“Joy to the world, the Lord has come! Let earth receive her KING! Let every heart prepare Him room…and heaven and nature sing!” We sing these words, but do we feel the joy? Is every heart prepared to give Him room…do we know with every fiber of our being that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Sent at a time when sin was as black as could be, Jesus…like Superman…”was sent to earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men.”
In the fantasy story of Superman, most people had no problem believing in his powers to save and protect…except for the evildoers… who were out to destroy Him. Superman though had one flaw: He could be destroyed…by a substance called Kryptonite. The only way Superman could survive was for him to stay away from this firey green substance that drained his mind, weakened his body and caused him to lose his immortal powers…This sounds a lot like the effects sin has on mankind, doesn’t it?
From the beginning of life, sin has had a grip on the souls of man and the only salvation for any of us lies in our acceptance of one truth: Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life…and no man cometh unto the Father, but by Him. Sin is our Kryptonite; it weakens our spirit, confuses our thoughts and, if allowed to, destroys the only chance we have at eternal life. We hear a lot about super heroes today, but the only true super power that exists is God…and the only way to Him is through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.
This month I am reading the book of Luke and invite you to join me. Luke has 24 chapters, one for each day leading up to Christmas. Luke leads us chronologically through the events of Jesus birth and His ministry. In chapter one he tells us how the angels brought news of the coming birth of John the Baptist…then Jesus, six months later.
Chapter two is known as ‘the Christmas story.’ It starts out with the law that every person is to be taxed and the journey Mary and Joseph made to Bethlehem where in Luke 2:7 …she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
The angels then shared the good news with the shepherds who hurried to see for themselves this savior, “which is Christ the Lord.” Also in chapter two we are told of Jesus circumcision at eight days old… then a trip to Jerusalem with his parents when he was twelve years old.
Chapter three finds John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus and His ministry to the world. He is described as “the voice of one crying in the wilderness.” Then Jesus Himself shows up to be baptized. At thirty years old He begins His ministry. The remainder of chapter three gives the list of all Jesus’ ancestors all the way back to Adam.
Chapter four, which I read today, tells how Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness for forty days and how He overcame these temptations. He developed a following throught the region…then He returned to His hometown of Nazareth and spoke in the temple there. But the people there, knowing He was the son of Mary and Joseph the carpenter, wanted nothing to do with His teachings. They led Him to the edge of the hill and was about to throw Him off when He escaped and went into a city of Galilee.
The people of Galilee were astonished by the power of Jesus’ words and His ability to cast out demons and they demanded that He stay with them, but He told them in verse 43: “I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore am I sent.”
As I read today, I couldn’t help but see the comparison of those times to our present day circumstances. Today we have many who are willing to hear the Word of God, but so many that are ready to cast Him out of the city and do their own thing. Let us be much in prayer as we prepare for Christmas that every heart might prepare Him room. May we all rejoice as the angels did and the reminder of His birth bring a new abundance of joy to the world!
