Joy To Your World - Children's Advent DevotionalExemplo

Mary and Joseph were faithful to the laws of Moses. They had been blessed with a son. They wanted to honor both him and God. The Bible says, “At the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb” (Luke 2:21). Mary and Joseph didn’t name their son. God had already done that.

The angel Gabriel told Mary, “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus” (Luke 1:31). The name Jesus was a common name in the Jewish culture. Jesus meant “God saves.” Today, we close our prayers in the name of Jesus. Sadly, His name is also used in jokes and even as a curse. Sometimes people teach God’s word in a way that isn’t completely true. The third commandment teaches us not to take the name of the Lord in vain, which means using God’s name without respect for who God is. There are a lot of ways we can break that commandment.

Thirty-three years after Mary and Joseph gave their son the name Jesus, He told His apostles what His name would mean to their future. He was teaching His apostles for the last time, knowing that His life would soon come to an end on the cross. He told them they would have sorrow, but no one would be able to take their joy (John 16:22). Then he told them how to receive that joy. He said to ask in His name “and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).

What do you want for Christmas? That question will be asked every day of the Christmas season by someone, somewhere. If you could have anything you wanted, what would you ask for? There are so many things to want in this world. We would like God to promise them for our lives today. But a lot of God’s promises in the Bible were promised for our eternal lives.

Jesus promised His joy would be ours now. Our promise is the joy that comes from understanding all that is waiting for us in heaven. Jesus said to ask for that joy, in His name, and you will receive it. Full and complete joy is the gift of Jesus. No one can take it away.

I hope you get what you want for Christmas. I hope you will also choose to want what you get! But mostly, I hope you will want the joy that is the high and holy gift of Jesus to you. All you have to do is ask in His name.