Nativity
‘She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins’
(Matthew 1:21).
The name ‘Jesus’ is the same in Greek as the name ‘Joshua’ in Hebrew. The name means, ‘the Lord saves’.
Jesus is the Son of God himself, and his salvation is from our sin and guilt, the real enemies of the human race.
It is not surprising that his Christmas advent is greeted with such joy and jubilation.
Think of the wonderful hymns written to celebrate it.
And our gift-giving is simply a reminder that Jesus is the greatest gift of all.
Christmas can be a hard time, especially for those whose families are torn apart and for those who are alone.
But what we all need to remember is that when we trust in Jesus, we are never alone, for he is with us always.
Question for thought: Do you enjoy Christmas? Why?
We bring before you Heavenly Father, the many peoples who have had to leave their homeland
due to war or persecution and are now refugees. May they find peace and security here in Australia
as they struggle to cope with speaking English, but above all may they find peace with you through Jesus. AMEN.