By Jessica Brodie
This week, I share a reflection that comes directly from the Advent devotional book I authored, Preparing Our Hearts, about the perfect eternal truth and comfort found in our savior, Jesus the Christ. God bless you, my friends, and have a merry Christmas!
“While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.” Luke 24:51-52
Have you ever wondered about the origins of a Christmas wreath? I always assumed they were merely pretty, lovely-smelling reminders of days of old. But one year, my heart and mind became caught up in the visual they represent.
Formed in the shape of a circle, Christmas wreaths are meant to symbolize the eternity of God, a ring of life that has no beginning and no end.
It’s a holy circle—a promise, a hope, and a power all connected in one.
Throughout scripture, we see the evidence of God Almighty from creation until the end of time. We experience his powerful love in the way he made this very world, the Spirit of God hovering over the waters as the formless and empty darkness shifted into being at his command (Genesis 1:2).
From the beginning, we know God was with us and loved us and cared for us, guiding us from the earliest days in spite of our wretched sins and the many, many ways we fall short. John 1:1-14 tells us that in the beginning was the Word, “and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” there with God in the beginning and ultimately made flesh to dwell among us. This holy trinity, this circle comprising Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three in one, is what we celebrate at Christmastime and prepare for during Advent. This is the purpose of all our following, all our striving, all our hopes and dreams and joys.
And that wreath hung upon my door reminds me of all of that: the glorious and sometimes incomprehensible Triune God, the meaning behind the season of Advent, and the purpose of all I do as I walk upon this earth, one foot in heaven and one here and now.
After Jesus’s death, he returned to his disciples with great mercy. Not only did his return provide the hope they had so desperately sought and the peace they craved during a time of chaos and despair, but it provided joy as well. The Bible tells us he lived among them, teaching them and urging them to go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation (Mark 16:15). Follow me, he commanded. Feed my lambs and care for my sheep, he commanded (John 21:15-17).
Then one day, he issued a final blessing and was taken up into heaven. But what a change had come over these disciples since the first time he’d left them! After his crucifixion, they’d felt despair and grief. But as today’s scripture tells us, now they experienced joy, worshipping him and then returning to Jerusalem to await what he told them was to come (Luke 24:51-52).
This is the point of Advent, the full message of Christ: God loves us so much that he sent his son, Jesus, to pay our sin-debt and help us follow him so we, too, can live in God’s kingdom for eternity. We will experience hardship and persecution along the way—suffering and pain and temptations. But we must keep our eyes on the end goal, the understanding that God’s plan will prevail. Our time on earth is temporary, and while we are here, we must do our best to tell others about him, love others in his name, and prepare our soul for his return.
Nothing else matters.
As Christmas morning draws near, our time can become increasingly compressed. I’ve had days where I find myself frustrated with holiday shopping and other unessential chores of the season.
But at least today, as I look upon that wreath, I can circle back to the Divine Circle that is God and eternity, and prepare my heart and my life for full connection with him.
Consider: How can I focus on joy even when life is hectic? What are some ways I can tell others about God today? This week?
A Prayer: Precious and Perfect Lord, what a gift you have given us in Jesus, who shows us the way to eternity. Help me keep my mind and heart focused on the work I have here on earth in spite of all the troubles and the distractions that steer me astray. Amen.
Interested in checking out my Advent devotional, Preparing Our Hearts? You can find it on Amazon here.
If you know someone who would benefit from reading this blog, please share this with them:
Thanks to my Patreon sponsors: Brian Black, Matt Brodie, Emily Dodd, Jane, Marcia Hatcher, Frances Nwobi, Kathleen Patella, Billy Robinson, Yancy Rose, and Lanny Turner.
SHARE TODAY’S BLOG ON SOCIAL MEDIA: CLICK HERE OR THE SOCIAL LINKS BELOW.