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Our Advent Series comes from a plan provided by Church of the Valley on The YouVersion Bible App. For more information, please visit: https://ccv.church.

Day Twenty-Three: Opening Presents

Families celebrate many traditions during Christmastime; the lights, the tree, the ornaments, the candies, and treats. All of these are traditions that point us back to a common belief that Jesus is the reason for the season. In fact, opening gifts is a tradition that varies around the world. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? Do you put them under the tree or hide them in the branches? Are they wrapped or unwrapped? No matter what, the most important thing is that the gift is opened. Imagine spending your time, your money and thought into the perfect gift for someone and they refuse to open it. God gave the gift of His Son, Jesus, to you. There is nothing that would please God more this Christmas than if you would open the gift He has given you.

Read John 3:16.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The exciting thing about accepting God’s free gift of Jesus is you don’t have to wait until Christmas.

Takeaway: What does it mean to receive God’s gift of His Son, Jesus?

Our Advent Series comes from a plan provided by Church of the Valley on The YouVersion Bible App. For more information, please visit: https://ccv.church.

Day Twenty-Two: December 25th

Every year on December 25th Romans would celebrate Saturnalia: an entire week spent feasting and worshiping false gods. This occurred all the way up until A.D. 313 when the Roman emperor Constantine became a follower of Jesus Christ. As a believer, he knew that this was wrong, and he declared that December 25th be changed to the Feast of the Nativity. In the years that followed, the name, Feast of the Nativity would be changed to Christ-mass and eventually, Christmas. Jesus wasn’t likely born on December 25th, but celebrating his birth on this day reminds us that He has the power to bring our lives out of the darkness and into the light.

Read Romans 12:21.

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Isn’t it interesting that a day centered around something so dark and evil was transformed into a day characterized by radiant light, self-less giving, and sacrificial love?

Read Romans 6:23.

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Takeaway: How can you seek out Jesus today?

Takeaway: How can you plan to make Jesus the center of December 25th this year? 

Our Advent Series comes from a plan provided by Church of the Valley on The YouVersion Bible App. For more information, please visit: https://ccv.church.

Day Twenty-One: The Wise Men

The Wise Men, also called Magi, followed a bright star in the sky thousands of miles because they wanted to worship Jesus. It’s unclear exactly how many wise men there were, but many believe that there were three due to the fact that they delivered three gifts to Jesus. The three gifts given to Jesus were gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These kingly gifts symbolize who Jesus was and what He would accomplish. Gold was a gift for royalty, frankincense was a gift that represented holiness, and myrrh was a spice used for ancient burial. The wise men generously gave these gifts to acknowledge a future king. 

Read Matthew 2:2.

² …“Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

We can learn a lot from the wise men, we should be seeking out Jesus daily instead of waiting for Him to come to us. 

Read Matthew 7:7-8.

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Takeaway: How can you seek out Jesus today?

Our Advent Series comes from a plan provided by Church of the Valley on The YouVersion Bible App. For more information, please visit: https://ccv.church.

Day Twenty: The Nativity Scene

The Nativity scene illustrates the night of Jesus’ birth. From the moment Adam and Eve sinned, mankind was separated from God. This broke the Father’s heart and immediately He set a plan in motion to send His Son, the Messiah, to rescue and restore the Father’s relationship with His children. God had been dropping hints about the coming Messiah for hundreds of years. Hints like: a child would be born of a virgin, in the town of Bethlehem, and he would be a descendant of King David. God’s Word even points to the star of Bethlehem and the Magi. 

Read Luke 2:10-11.

¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

God delivered His promised gift exactly as He said He would.

Takeaway: Think about why the story of Jesus’ arrival gives us joy, peace, and hope.