"She will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21 NKJV)Even before Jesus was born, His mission was clear. The angel told Joseph what the Child's name would be and why: Jesus, because He would save His people from their sins. The name Jesus means "Jehovah saves" or "the Lord saves."We celebrate the Baby in the manger because w...

"And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn" (Luke 2:7 NKJV)The inn had no room for the Son of God. The Creator of the universe was born in a stable because the inn could not accommodate Him. But this wasn't an accident - it was part of God's plan to show that Jesus came for the humble and ou...

"Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this child" (Luke 2:17 NKJV)The shepherds were given a story, and they understood it was meant to be shared. After encountering Christ, they became the first evangelists. God has given us a story as well - the gift of our testimony.I remember pastoring a woman in North Carolina who went through multiple h...

"But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Luke 2:19 NKJV)While the shepherds immediately shared what they had experienced, Mary had a different response. She treasured all these events in her heart, quietly pondering their meaning. Luke the historian asked Mary about these details, and several times it says Mary "treasured these things in her heart."That word "pondered" mean...

"Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him" (Matthew 2:2 NKJV)The wise men traveled great distances and faced significant challenges to find Jesus, and when they found Him, they worshiped. It took them about three months to get from Persia to Bethlehem. This required great financial sacrifice, but they were searching.These wi...