Isaiah 53:3-5 | He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Jesus came to earth to give us the gifts of acceptance, peace, healing, and forgiveness, but those gifts were not cheap. We could never afford what Jesus came to provide, and gratefully, we don’t have to. God now accepts us, not because of our own good behavior, but because Jesus paid the price by experiencing the greatest rejection on our behalf. Jesus chose to die to cover our sin, conquer death, and bring us life. The prophet Isaiah called our sins “transgressions” and “iniquities” – essentially our crimes and our wickedness. Those sins created a debt we could never repay, but Jesus, in His perfection, could. As Jesus chose to be born into a world where He would be bruised and crushed, He brought us peace and healing.

The prophecy in Isaiah 53 portrays God’s great exchange: Jesus’ life for all of ours. Jesus knew the cost of Christmas, and He embraced it so we could embrace Him and the eternal life He made available for us. As you celebrate this season, don’t forget: We can only be forgiven, healed, and set free because Jesus chose Christmas.

Prayer: Jesus, I can never thank You enough for paying the price that covered my debt. I would truly be lost without You. I worship You as my Peace, my Healer, and my Savior! Thank You for choosing Christmas. Help me to receive all You came to give me, and help me then share those gifts with the world around me.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. We would like to thank the author(s) for providing this plan and they retain all rights.

Psalms 72:1-14 | Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice! Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness! May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor! May they fear you while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations! May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth! In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more! May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth! May desert tribes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust! May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him! For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight.

Psalm 72 begins with King David praying for his son, Solomon, to become a great king for the nation of Israel. As the psalm continues, David begins dreaming of the perfect King, prophesying what would be true of the reign of Jesus. Over 950 years before the birth of Jesus, David saw the endless rule of the King of Kings. This King would be known for His compassion and His rescue of the needy and distraught. He would defeat oppression and violence, and it would be obvious that His people were precious to Him. For these reasons, David declared that all kings would bow down to Him and all nations would serve Him.

David recognized that deep compassion and care for God’s people, as well as warring against and forever defeating oppression, were the signs of a perfect King—one whose moral judgment and selflessness would never be compromised. In addition to being the moment the Savior came into the world, Christmas marked the beginning of the legacy of eternity’s greatest King. Jesus will continue to reign long after the kings and kingdoms of this world pass away, and we will get to live under the covering of His perfect love forever.

Prayer: Jesus, I honor You as the King of my life here on earth and throughout eternity! I can’t wait to experience the purity of Your leadership as the brokenness of this world falls away. Thank You for coming to earth and beginning Your journey to the throne among us. I’m so grateful You care for me deeply and will always advocate for me as my King. I love You and submit myself to Your perfect ways.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. We would like to thank the author(s) for providing this plan and they retain all rights.

2 Corinthians 12:9 | But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Bethlehem was a small town, insignificant in comparison to bigger cities in the area. In the Message Paraphrase of Micah 5:2, Bethlehem is referred to as “the runt of the litter.” Why would God choose to come to earth in such an unimportant location? Does it seem like a worthy birthplace for the King of Kings?

The thing is, God has never been interested in the world’s definition of greatness. Wealth, fame, popularity, power—none of these are noteworthy to God. Paul told the Corinthians, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” What He can do in someone’s life is not limited by their earthly status. If Bethlehem was “the runt of the litter,” how much more glory would God receive for establishing the life of His Son there? Where Jesus’ journey began did not determine what He could accomplish for the Kingdom. Isn’t it the same with us?

Prayer: Father, thank You for not allowing the lowest points of my life to limit my potential. Thank You for giving divine purpose to someone as imperfect as me. I praise You for Your amazing power that carries me in moments of weakness. I know that no matter where I started, You will take me where You want me to go. Thank You, Jesus, for showing me that incredible things begin in humble places.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. We would like to thank the author(s) for providing this plan and they retain all rights.

Isaiah 7:14 | Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

After God first gave the promise of the Savior, He began revealing specific truth about the King who was to come through human vessels: prophets. More than 680 years before the birth of Jesus, God told the prophet Isaiah that the Savior would have a virgin mother and would be God Himself in the flesh. The accuracy of this one claim alone is miraculous, especially given how many years the world waited for the fruition of the promise. But this prophecy is only one of 108 that were fulfilled through the birth and life of Jesus.

In 1958, renowned mathematics and astronomy professor Peter Stoner studied and calculated the chances of the fulfillment of Messianic prophecies. He concluded that the probability of even 8 of those 108 prophecies coming to pass is, conservatively, one in 100,000,000,000,000,000. That’s one in one-hundred quadrillion. Just EIGHT out of 108! This makes Christmas one of the most significant miracles in history.

As we celebrate this remarkable holiday, try wrapping your mind around the odds stacked against Jesus coming to earth as predicted. It’s pretty much impossible to fathom! Our only logical response is worship—in gratitude and total awe. The Word tells us there is no limit to God’s power, and these numbers are certainly proof of that. He is worthy of our wonder.

Prayer: Father, You are amazing. I can’t even begin to understand how You wove the story of Jesus together before He was born. I am in awe of Your infinite power and wisdom. Thank You for the miracle of Your Son. Help me never lose sight of how great You are.

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. We would like to thank the author(s) for providing this plan and they retain all rights.

Isaiah 51:1-16 | “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the LORD: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you; for he was but one when I called him, that I might bless him and multiply him. For the LORD comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song. “Give attention to me, my people, and give ear to me, my nation; for a law will go out from me, and I will set my justice for a light to the peoples. My righteousness draws near, my salvation has gone out, and my arms will judge the peoples; the coastlands hope for me, and for my arm they wait. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look at the earth beneath; for the heavens vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment, and they who dwell in it will die in like manner; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will never be dismayed. “Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings. For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool, but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations.” Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago. Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces, who pierced the dragon? Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over? And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. “I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass, and have forgotten the LORD, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth, and you fear continually all the day because of the wrath of the oppressor, when he sets himself to destroy? And where is the wrath of the oppressor? He who is bowed down shall speedily be released; he shall not die and go down to the pit, neither shall his bread be lacking. I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the LORD of hosts is his name. And I have put my words in your mouth and covered you in the shadow of my hand, establishing the heavens and laying the foundations of the earth, and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’ ”

Born at 34 weeks, he was 3 pounds of miracle. Tubes and wires extended from his diminutive body to monitor his steady progress. His vision was restricted by a soft gauze eye mask to protect his eyes from the bilirubin light. He often became frustrated with all the equipment restricting his movement. But when his dad reached through the small opening in the incubator to gently cup his son’s tiny head in his large hand, the mighty warrior in baby form grew still and drifted off to sleep.

Scripture tells us, “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps” and “his intentions can never be shaken” (Proverbs 16:9; Psalm 33:11). But in a world where options seem to extend infinitely, we become convinced of our own infallibility. Constructing and deconstructing, we smooth out the roads of our lives as best as possible, and every turn in the journey leads back to our own abilities. Plans and backup plans, our ultimate goal becomes the elimination of unpredictability. We forget God’s sovereignty—until a crisis arises.

An untimely birth, an unexpected death, any number of changes we didn’t anticipate remind us of our frailty (Isaiah 51:6). We are not in control.

Like a premature infant—possessing what’s needed to thrive but not yet grown—we bear the image of what we will one day become. But while we wait in hope—often unseeing and confused—God reaches out to us in our deepest moments of need and cups us in His hand (Isaiah 51:12,16). Here, as we wait, we learn to rest in hope because “the Lord will work out his plans for [our lives]—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever” (Psalm 138:8; see also Isaiah 51:7-8,11). —Regina Franklin

MORE: Read Romans 8:10-28 and consider how we can experience a God-given, practical hope for what we can’t yet see.

NEXT: When did an event in your life seem premature? In what ways did God demonstrate His sustaining hope to you?

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App – Our Daily Bread. Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics. We would like to thank Our Daily Bread Ministries for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: http://ourdailyjourney.org