“You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know— 23 this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. 24 But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.” Acts 2:22-24

During one of my Advent Wednesday Evening services, I showed a picture that was a composite of a Christmas tree and a cross — the two pictures standing side by side. This picture was to remind those in the congregation that Christmas goes beyond the birth of Jesus and all the way to His sacrifice on the Cross.

We have to remember often that Jesus came in the flesh, born to Mary, and lived in a fleshy body. As such, when they drove the nails through his wrists, on the cross, they thought those nails were destroying all Jesus came to do on this earth as they caused His lifeblood to flow down that cross to where they stood. And yet, as in the verse above, this had all been “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God”. In other words, this did not take G-d by surprise! Just as nails were made by man to build and create, G-d used these nails not to destroy, but to build His Kingdom.

In Him (Jesus) all things hold together. Because of the nails…and the sacrifice on the Cross…the Church is held together.

On this day, seven days before the birth of the savior, we remember the hands of the baby born in a stable, the same hands that nails will one day pierce. Without those nails, the church would never have been built.

Pastor Dave

“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8

One morning as I was looking through some pictures not he internet, I noticed a picture of a sunset where the sun, coming down to meet the ocean, made a picture of a cross. How often do we walk through another day and never see the cross, never think of the cross, and never point out the cross that we might encounter in nature?

Probably all of us have played the game – “I Spy.” It is a game that my wife and I used to play with our oldest son to keep his mind busy on long trips. Usually you look for a color, but today I want you to consider looking for a cross every where you go. If you pay attention, I think you may notice that you can see it everywhere. Anytime you see two lines cross each other, see the cross; it may be the letter “t”, it may be a pane in a window or the connecting of floor tiles. Look around you and pay attention to your world.

In our verse for today, there is one word that is vital…it is the word “obedient.” Did you ever think about Jesus having a choice? He did. In fact when we look at Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, He asks G-d three times, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. ” (Matthew 26) Yet, there was no other way for our salvation, and our redemption. Jesus knew this, and so he obeyed. Think about it, what if Jesus had chosen not to obey. There would be no reason to celebrate Christmas; there would be no hope. But Jesus did obey, and because of that we have hope. And we are to share that hope!

My question for you today, eight days before Christmas, “Are you obeying?” Are you praying every day, reading scripture every day, and are you pointing others to Jesus? It matters.

So today, during this Christmas season, throughout this next year and beyond…let us be looking for the Cross and pointing others to Jesus. Let this little Christmas devotion challenge us to become “Cross-pointers” every day!

Pastor Dave