Do you have a tradition of reading the Christmas story in the gospel of Luke every year on this day? Well, this year, you will see it with new eyes, because Scripture has prepared our hearts to understand the birth of Jesus with renewed joy.

Christmas is only a week away, and we are full of anticipation for the coming of the Messiah because we have already discovered our need for a Savior and an amazing prophecy proclaiming wonderous truths about who Jesus is.

We are ready to open up the gospel of Luke and read about the birth... oh wait, that's not how Luke starts out. Let's discover how Luke builds our anticipation for the celebration of Christ's birth.

Welcome back to week 2 of the "The Word on Christmas" series.

I hope you are ready to be in awe of God as we explore one of the many prophecies about Jesus' birth: Isaiah 9:6. Of course, you'll also get to dig deeper on your own with a free worksheet. Plus, because the book of Isaiah can be tricky, we will explore a few free Bible commentaries available online.

We began last week with remembering why we need a Savior. We noticed that we have reached the point in the Bible's story when mankind is desperately aware of their need for someone to rescue them. We are waiting for Jesus to arrive.

We have entered the Christmas season!

This is a time to reflect on what's coming... who's coming. We are ushering in the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Let's make this a meaningful time - not just Christmas day, the arrival of baby Jesus - but this pre-Christmas season, this time of anticipation. What better way to do so than to search Scripture.

This December, let's get excited about Christmas - not just the holiday fun, family traditions, and heart-warming decor.

Let's get excited about the arrival of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

When we follow the Bible's story, this - the season right before Jesus comes on the scene - is a time of divinely-inspired waiting. If this were a movie, we'd be walking in right during the part when everyone is sitting on the edge of their seats.

But to really understand that, we have to back up a little. We want to understand why everyone is waiting and who they are waiting for. Then we can truly appreciate the presentation of His arrival laid out in Scripture.

The end of our calendar year is marked with meaningful holidays for Christians. We know our hearts should be filled with thanksgiving and celebration as we remember the coming birth of our Savior. 

But what if that's not how the holiday season plays out? With so many Christmas parties, dinner preparations, additional events, and gift shopping, the joy of the holiday season can be drowned out by stress.

Take an afternoon off this week to refocus. Allow it to be a time of reflection and communion with God.

As children around you await Christmas morning, I hope you are awaiting the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ - both excited about the same day but with different mind-sets. I have enjoyed this study of the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus and how they were fulfilled. We have true hope in Christ and assurance that we are following the one, whom God has sent and promised to us in ages past.

This is week two of the Messianic Prophecy series. Messianic prophecies is a fancy word for the things God foretold about Jesus that did in fact come true during His life on earth. Last week, we talked about prophecies regarding Jesus’ lineage and birth/ early years. Today, we will take a look at the names of Christ and His earthly ministry as God predicted it and as it came to pass.

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Are you excited for Christmas? Are you getting into the Christmas spirit? No, I am not talking about Christmas movies (though watch those if you’d like). I am asking if you are wrapping your mind around the great blessing that was Christ coming to earth in the form of a baby, showing us how to live, and ultimately dying in our place to conquer death once and for all.

The coming of Christ was prophesied in the Old Testament, and therefore long-awaited by followers of God. The world was waiting for their Messiah, that is, their Savior. Even today, we still marvel at how Christ fulfilled so many prophecies, even from the moment of His birth. 

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