Christmas Slays预览

Would people say that you’re good at keeping your promises? Or do you tend to go back on your word?

Promises often carry heavy significance in our lives.

I promised my dad that I’d help him with yard work.

A friend and I promised that we would sign up to try to get Taylor Swift tickets every time a new batch of tickets went live.

Promises determine how we act. If we know people are counting on us because of a promise made, it can cause us to be accountable.

My mom made me promise I’d stop at the grocery store on my way home from a friend’s house and get guacamole for our tacos.

A pastor asks a couple to vow, or promise, to be true and faithful to one another in their marriage ceremony.

What if I told you that Christmas slays because it shows that God keeps His promises?

In today’s readings you will see God making promises to men named Abraham and David.

So how does God keep His promises to Abraham and David? And why does it matter? This is where the Christmas story comes in. And it is truly SO amazing!

The beginning of the book of Matthew starts with a list of genealogies. What’s a genealogy? It’s a long written out family tree line.

So, if you’re just cracking open the Bible for the first time, you’re probably missing the significance that lies within that family tree.

We can very clearly see that God kept His promise to both Abraham and David in having Jesus come through their family line.

Through Abraham, God made a great nation, which blessed many because ultimately that line includes Jesus. By following Jesus, we enter into the Kingdom of God. Boom! Promise kept!

And with David, we see the promise of Jesus reigning on the throne forever.

These promises were so big, and honestly kind of mind boggling for both Abraham and David. But seeing God come through and fulfill those promises through the birth of Jesus is incredible.

God can be trusted. His Word is true. And the story of Jesus proves that to us!

While we oftentimes think we know how God is going to keep His promise, it’s actually quite rare that things work out exactly the way we think they will.

Why? Because God is so much bigger, kinder and more wonderful than we realize.

He works all things for His glory. He is going to provide the most incredible story and show up in the most amazingly intricate ways that we can’t even come up with it ourselves.

So the next time you’re wondering if you can trust God, and if He keeps His promises. Look no further than the Christmas story. A baby born in a manger was a promise long awaited. And He is a promise we can build our foundation on forever.

Merry Christmas!