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December 24

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SINGING OF REDEMPTION ON CHRISTMAS EVE

From: December 24, 2023

“And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb” (Revelation 15:3 NLT).

The Apostle John saw a gathering of believers in heaven who had been faithful to the Lord, enduring the persecution of the beast during the tribulation, without worshiping his image nor taking his mark. John heard them singing a song, which he recognized as the song of Moses and of the Lamb. What kind of song was this?

Perhaps the song’s title was an expression of the unity of both the Old Testament, as signified by Moses, and the New Testament, as signified by the Lamb. Certainly, Moses was seen as a redeemer of the people of Israel, who led them out of Egyptian bondage. His life foreshadowed that of the Messiah, the Lamb of God who would redeem His people out from bondage to sin. Moses actually wrote a song of God’s redemption, which he and the Israelites sang together on the shore of the Red Sea after the Lord had parted the waters for them to cross (See Exodus 15).

John recorded the lyrics to the song that he heard the saints in heaven sing. Like the song of Moses, it is also a song of God’s redemption. Yet, the words point to a “King of the nations,” to whom all nations will one day come and worship. This King is the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.

As we consider the Lamb of God born in a manger on this Christmas Eve, let us join the saints in heaven in singing of our Redeemer!

PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for Jesus, the Lamb of God. As we gather today with family and friends, help us to keep Jesus at the center of our celebration. For our Redeemer lives and we invite Him to sit at the head of our supper table today. Our Redeemer lives and we will sing of Him on this Christmas Eve! In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Come quickly, Lord, and answer me” (Psalm 143:7 NLT).

From: December 24, 2022

ADVENT MEANS COMING

O how the psalmist David cried out to the Lord! He held nothing back in his prayers. Like a child insistently crying for his mother’s attention, David made his complaint known to the Lord. He would not be content until the Lord answered.

Have you seen a child in such a state? Nothing will do but his own mother’s touch. Even though another family member tries to comfort the child, his wailing grows more persistent. This is how David prayed for the Lord to “come quickly.”

On this Christmas Eve we remember that the Lord has come. Yet, we also look with confident expectation for Him to come again. As the apostle John closed his Revelation of Jesus Christ, he heard the Savior say, “Surely I come quickly,” to which he replied, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).

PRAYER: Dear Father, we give thanks for the many blessings You have bestowed on us this day. Above all, we give thanks for the gift of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. Stretch forth Your hand to change hearts as we declare Your gospel. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Even those from afar shall come and build the temple of the Lord. Then you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you” (Zechariah 6:15 NKJV).

From: December 24, 2021

MAGI CAME FROM AFAR

The prophet Zechariah prophesied that the Lord of Hosts would send Messiah to them. He would be both priest and king (v.13) and would build the temple. Even “those from afar,” meaning the Gentiles, would come and be part of building the temple under His authority.
 
This prophecy was fulfilled in the coming of Christ Jesus, who is the long awaited Messiah. After His birth, Magi came from the East, bringing Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They had come “from afar” to see the one born King of the Jews. They were Gentiles, probably from Persia, who had access to the Hebrew Scriptures and therefore knew of the Scripture that prophesied of a star to announce the Messiah: “A Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Num. 24:17). They came from afar following the Star of Bethlehem to see the Messiah.
 
As Zechariah prophesied, so the apostle John affirmed: “God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him”(1 John 4:9). He is building His Temple, which is the Church. And He is drawing those both near and afar, both Jew and Gentile, to come and be built into God’s House, His holy temple (See 1 Cor. 3:9-11, 16).
 
The apostle Peter gave us the divine seal on Zechariah’s prophecy as being fulfilled in Christ when he said, “For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:39).
 
Are you still afar off from God? Do you hear His call to come near today?
 
PRAYER: Dear Father, today as we prepare to be with family on this Christmas Eve, we remember that You have kept Your promise by sending Your Son, Jesus, to us. Strengthen us to tell this story to those both near and afar, until You come to take us home. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Even those from afar shall come and build the temple of the Lord. Then you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you” (Zechariah 6:15 NKJV).

From: December 24, 2020

GOD SENT HIS SON

The prophet Zechariah prophesied that the Lord of Hosts would send Messiah to them. He would be both priest and king (v.13) and would build the temple. Even “those from afar,” meaning the Gentiles, would come and be part of building the temple under His authority.
 
This prophecy was fulfilled in the coming of Christ Jesus, who is the long awaited Messiah. After His birth, wisemen came from the East, bringing Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They had come “from afar” to see the one born King of the Jews. They were Gentiles, probably from Persia, who had access to the Hebrew Scriptures and therefore knew of the Scripture that prophesied of a star to announce the Messiah: “A Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Num. 24:17). They came from afar following the Star of Bethlehem to see the Messiah.
 
As Zechariah prophesied, so the apostle John affirmed: “God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him”(1 John 4:9). He is building His Temple, which is the Church. And He is drawing those both near and afar, both Jew and Gentile, to come and be built into God’s House, His holy temple (See 1 Cor. 3:9-11, 16).
 
PRAYER: Dear Father, today as we prepare to be with family on this Christmas Eve, we remember that You have kept Your promise by sending You Son, Jesus, to us. Strengthen us to tell this story to our children and our children’s children, until You come to take us home. In Jesus’ name, amen.

“And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb” (Revelation 15:3 NLT).

From: December 24, 2019

SINGING OF REDEMPTION ON CHRISTMAS EVE

The Apostle John saw a gathering of believers in heaven who had been faithful to the Lord, enduring the persecution of the Beast during the tribulation, without worshiping his image nor taking his mark. John heard them singing a song, which he recognized as the song of Moses and of the Lamb. What kind of song was this?
 
Perhaps the song’s title was an expression of the unity of both the Old Testament, as signified by Moses, and the New Testament, as signified by the Lamb. Certainly, Moses was seen as a redeemer of the people of Israel, who led them out of Egyptian bondage. His life foreshadowed that of the Messiah, the Lamb of God who would redeem His people out from bondage to sin. Moses actually wrote a song of God’s redemption, which he and the Israelites sang together on the shore of the Red Sea after the Lord had parted the waters for them to cross (See Exodus 15).
 
John recorded the lyrics to the song that he heard the saints in heaven sing. Like the song of Moses, it is also a song of God’s redemption. Yet, the words point to a “King of the nations,” to whom all nations will one day come and worship. This King is the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
 
As we consider the Lamb of God born in a manger on this Christmas Eve, let us join the saints in heaven in singing of our Redeemer!
 
PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for Jesus, the Lamb of God. As we gather today with family and friends, help us to keep Jesus at the center of our celebration. For our Redeemer lives and we invite Him to sit at the head of our supper table today. Our Redeemer lives and we will sing of Him on this Christmas Eve! In Jesus’ name, amen.

“Come quickly, Lord, and answer me” (Psalm 143:7 NLT).

From: December 24, 2018

ADVENT MEANS COMING
O how the psalmist David cried out to the Lord! He held nothing back in his prayers. Like a child insistently crying for his mother’s attention, David made his complaint known to the Lord. He would not be content until the Lord answered.
 
Have you seen a child in such a state? Nothing will do but his own mother’s touch. Even though another family member tries to comfort the child, his wailing grows more persistent. This is how David prayed for the Lord to “come quickly.”
 
On this Christmas Eve we remember that the Lord has come. Yet, we also look for Him to come again. As the apostle John closed the Revelation of Jesus Christ, he heard the Savior say, “Surely I come quickly,” to which he replied, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20).

“Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake! For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble” (Psalm 143:11 NKJV).

From: December 24, 2017

David asked the Lord for revival and rescue. He did not try and make the case that he had earned or deserved it. But rather, that the Lord should do it for the sake of His own name and righteousness. In other words, he prayed, “Lord revive me because I call on Your name. Rescue me because it shows Your righteousness.”
 
You may feel unworthy and beyond redemption. You may feel you must put things in order before coming to the Lord. But you couldn’t be more wrong. Stop focusing on your own shortcomings and inadequacies, instead focus on the character and adequacy of God. Your revival and rescue come out of God’s name and righteousness, not your own. Pray according to the character of the Lord.
 
Upon whose name shall we call? The name of Jesus (Acts 4:12). And upon whose righteousness shall we depend? Christ’s righteousness (Rom. 3:22).

“And they were singing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb” (Revelation 15:3 ESV)

From: December 24, 2016

Those who will come to faith in Jesus as the Messiah during the tribulation will sing a song of Moses and a song of the Lamb. These are Messianic Jews. The song of Moses may refer to the song that the Israelites sang in Exodus 15, a song of deliverance from Egypt. However, now they have believed in the Messiah of whom Moses was only a type. So, they also sing a song of the Lamb, celebrating the One who is both Savior and King. The ones singing this song of Moses and of the Lamb are the focus of the Great Tribulation. For while the seven years of tribulation are a time of judgment, they are also a time of great revival among the Jews who finally embrace Jesus as the Lamb of God. For some of us, the only way to get us to consider faith in Jesus, is to go through a time of tribulation. Many of us have to hit bottom before we will ever look up.

“Yes, He shall build the temple of the Lord. He shall bear the glory, And shall sit and rule on His throne; So He shall be a priest on His throne,
And the counsel of peace shall be between them both” (Zechariah 6:13 NKJV)

From: December 24, 2015

Who is this person that would fulfill Zechariah’s prophecy written in 520 BC? Here are some of the qualifications on his resume:
1) Will build the temple
2) Will receive the glory that belongs to God
3) Will be the king
4) Will be the high priest
5) Will unite the offices of king and priest
Clue: He was born in a Bethlehem stable around 520 years after this prophecy… (More clues: His temple is still being built and He is both the Cornerstone and the Capstone. He receives God’s glory because He is the Word made flesh. The offices of prophet, priest and king have always foreshadowed His fulfillment.) Who is He?

“The angel replied, ‘These are the four spirits of heaven who stand before the Lord of all the earth. They are going out to do his work'” (Zechariah 6:5 NLT)

From: December 24, 2014

The vision that God gave the prophet Zechariah has a striking similarity to the one He gave John in the Revelation. Here, the “four spirits” and their chariots are similar to the four horsemen of the apocalypse (Rev. 6). In Zechariah, the four chariots are connected to the four directions of the compass, as God sent them out to “patrol the earth” and administer His justice on the nations. There are many interpretations as to the meaning of these four chariots, yet one thing is clear. They “stand before the Lord” and they go out to “do His work.” God is not a passive observer, nor an absentee landlord of His creation. He is ever-vigilant and active in His sovereignty. And He is not silent. He has revealed His plans to His people. We may not fully understand the details, but we can clearly see the overall arc of the story the Divine Author is writing. One day, the Son of God will judge the living and the dead and all creation will bow to His eternal reign. The rebellion will end and Christ will reign.