WEEK 1: LOOK TO THE LIGHT / DAY 3: God's Family
By Pastor Courtney Hall (Tue. Nov. 30, 2021)
God sent His Son through the lineage of Abraham & His covenant people Israel in order that through that one nation all nations on earth could be blessed . In Jesus the Christ, all people from the many diverse “tribes & tongues” of earth are drawn into the ONE FAMILY of God (cf. John 1:11-13).
We often think of Christmastime as a family time, a season for gathering with loved ones for special celebration. And that’s a precious opportunity well worth observing. But Christmas is also an opportune time to remember that the arrival of Jesus in our world promoted angelic heralds of “peace on earth, goodwill toward people” (Luke 2:14). As we PREPARE WITH PURPOSE this Advent season, let’s show love not just to our biological family members but also to ALL the family of humanity, and especially to those people whom we might find hardest to love.
God’s prophecy promised that through the Messiah all the earth would be blessed (Genesis 22:18). And the Messiah, Jesus, taught His followers to “love your enemies [&] pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven…. If you love only your [own] family, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:44-48) Thankfully, this kind of love, possible only through God, has been made available to us through the coming of Christ. Because “God so loved the world…He gave His only begotten Son” in order to save us (John 3:16) into a new & living way (Hebrews 10:20) of showing His love to others (John 13:34; 1 John 4:19).
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SCRIPTURE READING: Genesis 22:18
“In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice." (Compare also Genesis 12:3; Matthew 1:1; Romans 9:5)
