Read Matthew 9:1-7. Jesus wants to be our strength. What power and authority does Jesus demonstrate in today’s reading?
Jesus’ power of forgiveness is brought to us in God’s Word. That very same word HAS the power to transform our lives.
Say a prayer, asking God to keep you in the Word, so that your life may have the strength of a mighty oak tree.
Read Luke 2:13-14 and Revelation 5:11-12. Jesus, God the Father’s Son, gives us a garment of praise rather than a spirit of despair.
Praise of God is a characteristic of children of God because our robe of despair has been exchanged for Jesus’ robe of righteousness.
The act of praising God seems to wipe away despair and sadness.
Ask God to show you when and where He wants you to praise Him, wiping away despair.
Read Luke 7:11-15. Jesus, the Messiah, brings comfort and gladness. In the Luke 7 reading, Jesus’ heart went out to the widow and he comforted her with words of kindness and the miracle of raising her dead son.
Christmas season is a time of joy, but for many people, it’s a time of darkness and loneliness.
What can you do this season to know Jesus’ comfort?
How might you bring His comfort to others?
Read 2 Corinthians 8:9 and Romans 8:18-21. Jesus was sent to “proclaim freedom to the captives.”
We are a part of the creation of God that has fallen into the bondage of sin, death, and decay. As a captive there is nothing we can do to bring about our freedom. That work was given to Jesus.
Today, how can the reality that as a child of God you are freed from sin, death, and decay effect your words and actions?
Read Romans 12:3 and John 13:2-5. Jesus, the Messiah, was anointed to bring good news to the poor.
What kind of poverty is referred to in Romans 12:3 and how does Jesus demonstrate “poverty” in John 13?
How does the Romans’ passage show us that our faith impacts how we see ourselves and act toward others?
This Christmas season, how is your faith calling you to be “poor?”
Read Luke 1:19; Luke 2:10, and Luke 8:1. Isaiah tells us that Jesus was sent to “preach good news to the poor.”
From today’s reading, what gave Gabriel the angel the authority to speak the good news of Jesus’ coming?
What gives you authority to speak the good news?
Would you say that Jesus haphazardly proclaimed the good news of God’s Kingdom or was he unswervingly focused on it?
Cite one story from Jesus’ life that affirms your answer. What can you take away from this reflection for your life?