The joy God promises at Christmas, and for all of life, is not sentimental or circumstantial, but is rooted in the very joy of God Himself, is received as a gift by humble faith, and is realized more and more in our lives through our union with Jesus Christ.

We long for peace, but the world around us, and often within us, feels anything but peaceful. Isaiah and Luke show us that peace is not something we achieve on our own, but something God gives us as a gift of grace. It’s a peace promised to those in darkness, fulfilled at Jesus’ birth, purchased at the cross, and experienced by all who trust the Prince of Peace.

Christmas is the story of hope. This is not mere wishful thinking, but the rock-solid certainty that God will do what He has promised. For nothing will be impossible with God. Our passages in Genesis 3 and Luke 1 show us that God’s promise of hope is made in the midst of judgment, is fulfilled in the most unlikely way, and can be utterly trusted because it rests on His unbreakable word.

In the third chapter of John’s Gospel we encounter a conversation between Nicodemus, a highly regarded Pharisee, and Jesus. In this conversation, Nicodemus encounters the truths of the gospel: the good news of God’s provision of his only Son for the salvation of the world. But in order to understand this good news, we must know three things: 1. What Do We Need?; 2. How Do We Get It?; 3. Why Would Anyone Reject It?

Daniel 12 brings the visions of the book to their lose by revealing what Jesus will do for His people at the time of the end. He will sustain us through the fiercest storms of tribulation, raise us from the dead in glory, and bring us safely into His everlasting kingdom. Until then, we, like Daniel, are called to “go our way”, living in faithful obedience to Christ inthe ordinary as we wait for His return to make all things new.

Daniel 11 is part of the larger context of chapters 10-12, which is the final vision God reveals to Daniel regarding the future of His covenant people. The details of this chapter are complicated, but the overarching message is clear. The Lord our God reigns over all the kings and kingdoms of this world, now and forever. This gives us the perspective we need as he refines us as his people and unfolds his perfect plan.

In this prelude to the final vision Daniel is called not to fear, and he can do so in light of God’s holiness, God’s heart, and God’s hidden hand.

Our text comes right after Daniel’s great prayer of confession. In response, the Lord sends Gabriel to assure him of God’s great care, His great plan, and the workings of His plan for His people. Though the details of this vision may puzzle us, the message is clear: trials will come, but God remains in control and will surely bring His people to final victory.

Daniel’s prayer models for us how we ought to pray for God’s gracious renewal in our lives, both individually and corporately as a the Church, the Body of Christ.

Last week we ended on an encouraging note as we considered the Son of Man reigning from His throne. It's a cosmic glimpse of an eternal reign! While Daniel 8 also points to God's sovereignty, it does so in a much more somber tone by showing us the trials and diffifculties that lie ahead for the church. In doing so, we see that even through dark times we must trust in God's sovereignty - for it is our loving God who hold the future.