A Very Merry COVID ChristmasSample

Praise God—You Are Sealed

In early 2018, Israeli archaeologists found a small clay object that dated back some 2,700 years. What was even more intriguing, however, was the name found in Hebrew letters on the object—Isaiah.

News outlets rushed to tell the story of the potential proof of the prophet Isaiah, the man who lived seven hundred years before Jesus and predicted so much of his birth, life, death, and resurrection. “Is this the seal of the prophet Isaiah?” the Smithsonian asked.

You should search for an image of the seal to see for yourself (it’s incredible!). And while you’re looking, think about how an ancient seal would have been used. Picture an important message that’s written and rolled up in a scroll, then sealed with melted wax, and marked with a clay “signature” like the one found for Isaiah. A seal was a personal way to prove your connection to something, an assurance to the world that “this is mine.”

Consider that image as you listen to Paul’s glorious words: “When you believed, you were marked in [Jesus] with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13). Apparently, God has a seal too, a personal way to prove that people are connected to him. What is that seal? “The promised Holy Spirit.”

The Spirit is God’s signature. When God put the Holy Spirit into your heart the day you first believed, he made a deposit, a down payment, to make you his own possession, guaranteed until the day when Jesus returns.

Stunning, isn’t it?

This Christmas, you may be socially distant from the usual holiday crowd. You might not join the masses at the mall for that frenetic final rush to purchase gifts. You might not be able to gather at Grandma’s nursing home to keep her company and tell her about Christ. You might not have the money to buy all the gifts you want. This year might not feel quite as blessed as the past.

But God’s signature says differently. His seal shouts, “This one is mine!” His Spirit cries, “This is a child of God!” His deposit declares, “This soul is about to open eternal gifts that no mind could conceive.”

Honestly, news outlets should rush to tell your story. God’s signature has been found!

It’s written on you.