It is the night—Our Salvation Has Come!
“The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
You will fear disaster no more.
In that day it will be said to Jerusalem:
‘Do not be afraid, O Zion;
Do not let your hands fall limp.
The LORD your God is in your midst,
A victorious warrior.
(The Book of Zephaniah 3: 15b-17 NASB)
- He will exult over you with joy,
- He will be quiet in His love,
- He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.”
- Jesus is never late!
Please allow us to re-read this statement of truth: JESUS IS NEVER LATE!
- Jesus is always right beside us!
Again, please allow us to re-read this statement of truth: JESUS IS ALWAYS RIGHT BESIDE US!
- Jesus is never distracted!
Yes, we know. Re-read. JESUS IS NEVER DISTRACTED!
Despite when we call out to Him, despite where we are in our lives, & despite the distance away from Jesus we seem to be—JESUS’ TIMING IS ALWAYS PERFECT!
There is a popular Christmas song, one that will be sung across the world this Advent season. Please sing the words with me as we are reminded of our response as we ponder exactly what GOD DID WHEN HE SENT HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON!
“O holy night, the stars are brightly shining,
“O holy night”
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth;
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
‘Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees, Oh hear the angel voices!
O night divine! O night when Christ was born.
O night, O holy night, O night divine.”
“The LORD your God is in your midst,
A victorious warrior.
(The Book of Zephaniah 3: 17 NASB)
- He will exult over you with joy,
- He will be quiet in His love,
- He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.”
In His amazing timing, our Lord provided for our greatest need & because He did, we are able to fall to our knees and rejoice.
- When we are down on our knees, He is there to offer His mercy.
- When we call out to Him, He is there to help us through to the other side.
- When we need comforted, He is there to bring us His peace.
- When we have reason to rejoice, He is there, joyfully, abiding within us.
- When we come to realize how we need Him as Savior, He is there, our only HOPE!
“There they crucified Him, and with Him two other men, one on either side,
(The Gospel According to John 19: 18 NASB)
and Jesus in between.”
During the 2023 Advent Season, I have encountered the Nicene Creed, a statement of faith written thousands of years ago in 325 A.D., the statement that has become the Christian statement of faith.
Thus, please read with me the opening words of this statement, words that if you believe as I, one that has become our statement of faith—
“I believe in one God, the Father Almighty,
Nicene Creed,
Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and
invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God;
begotten of the Father before all worlds;
God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God;
begotten, not made, being of one substance with the
Father;
by whom all things were made.
Who, for us men and for our salvation,
came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary,
and was made man; . . .”
On the night when Joseph brought his expectant betrothed to Bethlehem, they were not met at the city’s entrance with any fanfare, hype, or prestige. They were a young, poor couple who needed nothing more than a safe, dry place to lay their heads. While the city was crowded with thousands of people who came for the sole purpose of being counted in the required census, probably, no one really noticed Mary and Joseph on that particular night.
- Almighty God was totally aware of what HE was about to do that night in the stable.
- Jehovah God was faithfully cognizant of how HE would bring salvation to the world.
- Our Father in heaven knew with assurance how the BABY BORN would pierce and prick all hearts.
That night, when God came to dwell among us, the long-awaited Messiah had arrived!!!
- The shepherds knew it.
- The host of angels knew it.
- Mary knew it.
- Joseph knew it.
- When the magi from the east arrived two years later, they knew it also to be true.
SALVATION HAD COME TO EARTH!
As these days marched forward during The Season of Advent, in anticipation, we come to this day, the Eve of Christmas. It becomes amazingly clear what we (humanity) are to believe & WHO WE ARE TO RECEIVE!
Isaiah, The prophet of God wrote these words recorded in the Bible, God’s Holy Word given to us—
“And it will be said in that day,
(The Book of Isaiah 25: 9 NASB)
‘Behold, this is our God for whom we
have waited that He might save us.
This is the LORD for whom we have
waited;
Let us rejoice and be glad in
His salvation.”