It Starts Small

Category: Christmas Story

  • A Christmas Retold

    As we read through Galatians, a letter from Paul to the church in Galatia, we find him retelling the story of Christmas. Paul recounts the setting, the who, and the plot and results.  Imagine for a moment we are sitting around a fire listening to Paul tell the story of Christmas. …

  • Condemnation

    Many people are turned away from Jesus because their view of Christianity is condemnation. They do no want to follow a grumpy God who frowns at their lifestyle. Where would they get this idea? They get this idea from the example of Christ and God from others. When someone who has an attitude and…

  • The Wrong Response

    When we read the gospels, we see many examples of how people rightly responded to the birth of Jesus. Mary, Joseph and the shepherds all responded in obedience and worship. Many others grasped the weight of the moment. Then there were some who did not have the right response and…

  • Response to God’s Word: belief or disbelief?

    I have often wondered what that scene on the hillside looked like when the angel came to the shepherds tending their flocks. The night time sky broke open and angels surrounded them in the glory of the Lord singing praises to God. The angels came to announce the good news.…

  • Unexpected Visit

    The encounter between Mary and the angel always makes me in awe and wonder. I am sure it must have been an unexpected visit by Mary. I wonder what she was doing in the moment the angel came. Mary did not come from a prominent background. She was insignificant in…

  • A New Tabernacle

    The Tabernacle, later the temple, was a place for sinful humanity to interact with a holy God. The Lord God Almighty met with His people and accepted sacrifices and dwelled with His people. The intensity of God was shielded by a thick veil, but Israel remembered the days before Adam…

  • “Let there be Light.”

    IN the beginning, God said, “Let there be light.” When God spoke, there was light. With the power of His Word, God illuminated the darkness. John uses the story of creation to tell us about the coming Jesus. In the same way God spoke light into existence, another light was…

  • Insignificant and Unnoticed

    Jesus did not come into this world with a royal announcement or grandeur. He was not born into wealth or fame. Jesus’ birth was insignificant and unnoticed. The world was not celebrating as we celebrate today. It was God’s intentional choosing for Jesus to identify with the weak, poor, and…

  • A Gift is Given.

    God has given us a gift. This gift does not come wrapped under the tree but wrapped in swaddled cloth. In grace, God freely gave us His Son. This child we celebrate is given “for us,” according to Isaiah’s prophecy. This Son will take His rightful place over all the…

  • Prophesy of a Virgin Birth

    Long before the angel ever visited Mary, Isaiah prophesized of a baby born from a virgin. A first glance, this seems like a strange detail in the Christmas story, but it is an important detail. Did Jesus have to be born from a virgin? YES! The prophecy and fulfillment of…