Isaiah 61:1-3 + Luke 1:46-55 | God's Redemption in Christmas

May the message of redemption that we find in Jesus
be more than hopeful words to you this Christmas.

May you remember the mode of delivery
by which He brought this message,
coming not in power and fearsome majesty
but walking among His people as a peer.

Let this picture of Jesus as a Redeemer of men among men
be greater than words of nostalgia and warmth.

May you know the reality of redemption offered through Christ
as its eternal significance overshadows
the things of this life that are temporal and fleeting.

May you be shaped by the heart of Jesus our helper,
may you rejoice in the hope He brings,
and may you know the everlasting gladness
found in knowing the Healer of our souls.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift up His countenance to you and give you peace.

Isaiah 9:6-7 + Philippians 2:6-7 | God's Mercy in Christmas

May God’s mercy on display in the arrival of our King Jesus
be a comfort to you this Christmas season.

With fresh eyes may you see the bewildering sight
of the King of kings arriving in a manger.

May His choice of humility highlight His majesty in your eyes,
may His choice of meekness reveal to you His strength,
and may His choice of mercy in coming near to save us
heighten your love for Him.

May the mercy of our God seen in the Christmas story be a signpost to you,
beckoning you ever deeper into trusting Christ your King.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift up His countenance to you and give you peace.

Luke 2:8-20 | God's Glory in Christmas

May you find joy in the glory of Christ this Advent season.

May the unique simplicity of this year’s Christmas celebrations
be an opportunity for you to revisit once again
the simplicity of God’s glory that we see
in the story of Jesus’ birth.

May the absence of grandiosity in the gatherings
this season typically brings
allow you to ponder the absence
of pageantry in the arrival of the One
to whom this season’s glory belongs.

May the wonder of God’s glorious declaration
to such an inglorious audience as the shepherds
fill you with gratitude as you remember
that although we certainly don’t deserve it,
the good news of Christ’s arrival is for you as well.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift up His countenance to you and give you peace