Sojourner #081: A Christmas Reminder From Sojourner Magazine

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:11-13, ESV)

On behalf of Sojourner Magazine, I’d be remiss if I didn’t take this time to wish you a Merry Christmas, and remind each of us of the true reason for the season. 

As the angel declared to the shepherds, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

We are currently in the second week of Advent, where we join with those who came before us in waiting for the coming Messiah. The prophet Isaiah foretold, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given” (Isa. 9:6). 

In our case, however, He has already come, and we now wait for His promised return, just as the angels proclaimed, “This Jesus… will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

Our waiting is marked by expectant hope that Christ is returning for His Church, just as the ancient prophets looked forward in faith. Scripture declares, “A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Num. 24:17), and from the very beginning God promised a Deliverer who would defeat the serpent, saying, “He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Gen. 3:15).

We rejoice this Christmas not for sleigh bells ringing or reindeer neighing, but because God Himself has come to dwell with His people. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). He came with purpose, “to save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21), for the glory of God and the good of many.

What a blessed hope and cause for celebration, that our holy God cares for you and me. As the psalmist marvels, “What is man that you are mindful of him…?” (Ps. 8:4). This is a hope that fills our hearts with wonder and gratitude (1 Pet. 1:3).

As you go to your various holiday celebrations, love one another in light of this great reality. Our Lord commands us, “Love one another: just as I have loved you” (John 13:34). Give freely as you have freely received (Matt. 10:8), and yes, eat lots of good food, receiving every good gift with thanksgiving and joy (Eccl. 9:7; 1 Tim. 4:4).

May the Lord our God give you grace and peace this Advent season.

Merry Christmas!

“And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” ‭‭(Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭67‬-‭79‬ ‭ESV‬‬).

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This article is a part of our series titled: “From the Editor’s Desk.” A series of curated messages from the office of Sojourner Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, all with the goal that Christ might be magnified, the Church strengthened, and the reader encouraged to walk faithfully before God in light of His Word.

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