Preparing for Christmas Advent Devotional 13

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Hebrews 1

The Supremacy of God's Son

1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,

“You are my Son,
today I have begotten you”?

Or again,

“I will be to him a father,
and he shall be to me a son”?

6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,

“Let all God's angels worship him.”

7 Of the angels he says,

“He makes his angels winds,
and his ministers a flame of fire.”

8 But of the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

10 And,

“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11 they will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment,
12 like a robe you will roll them up,
like a garment they will be changed.[a]
But you are the same,
and your years will have no end.”

13 And to which of the angels has he ever said,

“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?

14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

 

Christ - the BBD
Ann Knobeloch

The book of Hebrews was written to exhort Jewish believers to trust that Jesus was all they needed for salvation. In a time when Hebrew Christians suffered rejection and persecution by fellow Jews, the writer gave encouragement to those who were tempted to hold onto the powerless rituals and traditions of Judaism.

Chapter 1 of this letter wastes no time in pointing out to Christians of all eras that Christ is the Bigger Better Deal (BBD). Through Him, the Word of God is spoken directly, He upholds the universe by the word of His power, and He is no less than the exact imprint of God’s nature! Psalm 102 assures us that even when the heavens pass away, Christ will remain the same and His years will have no end – hallelujah!

With such an amazing gift it seems incredulous to think we would ever choose to replace or detract from Christ’s work, doesn’t it? It’s in our fallen nature though to try to make our wrongs not quite so wrong and our God not quite so godly. We fit Christ in around our holiday celebrations rather than making Him the celebration and we spend money on gifts for those we love rather than being the shining gift of God’s love. Sadly, though we have been given new life in Christ, we still fall short of truly appreciating the enormity of this gift.

Last night, feeling a bit nostalgic, I paged through a few of my mom’s collection of photo albums, and noticed just how full our house was growing up and how much less we focused on gifts during the holidays. There were pictures of my daddy carving the Christmas ham with cloves and pineapple rings, the excitement of Queenie’s litter of beagle pups born on Christmas Day, and an “all-in” game of football in the backyard one crazy warm Christmas break. We lose people along the way, obligations and disagreements pull us away from those we love, and material things have a way of taking the place of heartfelt moments that turn into blessed memories. This erosion doesn’t happen by accident. It’s an accumulation of the many choices we make in a lifetime looking for our own “no strings attached”, self-serving BBD.

But God, in his infinite mercy, gave us His Word and His Word became flesh and served as the ultimate solution for our very real dilemma! The lesson Hebrews 1 pulls us back to is the truth that Christ is the Bigger Better Deal!

There is nothing greater or more long-lasting:

“But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”

Our hopes and prayers are answered in Him:

“After making purifications for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

His Word encourages us just as it did people centuries ago to place our trust in Him alone. There is no other means of assurance for the love and security for which we long. What glorious truth! Let’s make this be the focus of our celebration and let’s do so by looking together at old photo albums and fondly remembering how God has brought us through our storms, by recounting stories of His faithfulness to the young ones in our midst and by praising His name for His wonderous works. God’s peace to you all!

 

  1. How have you placed your trust in the things of this world rather than Christ alone?
  2. In what ways can you start making Christ the main thing this Christmas?
  3. Commit to praying daily during this Christmas season that God will direct your path towards those who need His Good News and the courage and compassion to impart it.

 

Dear Lord, don't let us miss You this Christmas season. Help us to focus our activities and traditions on the celebration of Your birth and what that means for us. Help us to love others well and to walk in the newness of life that You sacrificially gave us. To You alone be the glory and honor and praise, forever and ever, Amen.