“For unto 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. Isaiah 9:6 NIV

Christmas is coming! Decorations are going up everywhere, houses are lit with colored lights, and Christmas movies are on TV. What decorations does your family put up? Do you have a tree to hang ornaments on or a manger scene? We are all waiting and getting ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus in the tiny town of Bethlehem over 2000 years ago.

Our Bible verse this week comes from Isaiah, one of God’s prophets that told everyone about the birth of Jesus, over 700 years before Jesus was even born. While we are waiting for a month to celebrate Christmas, God’s people were looking for the promised Son for over 700 years!

But when Jesus did come, many of God’s people didn’t recognize Him. God’s people thought that Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, would be a warrior king who would defeat their enemies, return them to power, and bring peace to their country. But God’s plan was so much more wonderful.

God gave us the most amazing Christmas gift of all time, the gift of His Son, Jesus, to be our Savior, our friend, our joy and our peace. Jesus, our Lord, came to earth as a baby, a human like us. Jesus understands our feelings and our fears, our troubles and our tears, and our lives. Jesus came for me and you, for all of us.

So, this month as we wait to celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas, remember what Christmas is really about. It’s not the decorations or the tree, the gifts or the movies, but about the greatest gift ever given. The gift of the Lord Jesus to each and every one of us.

Blessings, waiting for Jesus this Christmas season!