Transformed – teen devotion – December 24, 2023
One truth shared: The message of the angels is what brings us such great joy at Christmas!
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:10-12
A Savior Has Been Born
It was an interesting message the angels brought. To some it might be so familiar that they really don’t stop to think much about it. For example, “the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’” The angels talked about great joy that first Christmas night. There are many things that might bring people joy at Christmas: getting presents, decorating the tree or cookies, putting up the lights, gathering with family and the like. But the great joy the angel was talking about was different. No, the “good news” from the angels that would bring “great joy” would come from the message they had to bring: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you.”
To find that kind of great joy means you need to first acknowledge your need for a Savior. Note how personal God wants this to be: a Savior has been born… to you! God sent his son… for you! There isn’t one of us to whom this doesn’t apply because:
- We know the jagged edges which come from knowing you are the one who hurt others with your selfishness.
- We are so familiar with the broken feeling of standing before almighty God knowing that no matter how good you have tried to be and how hard you have worked that you couldn’t possibly meet the standard of perfection which he demands from you.
Our jagged edges and inner brokenness are symptoms of what’s wrong with us—we are sinners. We can try to earn worth through performance. But all it gives is an unstable sense of worth that constantly fluctuates with each performance you give. It’s a roller coaster that isn’t worth riding. It’ll steal your joy.
“Do not be afraid,” the angel said. Here’s Christmas joy: Jesus comes to bring peace to broken people like you and me. This is the peace of knowing that all is right between you and God—not because you did what needed to be done, but because Jesus did fully and perfectly everything that needed to be done for your salvation and gives that perfection to you as a free gift of his grace through faith.
God made us emotional beings, and he gave us a broad range of emotions to feel. You can’t have all “good” ones unless you are willing to also have the “bad” ones. They all come in the same package. But it’s Christmas! God desires for you only peace and joy! “Today, a Savior has been born to you!”
Prayer: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace! Take away all anger, sadness, or anxiety and fill me with the great joy that comes from knowing a Savior is born for me. Keep me in your peace. Amen.
