As Christmas is almost upon us and the busyness just seems to increase no matter how hard we try to contain the schedule, we hope you will take just a few minutes here to settle down and settle in, to decompress, to breathe, and as we hope for you with each episode, that you hear God’s voice speaking as only He can.

Our theme this month is Immanuel—God with Us. This week, we will focus on His gift of newness. You know, regardless of how anything in this life ends, something new has to come to take up the space and time left by the exit of the old. So, in many ways, newness is inevitable, like change, but we can choose what we do with the new when it comes. Do we tend to apply old patterns to a new setting or do we choose to change? Do we bring old attitudes into the new space or do we look for what God wants to do in us and for us?

In thinking of the biblical Christmas story, let’s look at how God didn’t do things as the people expected or even wanted. He brought His new His way.

The Jewish people were expecting a Messiah that would come as a warrior, riding a white horse, wielding a sword to fight and free them from the oppression and bondage of the Romans and evil leaders like Herod. But God had a very different plan. And that is exactly why so many in that day missed it, just like so many today miss it.

Did God send Christ as a warrior on a white horse to conquer men? No, He was delivered to the world in a horse trough to conquer the hearts of all. Even the fact that there was no room for Jesus in a home is a metaphor for how the world at large has always received Him.

Did God send Jesus for the strong, powerful, and those who dominated the world’s systems? No, for the weak, the humble, and the gentle. In fact, the announcement of Christ’s birth from the angels was not to soldiers in the fortress, but to shepherds in the field.

Did God send Christ to be born to the greatest king and queen? No, to an unassuming peasant couple named Joseph and Mary. God was clearly looking for character, not celebrity. The same is true today.

Did God send Jesus where He would receive the finest medical care in the land? No, He was born with just His mom and dad there. Mary had to wrap him up with torn pieces from her clothing to clothe Him and keep Him warm.

But did Jesus fulfill every prophesy? Yes. Over 1000, some that had been made as early as 800 years before His birth.

Did Christ fulfill His mission? Yes. We are free to pursue a relationship with the Father because of the completed work of the Son.

Did Jesus change the world? For some, no. But the very important question as we approach Christmas is, has He changed your world? That’s the paradox of the Gospel—He changes the world, if we choose for Him to.

God’s new is always ready. Making things new is what He does. Helping the old to pass away and the new to come … one heart at a time.

Listen to The Message version of 2 Corinthians 5:17:

Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins.

This Christmas, you can choose new, if you choose Christ.

Let’s pray: “Immanuel, Lord Jesus, thank You that You didn’t come and do what the world was expecting … and You still don’t. Thank You for doing whatever it took to make life new. To make us right with God. Help me this Christmas to choose new, as I choose You. As above, so below.”