A JESSE TREE

FAMILY ADVENT GUIDE

compiled by melissa mailly

I put together this Advent devotional for our family over the course of several years. Its pieced together from many sources and other Advent/Jesse Tree devotionals. What I wanted our Advent time to focus on was the Big Picture how Christs coming as a baby was the fulfillment of many promises throughout the Old Testament and the ultimate culmination of Gods plan to redeem a people of His own choosing. I hoped to have each days devotional tie into this truth and for our Advent celebrations to be a path, clearly leading, piece by piece, to the culmination of Christs birth in Bethlehem the foreshadowed One, the promised One. I didnt make one devotional for each day of Advent, knowing that there would be days in our busy family where we might not get to it, and to avoid falling behind. Some days have quite a lot of notes, some of which are appropriate for little children, some of which are meant for older kids and parents. As I said, most of these are gleaned from other sources. I tried to include songs that might fit in with each days devotion, but many times we decide to focus on learning one or two Christmas hymns each Advent season and sing that song(s) at each devotional time. The only resource I listed besides the Bible is The Big Picture Story Bible, which helps kids understand that Jesus is our Forever King who been calling His people through all of history. A recording of Handels Messiah and a hymnal would also be useful. Regarding the ornaments: I have included the symbols that I think make sense for each days topic, but there are many options there! The way we made the ornaments was very simple. I bought flat wooden discs from the craft store (some round, oval, square & rectangular) and glued printed images onto them. I found clipart images online or used images from other Jesse Tree resources. Many are in black and white and your kids can color them. Then I covered the ornaments with a couple layers of Mod Podge and hot-glued ribbons to the back as hangers. We use a large branch from our yard to hang the ornaments on, but you can use a small Christmas tree, a garland, or whatever works for your family. I hope this is helpful for you in your Advent celebrations!

FIRST WEEK OF ADVENT

#1 JESSE TREE: The Messiah will Come from David SYMBOL: SHOOT/STUMP SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 11:1-10, Isaiah 4:10, I Samuel 16:1-13, Rev. 5:5 SONG(S): O Come O Come Emmanuel, Lo, How a Rose Eer Blooming NOTES: The Messiah will grow as a shoot (or branch) from the stump of Davids dynasty (stump= remnant of Judah after Babylonian exile). Jesse is the father of David, beginning the line of descendents that will lead to Jesus, the Messiah. What is a Jesse Tree? The symbols tell the story of Gods redemptive plan for His people. Through the ornaments of the Jesse Tree, the powerful message of Advent is revealed in a very vivid way; that the history of the Old Testament sets the stage for the drama of Christs birth. It reminds us of all those faithful saints who waited hundreds of years for the Promised One to appear. All this helps us prepare our own hearts and lives for Christs coming on Christmas and for His coming again. Like us, Jesus was born with parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. In fact, Jesus family line stretched all the way back to King David (and even to Abraham and Adam!). Matthew (in Matt. 1:1-17) makes a point of showing us who Jesus family is because of the words of God in the Book of Isaiah that spoke of Jesus as a shoot from the stump of Jesse. God has a plan for everything. Long before Jesus was born lived a man named Jesse. Jesse had seven sons; the youngest was named David. When David grew up, he became a great king of Israel. God had a plan for Jesse and for his son David, even before they were born. Jesus was also part of Jesse and David's family tree, born many, many years after David. People waited a long time for the birth of the savior. The season of Advent is a season of waiting for us, too. We wait for Christmas, the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus. It is hard to be patient, especially when we are waiting for something wonderful like Christmas! But it is important to learn to be patient, and to trust that God has a plan for us, too. Have you ever watched a gardener working with her plants? Or have you ever picked up a piece of grass or a plant and seen the roots? Usually they are hidden but they are very important to the life of a plant or tree. Often we speak of our ancestors as our family roots. Jesus had family roots as well, that were hidden in the soil of the Old Testament, which Matthew uproots to shows us. Why are Jesus family roots important? Why does it matter that his line stretched back to King David, Abraham, and even Adam?

#2 CREATION & MANS SPECIAL PLACE: Man in Gods Image has Dominion SYMBOL: EARTH

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 1-2 SONG(S): All Creatures Of Our God and King NOTES: People are special in all of Gods creation because we are made in Gods image, given dominion over and responsibility for the earth, we are Gods representatives and we have a special relationship with God. Originally, Creation was perfect, beautiful, peaceful and uncorrupted. Adam and Eve had a right relationship with God and there was NO SIN!

#3 THE FALL & PROMISE OF A SAVIOR: Enmity Between The Seed & Satan SYMBOL: HER SEED TREE SCRIPTURE: Genesis 3, esp. verse 15, I Cor. 15:21-22 SONG(S): Handels Messiah #46, Since by Man Came Death NOTES: Because God cant allow any sin to go uncorrected he had to tell Adam and Eve to leave Eden. But God had a future plan to correct their wrong. One of Eves descendants, Jesus, would someday conquer death and put it firmly under his heel. God gave a promise of a savior and of redemption, but as we will see, the fulfillment of that promise took a very, very long time. As we wait from the beginning of Advent until Christmas, remind your children how long the people of God had to wait for the promised Messiah! #4 NOAH: God Saves a Faithful Remnant SYMBOL: ARK SCRIPTURE: Genesis 6:4 9:17 SONG(S): Trust and Obey, Who Built the Ark? NOTES: Did Noah & his family obey God? What would have happened to them if they had not obeyed? Protection results from obedience. What did Noah do when they left the ark? (offered a sacrifice in worship). We should be thankful to the Lord for our salvation. When the flood was over and Noah and his family were safely on dry ground, God made a covenant, or a promise, with Noah. God promised not to send another flood that would destroy the world. As a sign of this promise, God put a rainbow in the sky. Even in a sinful world, God still loves us and keeps his promises.

#5 ABRAHAM: All Nations are Blessed SYMBOL: STARS SCRIPTURE: Genesis 12:1-4, Genesis 15

SONG(S): Father Abraham NOTES: Read Part 4 in The Big Picture Story Bible. God was going to bless all the peoples of the earth through Abraham, because through him would come the Messiah, Jesus. What does it mean that Abraham believed God or that he had faith in God (Knowledge that creates conviction: belief strong enough to cause action on the belief.) Do we sometimes have to obey even when we don't understand?

SECOND WEEK OF ADVENT

#6 ISAAC: God Provides a Substitute Sacrifice SYMBOL: RAM SCRIPTURE: Genesis 22:1-19, John 1:29 NOTES: Abrahams offered sacrifice of his son was symbolic of the future sacrifice that Jesus, the only Son of God, would make for our sins. Foreshadowing: God provided a Ram to die in Isaac's place - He later gave His Only Son to die in the place of all who have sinned. Isaac is portrayed as a type of Christ (Galatians 3:16), and the experience of Abraham and Isaac on Mount Moriah clearly pictures the sacrifice of Christ on Mount Calvary (Hebrews 11:17-19). When Abraham says that God will provide the lamb, he is also speaking prophetically of the One Lamb who will lay down his life for us: Jesus.

#7 JACOB: God Reaffirms His Promise and Makes a Nation SYMBOL: LADDER SCRIPTURE: Genesis 27:41 28:22 NOTES: God is present and a protector of those He calls. He made Himself known and Jacob responded with Awe and worship. He renewed the promise given to Abraham and gave Jacob 12 sons who became the 12 tribes of Israel, Gods chosen people. Who are some other people God spoke to in dreams? (Pharaoh, Joseph -OT & NT, the Magi) How does God usually speak to us today? How do we know God is with us? (Look up Matthew 28:16-20) Renewal of the promise given to Abraham How did Jacob respond? (Awe & worship)

#8 JUDAH/THE CHIDREN OF ISRAEL: The Scepter Shall Not Depart SYMBOL: LION AND SCEPTER SCRIPTURE: Genesis 49:8-12, Revelation 5, NOTES: God has chosen a People for Himself. He works in and through the people He chooses. Judah was the fourth of Jacob and Leah, and was the founder of one of the 12 Tribes of Israel. The ancestry of Joseph, the adoptive father of Jesus, is traced back to Judah. So is the ancestry of King David. In Jacob's blessing of his 12 sons, in Genesis 49, he described Judah as a lion cub, saying that he would have his hand on the necks of his enemies and that his brothers would praise him.

Jesus is the fulfillment of Jacobs blessing of Judah and is referred to in Revelation as the Lion of Judah. One important reason in the selection of the tribe of Judah for our Lord's genealogy is the membership of David in that tribe. Jesus, of course, is David's greater Son, and in the mentions of our Lord's lineage it is usually His descent from David that is the point that is emphasized rather His tribal affiliation per se. For Jesus is the "Son of David", the One who fulfills the covenant to that great believer wherein he was promised a Son who would reign forever, the Branch who would spring from his root, namely, the Messiah. The first and technical reason for Jesus' descent from Judah is the important fact that Jesus is THE "First-born" unique and only Son of the Father, and Judah is the tribe of the first-born - by assignment. Although Reuben was technically Jacob's first-born son, he forfeited the double-portion rights of inheritance that would otherwise have accrued thereto through misconduct - and he lost them to Judah. It is for this that reason the "ruler's scepter" belongs to Judah, who ever after receives the privileges of the first-born. We have a reverse parallel in the case of David who was promoted for extraordinary conduct (specifically, his exceptional love for the Lord). David, of course, was the youngest of the sons of Jesse, and yet because of his heart for God and his dedication to the Lord which put all of his brethren in the shade, he was exalted as no one before him, becoming, in effect, the first-born (for God looks on the heart: 1Sam.16:7). So on this point of "primogenitor", it is important to remember that God is not only capable of but also inclined to exalt the humble and humble the proud, considering the true "first-born" to be him or her who puts the Lord first in their hearts, demonstrating that faith and dedication in lives of faithfulness.

#9 MOSES: Jesus is Greater and Fulfills the Law SYMBOL: STONE TABLETS SCRIPTURE: Deuteronomy 18:15 SONG(S): Go Down Moses NOTES: Moses was a great leader who God used to bring His people out of slavery in Egypt. But Moses knew that there was still one to come who would be greater than he. (Deut. 18:15) Jesus was the fulfillment of the prophesy of Moses, and He is also the fulfillment of the Law. Purpose of the Law: to show us our need for Christ.

#10 PASSOVER LAMB: Not Without Blood SYMBOL: LAMB SCRIPTURE: Exodus 12, John 1:29, Matthew 26, 1 Pet. 1:19 SONGS: Handels Messiah #53, Worthy is the Lamb that was Slain NOTES: Read Part 7 in The Big Picture Story Bible. God provided Israel's freedom from Egyptian bondage through the sacrifice of the Passover lamb. By using the Passover lamb to redeem Israel from bondage, God gives us a vivid illustration of our redemption from sin through Jesus Christ. The ceremony surrounding the Jew's use of the Passover lamb illustrates almost every characteristic of Christ's redemptive work on the cross of Calvary. God made it clear from the beginning of man in the garden that the only payment for man's sin was death (Gen. 2:17). By spreading the blood on the doorposts, God also made it clear that He was willing to substitute the life of the Passover lamb for the life of their firstborn. "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin" (Heb. 9:22). #11 DAVID: God establishes the Throne of the King Forever SYMBOL: CROWN SCRIPTURE: I Samuel 16:1-13, 2 Samuel 7:12-16, Read pg. 156-172 in The Big Picture Story Bible. NOTES: When we read the stories about King David, we are reminded of the far greater king who would one day be born of David's line. During Advent we remember that the mighty King of David's line has promised to come again. We wait for King Jesus to return. Do you understand the covenant God established with King David on that day? It was a tremendous promise that surpasses human comprehension! God promised David, "Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever!" How would David's kingdom endure forever? How could David, who was only a man, have a government that would last forever? Here is the answer: God promised David that one of his

descendants would establish an everlasting government. A Man would be born in David's royal family line who would receive the authority to reign in heaven and on earth forever. He would be called the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Prince of Peace. Hundreds of years after David's time, and about seven hundred years before this King of kings was born, the prophet Isaiah penned these words: "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end! He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this!" (Isa. 9:6,7) Do you know who, among the descendants of David, has been given the authority to establish an eternal government? Do you know who will judge the children of Adam on the Day of Judgment and reign throughout eternity? Yes, it is the Redeemer, the King from heaven, who was born of a virgin, a virgin who belonged to the descendants of David.

Third Week of Advent:

#12 ISAIAH: Prophesy of a coming Messiah SYMBOL: EMMANUEL/NAMES SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 9:6-7; 7:14 SONG(S): For Unto Us a Child is Born; Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel NOTES: What does Immanuel (Emmanuel) mean? (God with us) How was Jesus Emmanuel? (He was God and yet became man) Vocabulary: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty, Eternal/Everlasting, Prince, Peace How do these Names apply to Jesus? Many, many years before Jesus was born, people called prophets would bring God's message to the people of Israel. The prophets reminded the people of what God wanted them to do. God wanted them to be good and kind to others. The prophets told the people to worship only the one true God. The prophets also reminded people that God had promised a savior. The prophets also gave the people hope that no matter how bad things might be here on earth, God had not forgotten them. God was going to send a child who would grow to be the world's savior. #13 BETHLEHEM: All things in Scripture lead to Jesus SYMBOL: TOWN OF BETHLEHEM SCRIPTURE: Micah 5:2 (-5), Luke 2:1-5, John 7:42 SONG(S): O Little Town of Bethlehem, Once in Royal Davids City NOTES: Often God does things that surprise us. God chose the small town of Bethlehem for the birthplace of Jesus. In Bible times, most rulers in important families were born in bigger cities, but Jesus was born into an ordinary family in a small village. God chose Bethlehem many years before Jesus was born. The prophet Micah wrote that Bethlehem would be the place where the Savior would be born. But even so, the town of Bethlehem wasn't ready for the birth of Jesus. There was no place prepared for God's Son to be born. The day when we celebrate Jesus' birth will soon be here. We need to make our hearts ready. Talk about: How are you getting ready for Jesus' birth? #14 ELIZABETH & ZECHARIAH: Hope & Expectation SYMBOL: PREGNANT ELIZABETH SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:5-25, 39-45 SONGS: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent

NOTES: Sometimes even good people have prayers that are not answered. Zechariah and Elizabeth honored God, and God loved them, but they did not have a child. One day while Zechariah was working in the temple, an angel brought him a message from God, saying that he and Elizabeth were going to have a very special son and his name was going to be John. Zechariah wasn't sure he believed the angel, and so God took away Zechariah's voice as a sign of God's power. Imagine if you had seen an angel who had told you wonderful, happy news, and you weren't able to tell anyone what had happened! Zechariah was sad to have lost his voice, but he was happy to know that he would have a son chosen by God to do important work. When we sing the songs of Advent, in many ways we are singing the song of Zechariah. We are singing songs founded on the images and promises of hope and expectation. By the time of Zechariah, the Jewish people hadnt heard from a true prophet of God in four hundred years. (Knowing this, you can start to understand Zechariahs hard heart in the face of Gabriels message of good news.) The silence is broken when the angel tells Zechariah that a Savior is coming, and Zechariahs own son will be the one to prepare the way. For us, it has been over two thousand years since we have heard from the living Jesus. Every year we remember his birth, and the advent of the good news of his work. As we remember, we also hunger and long for him to return to complete the work of redemption in our lives and in the created world. #15 MARY: The Promise Given to Eve Fulfilled SYMBOL: MARY SCRIPTURE: Luke 1:26-38, 46-56; Isaiah 7:14 SONG(S): Mary, Did You Know? NOTES: Gabriel, that same angel who came to Zechariah in the temple, now comes to Mary. There in the tiny and unimportant Galilee, Gabriel tells Mary the impossible news: Mary, with the name that means exalted, Mary poor and long-ago descended from the line of King David, Mary will be made the mother of the Messiah. Gods rescue is near!! The promise God made back in the beginning, at the Fall, in Eden, Hes keeping it and completing it and Hes coming! A babe to Mary, the one who will crush the head of the enemy. God can do anything and He can come curl up small in the womb of a young woman, Mary, who said yes, let me serve you Lord. Despite the unbelievable words of the angel, Mary submitted to Gods wondrous plan for her life. Nothing is impossible for God who is with us, God who is in us, God who works through us. All things happen just as God says! Hence the promise given to Eve that from her seed would come a redeemer is to find its fulfillment in Mary. Did Mary believe Gabriel? (Yes - she did ask "how" but apparently not with the disbelieving attitude that Zechariah had shown previously.) What was Mary's response? ("I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said.")

#16 JOSEPH: An Earthly Father for the Son of God SYMBOL: CARPENTERS TOOLS SCRIPTURE: Matthew 1:18-25 NOTES: God chose Joseph, a just and righteous man, to be Jesus' adoptive father. What is the father's role in the family? (head) What do we know about Joseph? What kind of man was he? (He was a carpenter. He was from Nazareth. He apparently did not believe Mary when she told him about the origin of her pregnancy. He did not want to create a scandal. Once spoken to by God, he obeyed. How did God speak to Joseph? (Through an angel in a dream) What was the angel's job in these two stories? Proclamation - telling Joseph the truth. Protection - first protected Mary's reputation, later protection of Mary and Jesus in the escape to Egypt. This could be an opportunity to talk about adoption. Even in the midst of these tremendous stories of Gods miraculous power in the birth of Jesus, we find that the humanity of the other characters remains transparent. Both Matthew and Luke want us to know that from the very beginning Jesus story is fraught with trials and sufferings. Even in the midst of Mary finding out she is pregnant with a child from the Holy Spirit, Matthew tells us that Joseph considered divorcing her silently, assuming that she has committed adultery, a sin punishable by death. Committed adulteryin the midst of their betrothal to be married! This is pretty scandalous stuff to be published in what we often see portrayed as the pristine birth of shiny baby Jesus.

Fourth Week of Advent:

#17 JOHN THE BAPTIST: Sent to Prepare the Way SYMBOL: SHELL SCRIPTURE: John 1:1-26, Luke 1:57-80 Isaiah 40:1-11, Matthew 3: 1-6 SONG(S): Handels Messiah, #1, 2, 3, 4 & 9 NOTES: Read Part 15 in The Big Picture Story Bible. What did Gabriel tell Zechariah about John? What OT prophecy was fulfilled in John? (Isaiah 40:1-5, Malachi 4:5-6) Elizabeth and Zechariah's son grew up to be John the Baptist. He was Jesus' cousin. God chose him to tell the people about Jesus. John wanted people to know that Jesus is the Son of God, the savior that God had promised the people so many years ago. He wanted them to be ready to believe in Jesus. John wanted the people to remember God, and he baptized them in the river if they promised not to sin any more. The baptism reminded them that God forgave them for their sins. John did not look like other people, and some people probably thought he was a little strange. But many other people listened to John, and they were ready to believe in Jesus. In this season of baking, wrapping, buying & receiving, ask the Lord Jesus if you have repented and prepared the way for Him. #18 FAMILY OF DAVID: Prophecy Fulfilled SYMBOL: MARY ON DONKEY & JOSEPH SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:1-5, Matthew 1:1-17 SONG(S): O Little Town of Bethlehem, Once in Royal Davids City NOTES: Jesus will be born in Bethlehem, and will be of the lineage of David: in this we recognize the hand of God fulfilling many of the prophecies made in the Old Testament concerning the Messiah. Shortly before the birth of Jesus, the emperor of Rome, Caesar Augustus, commanded that a count be taken of all the people of the world. Everyone had to go to his or her own city to register, including Mary, who was engaged to Joseph. Therefore the exact location of the birth of the savior spoken about by Micah was to come true. God used a pagan emperor to fulfill His prophesies about the birthplace of the Messiah. When we read through the list of names in Jesus genealogy, we find names that are unusual four women who were either Gentile (non-Jewish), scandalous, or both! Tamar (Gen. 38), Rahab (Josh. 6), Ruth (Ruth 4), and Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11), who isnt even listed by name. Matthew creates a historical snapshot of Jesus family line where each name is carefully chosen. These women were both infamous characters and examples of people outside of the Jewish family on whom God lavished his grace. Overall, you should get the impression that Jesus is the fulfillment of both

Gods promises to the patriarchs of the faith (Abraham and David), as well as fulfilling his promise to declare salvation to all kinds of people from all the nations! #19 SHEPHERDS, ANGELS & THE GOSPEL: The Good News Spreads SYMBOL: SHEPHERDS AND ANGELS SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:8-18 SONG(S): It Came Upon a Midnight Clear; Angels We Have Heard on High, While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night; Angels from the Realms of Glory; Hark! The Herald Angels Sing NOTES: Read Part 14 in The Big Picture Story Bible. So began the blessing given to Abraham unto all the Nations. Can you think of any reasons why God had the angels tell the shepherds about Jesus birth? How do you think the shepherds felt when the angels appeared? What did the angels do in this part of the story? (Proclaimed & praised) How did the shepherds respond to the angels' news?

To show how significant the birth of Jesus is, we are given a glimpse of the angelic host only rivaled by the visions of John in the book of Revelation. Jesus birth is a cataclysmic in-breaking of Gods kingdom into the earthly realm. In pictures and descriptions of Jesus birth, the angels attending are often portrayed as chubby cherubim, lightly plucking at harp and lyre. They hardly seem scary, or the type of characters that would frighten hardened shepherds. Yet this multitude broke through the heavenly curtain, and with regal precision proclaimed in swift accord the present situation.

Like the three wise men from far-off lands, the shepherds in their fields were unlikely candidates in the hierarchy of Jewish leadership to be the first to hear of this great kings birth. Yet God choose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise. It is not unlikely that in this scene with the angelic host we are reminded of who Jesus is: our great shepherd. The shepherds were not a highly regarded group of people, and their field was certainly a peculiar spot to unveil this grand message delivered by an angel host in all of its rehearsed splendor! The Christmas story continues to impress upon us that every bit of Jesus story shatters the pomp and circumstance of the world. Humble scenes, cultural outcasts, and foreign visitors all receive front row tickets to the birth. In the bright lights and over-the-top window displays of Christmas, we need to rethink where to look to find Jesus. He was first found with the broken, the destitute, and the humble. #20 STAR & MAGI: Searching in Faith SYMBOL: STAR SCRIPTURE: Matthew 2:1-12

SONG(S): We Three Kings NOTES: The heavens were deeply attuned to the coming of the Savior. The star signified that creation had a part to play in displaying Gods good news to the people of the whole world. God even allowed pagan astrologers from the east to recognize the message of the star: that a king would be born in Judea. This story is about outsiders being invited to participate as insiders in the birth of Jesus. God uses the star to communicate the story of Jesus to those who are outside the covenant family of Israel and his written word. He doesnt just bring them as far as Jerusalem and then leave them hanging. He leads them into the very presence of Christ, where they can bring their gifts of tithe and worship. This is an amazing picture of all the nations bringing their gifts before the Lamb of God and a wonderful anticipation of the day when all the nations will worship Jesus as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It also models and inspires us as we think about bringing our talents, gifts, and worship to Jesus during this season of Advent. Spend some time talking about what God has given you and how you can use those things to worship him. #21 BIRTH OF JESUS: In the Fullness of Time (Christmas Day) SYMBOL: BABY IN MANGER SCRIPTURE: Luke 2:6-7 SONG(S): Of The Fathers Love Begotten; Joy to the World! NOTES: Read Part 13 in The Big Picture Story Bible. When Jesus came into the world, it was in the same fashion of all men. From a surrounding shelter of water within the womb of his mother, he came forth into the flesh. And 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. Luke 2:7 In the birth of Jesus we find the fulfillment of the promise to Eve, the blessing for the Nations, the truth of Gods Law, and the prophecies fulfilled. Jesus had to be born into the physical world to save us. We must be born into the spiritual world to be saved. One has to be born again. It all seems so simple and ordinary: An imperial edict, a pregnant teenager, a soon-to-be husband, and a town full of people simply following the law of the land. Ordinary events of history, ordained by God as part of the greatest miracle in the history of the world: The Son of God being born as a child in the city of David. And it all happened when the time came. In Galatians 4:4-5 Paul writes, But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. The God who rules history, entered our history, to claim us and all our tomorrows as his own. This Christmas morning, join the Apostle Paul as he proclaims the gloriousness of the gospel (1 Timothy 3:16): Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.