they decorate the tree with the same ornaments, play the same music, bake the same Christmas cookies. Without asking, family members know when they will open presents. If you try to change your family’s Christmas traditions, you might be in trouble! When it comes to family Christmases, people generally don’t like things to change.

Because our celebration of Christmas has so many unchanging traditions, we might miss the fact that the birth of Christ the Savior meant radical change for the world. Would the change be an improvement or another step in decline? The angels answer the question. They don’t sing “Watch out for impending doom!” They sing “glory” and “peace,” praising God with alleluias!

Emmanuel is an important person. “Emmanuel” means “God with us.” It was a special name given to Jesus already 700 years before he was born. Who is with us when Jesus is with us? God himself. God became a human being in a special way, becoming truly human but remaining God.

God is still with us. We encounter him in a special way when we gather with two or three others in worship. He is so near to us that the thrill of anticipation is almost unbearable. Let it wash over you as you celebrate Christmas this week.

The Messiah is an important person. “Messiah” is the same word as “Christ” or “Anointed One.” He is someone who has been anticipated for a long time. Now we look at a time when his arrival is imminent!

The historic Christian Church gave Latin titles to each Sunday. They titled the Third Sunday in Advent “Gaudete,” which means “Rejoice!” As we reach the midway point of Advent, we ask Christ to empower us to do just that. We rejoice because God fulfills all his promises in Jesus.

The judge is an important person. You stand when he enters the courtroom. What he says must be obeyed. If you are the one on trial, his determinations make a big difference in how your life will continue.

You might be quite nervous if the judge is about to arrive. John invited people to turn their nervousness to repentance. He says that the arrival of the Judge is imminent, and the kingdom of heaven is near! You are invited to hear John, repent, and believe the good news of the coming Savior.

The Church has marked the passing of yet another Church Year, waiting for its Lord to return. How long will we have to wait and watch for Jesus to return? We do not know. Jesus said he would return soon. However, the definition of “soon” for the One who has no beginning or end will naturally differ from ours. Whenever Jesus returns, it will take us by surprise. So, how do believers avoid growing lethargic? How do we remain ready and watchful for Christ’s return? Our Savior points us to his Scriptures.

The promises Jesus has made us this past year—promises that give us comfort and hope and purpose—were not merely spoken. Jesus ensured those promises were written down in Scripture. As we see in Scripture all the promises that Christ has fulfilled, there is discernable effect. The Spirit creates within us an eager anticipation regarding the Scriptural promises that are as-of-yet unfilled. While we cannot be certain when the day of fulfillment will come, we are completely confident of what that day will bring. No matter how many years we must mark, we watch with eager anticipation, and we pray, “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).