Advent Four - The Light of Peace Comes to Us

Week Four 
December 21 - 27, 2025 

Sunday

The Light of Peace Comes to Us

  

This is the final week of Advent. 

The Light of Peace, because the Prince of Peace is Born!

"For unto us a Child is born, 

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Councelor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of His government and peace

There will be no end,

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

To order it and establish it with judgment and justice,

From that time forward, even forever.

Isaiah 9: 6, 7 NKJ

This week we see in Matthew and Luke the glory of the coming of the Infant King. Light four candles this week and enjoy with your family.
 

Monday

Mary and Joseph Travel

 Luke 2:1-7

Even though Mary was pregnant and near the time of birth; her and Joseph were required by Caesar to traveled to Bethlehem for the Roman census. Joseph was a descendant of King David; therefore he had to register in Bethlehem, the city of David. The Emperor of Rome required the census for the purpose of tax collection. Oddly he inadvertently obeyed God by requiring the census. How so? You see, over 700 years earlier, the prophet Micah foretold that though Bethlehem was small, a great ruler would come.

"But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. 

Yet a ruler of Israel... will come from you on my behalf..." 

Micah 5:2 NLT 

Because the Emperor required the census, Jesus was born in Bethlehem as prophesied instead of Nazareth. Read more

Also, the Magi found Jesus, the King of the Jews in Bethlehem, by first inquiring in Jerusalem. The priests sited the scripture above.

Tuesday

God's Great Love for Us 

Reading: John 3:16-21, Ephesians 3:14-21

Some years back a precious little grandson was born into our family. We all loved to hold him, this precious gift from God and look into his bright face with wonder, and consider who will he be. What is God's purposed in his life?  How will his life affect our family and the world around him?

 

Birth of Christ by Carl Bloch

 

I wonder if the first day of Jesus life, Mary held Him and looked into His brilliant face and wondered what He would be like? How would God's purpose would play out in His life? How it would affect her and Joseph? What He would mean for the entire world? 

"Mary kept all these things 
and pondered them in her heart."  
Luke 2:19 NKJ

Could she have known that God's plan for humanity would pierce her own heart? Probably not yet, though Simeon would tell her in eight days. Could anyone have understood how God's plan would pierce His Own Heart? God, the Father knew from eternity past what it would take to rescue human kind. He foretold this in the life of Abraham. How must Abraham have felt when God said:

"Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, and... 
offer him as a burnt offering".
Genesis 22:2 NKJ

 

This verse foretells God the Father's plan and the pain it would cause Him.. Somehow, the suffering of humanity was an even a greater pain. It reveals the extent of His profound deep love for us. We are His Creation. He formed Adam from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being. Gen. 2:7, We are His workmanship, His masterpiece, His work of art, lovingly crafted by Him. Eph. 2:10

 

 On Saturday, December 6th, we looked at David's question to God. To paraphrase: In light of Your majesty, Who are we that You would even think about us, let alone care? Look how God answered that question, by sending His Son, His one and only, beloved Son, knowing full well His Son would be killed by the people He created. In fact that was the plan, that He would provide once and for all people, a perfect sacrificial lamb to atone for our sins.

 

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son,  
 that whoever believes in Him  
shall not perish but have eternal life."  
John 3:16 NIV

 

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,  according to His power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:17-21 NIV

 

Wednesday 

Glory in the Highest

Luke 2:8-20

Today just enjoy this beautiful portion of scripture, with family and friends, even though we read them previously. A section of today's reading was even recited on "A Charlie Brown Christmas". Charlie was feeling down because everything about Christmas seemed empty and commercial. He was looking for the real meaning of Christmas. Perhaps after weeks of shopping, eating and parties you feel the same way and will rejoice in the simple meaning of the profound gift we received from God, our Savior Jesus Christ.

"Now there were shepherds living out in the fields,keeping watch over their flock by night.And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

The the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.'

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace ,goodwill toward men!' So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another,

'Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us. And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger..."

Luke 2:8-16 NKJ

Order a print of Birth of the King by Michael Dudash

Tomorrow we will see the Prince of Peace is Born.