Read 2 Corinthians 6:4-10. At the end of time, every eye will behold the fearful beauty of Christ. Every knee will bow before Him; every tongue will confess that He is Lord. But you would never expect this if you only judged Jesus by His beginnings in Bethlehem. For believers on this side of heaven, this same principle holds true. In the eyes of the world, we may be regarded as “imposters; . . . unknown; . . . poor, . . . having nothing” (vv. 8-10). But in Truth, we are known by God, alive in Christ, always rejoicing, rich in spiritual blessings, and possessing everything. Some of you may be puzzled by your current circumstances—just as it was bewildering for the King of kings to be born in squalor. You may be disappointed with what’s happening in your life, feeling perplexed, fearful, or despondent. But don’t make the mistake of judging the end by the beginning. Remember all that is yours in Christ. Christian, God is not finished with you yet. He is still in the business of using “the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27). So today, trust God with the trajectory of your life. Even now, He is working all things together for your good. Even now, He is transforming you “into his image with ever-increasing glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Prayer: Thank You that I am truly alive in You, Lord. I know You are at work in my life, renewing me day by day. May I submit to Your will and grow in godliness by the power of Your Spirit. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

QUESTION: “In Matthew 2, men from the East seek Jesus. Why do we call them wise men?” ANSWER: These influential and powerful men from Persia studied the movements of stars and planets. While Israel was in exile among the Persians, these astronomers saw how God had supernaturally empowered the prophet Daniel to interpret dreams, withstand intense persecution, and accurately predict the rise and fall of nations. Astonished at these events, they paid close attention to Daniel’s news of the coming of the Anointed One, which God revealed to him hundreds of years before Jesus’ birth (see Daniel 9). From then on, the Persian astronomers anticipated a sign of this coming heavenly King. And they passed that expectation on from generation to generation. When they finally saw it, they knew that the time had come to worship Jesus. They knew that the God of heaven had come to Earth. You see, God’s glory was manifested in the galaxies. The birth of His one and only divine, sinless Son was proclaimed in the heavens. And so those pagan people traveled to Bethlehem to bow to Jesus. Why do we call them wise? Because only the wise worship Jesus. Only the wise recognize their need for the Savior. Only the wise seek the one true God and long for a personal relationship with Him. Only the wise do not waste their lives running after false gods, empty promises, and dead-end roads. So in this season, I encourage you to take stock of your life and ask yourself: Am I wise? Today, you can welcome and worship Jesus and be counted among the wise.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:16-18. Jesus was born a man so that we who love Him could become citizens of heaven. Though He was God, He laid aside the manifestation of His glory to come and identify with us—humbling Himself so that He could set us free from sin and make us new by the power of His Spirit. This is what we celebrate at Christmas. Jesus was born as one of us to reconcile us to God and raise us to new life in Him (see 2 Corinthians 5:17-18). The King of kings was welcomed to earth by poor and humble shepherds so that we who believe in Him might be received by our infinite and matchless Father in heaven. But as we celebrate the joyous occasion of Christ’s birth, we shouldn’t view Him today as the baby in a manger. Even now, Christ is reigning at the right hand of God. His time on earth as a suffering servant is complete—and He will soon return as a conquering King. One day, Christ will come to finish His work and make all of creation fully and completely new—free from sin, death, and shame forever. From His humble birth to His obedient death, He won this for us. So, as we celebrate what He has done, let us fix our eyes on the hope of what He will soon do. Prayer: Thank You, Jesus, for making me new and giving me the promise of eternal life with You. I rejoice in the hope of Your return. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Read 2 Corinthians 8:9. At the time of the birth of Jesus Christ, Caesar Augustus reigned supreme over the Roman Empire (see Luke 2:1-7). The lives of Caesar and Jesus at this point in history could not have been more different. Caesar was at the height of his power; Jesus was in the depths of helplessness. Caesar slept in a golden bed on fine linen sheets; Jesus lay in an animal’s feeding trough wrapped in rags. Yet, even then, who was the one with the greater power? As a baby, Jesus was fully divine, “sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Hebrews 1:3). Jesus willingly chose to descend from heaven and take on humanity so that He might die on a cross for our sin. He—who was infinitely richer than Caesar—became poor so that we, through His poverty, might become rich (see 2 Corinthians 8:9). In the days of His earthly ministry, Jesus had nowhere to sleep so that sinners like us might become heirs with Him of the entire universe. Therefore, do not be so easily impressed by people who now enjoy earthly power, fame, money, and beauty, and do not be consumed with longing for these things. Remember: The road to greatness is through humility—and trusting your Lord will bring the greatest reward. Prayer: Lord, help me to humble myself before You. By Your Spirit may I trust in Your promises and experience even today the majestic reward of a relationship with You, whatever my earthly circumstances. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

After leaving Sikhism for Christ, Sardu became an evangelist in India who traveled from village to village preaching the Gospel. At a speaking engagement at a Hindu college, a professor asked him, “What did you find in Christianity that is so unique?” Immediately he responded, “I found Christ.” Irritated, the professor pressed, “I understand, but what particular principle or doctrine have you found in Christianity that you did not find before?” Sardu replied, “The particular thing I have found is Christ.” The only uniqueness worth defending and even dying for is Jesus Christ. The heart and soul of Christianity is not just a religious system or ethical standards—it is Christ Himself. Christianity without Jesus is a dead corpse. Unlike all the other religious founders, His claims are true, His promises are sure, and His call is unmatched. We must say to those who call Jesus a great teacher—those who imply He’s merely a historical figure like Alexander the Great or Napoleon—no, Jesus is the only. He is unique. He has no peer, no equal, no rival. Jesus has no predecessor, and He has no successor. In every generation, people seek to conform Jesus to their image—a milquetoast Jesus who makes no demands and accepts their will. They do not want the divine, eternal Son of God revealed in Scripture. But to truly know the King of kings, we must embrace the Truths declared about Him in the Bible. First, Jesus is the Lord. Second, He is the Savior. Third, He is ours. These three Truths set Him apart from all others. 1. JESUS IS LORD Jesus is God’s full expression. He is God’s own Son, the second person of the Trinity, who became flesh. He was there at creation; He is the sovereign ruler of the universe. Colossians 2:9 declares that all the fullness of the godhead, that all the fullness of the deity, dwelt in Him bodily. He is the head of the Church, and He alone is the Lord. 2. JESUS IS SAVIOR We are all born alienated from God, enslaved to self-centeredness, and at enmity with Him due to our sin. And because the wages of sin is death, we are born heading for hell and eternal punishment. But Jesus changed all this. When He became man, died on the cross as a sacrifice for sin, and rose again, He made a way to save us and usher us into a new relationship with the Father. God in Christ bore our sins. God in Christ assumed our guilt and paid our penalty. He came to save us from bondage and bring us into the freedom of a life lived for Him. And soon and very soon, He’ll return to establish the new heaven and earth, where we’ll be free of sin and suffering and enjoy the beauty of His presence forevermore. 3. JESUS IS OURS Many people believe Jesus is Lord and Savior. But if that’s where your belief ends, then you do not have personal salvation. The Bible is clear that Christ is ours. He’s not just the Savior and Lord; He’s our Savior and Lord. This personal, possessive adjective is very important. Just read through the Psalms: “Oh, Lord, my rock and my salvation . . . The Lord is my shepherd . . . The Lord is my light and my salvation and the stronghold of my life” (see Psalms 18:2, 23:1, 27:1). And the apostle Paul confessed, “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, …” (Philippians 3:8, emphasis added). YOUR RESPONSE TO THE ETERNAL KING Jesus, who was born into this world, who lived and died in first-century Israel, and who physically rose again from the dead, is now alive forever and ever. He is not dead and gone; He is available and accessible to all people. He is not finished and fossilized; He is alive and active. He calls us to follow Him and offers to dwell in us. This is the miracle God is willing to perform in every heart that comes to Him asking, seeking, submitting. Is He your Lord and Savior?

Read 2 Corinthians 4:8-12. As believers, we are given over to death so that Jesus’ perfect life might be revealed in our mortal bodies (see vv. 10-11). This seeming contradiction, or paradox, is just one we embrace to live in Christ. Christianity is unlike any other religion because it is full of paradoxes like this, and each one takes faith to believe. To be a Christian in our scientific world, we must submit to the beautiful reality that God’s ways are above our own. The Christian faith teaches us that we can see the unseen; that we conquer by yielding; that we find rest under a yoke; that we become great by humbling ourselves; that we are wise by being fools; that we are free by becoming servants; that we possess all things by having nothing; that we get by giving; that we are strong by being weak; that we triumph through surrender; that we fully live by dying to self. God is God, and His ways are not our ways (see Isaiah 55:8-9). Each year, we celebrate this at Christmas. For what greater paradox could there be than the eternally divine taking on finite humanity? There is nothing more incomprehensible than the Creator taking on created form. The glorious, surprising, upside-down nature of the Kingdom of God is best expressed by a baby in a manger. Prayer: Father, Your ways are not my ways, and I rejoice in that. Your ways are perfectly loving, all-wise, supremely just, and infinitely beautiful. Thank You for the wonderful, surprising gift of salvation—the gift of Yourself. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.