December 18
“Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away the judgments against you; He has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: ‘Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by his love; He will exult over you with loud singing.’” - Zephaniah 3:14-17
For Christians, Christmas is a time of refreshment and restoration. Zephaniah ends his short prophecy with God’s promise of restoration. Like all of the prophets, Zephaniah brings a message of warning about God’s judgment. At the same time, he includes the reminder that God does not forget His covenant. Judgment for sin is certain, yet God’s grace is even more certain. Zephaniah foretold the day when all our fears would give way to praise. That day came when Jesus entered this world. His life and death set the stage for our ultimate victory and joy.
Christ gives us victory because He takes away the judgments against us. Our sins bring death and the wrath of God, but Christ Jesus removes those judgments, making our case legally clear before God (Rom. 3:21-23). Still, the devil prowls around looking for men to devour. Yet, we can rejoice because Christ’s death on the cross disarmed the devil’s power and triumphed over him (Col. 2:15). Because Christ dwells in our midst, we need never fear evil again.
Christ’s victory brings us joy. We rejoice because our King is in our midst and continues to bring us the fruits of our salvation. He, too, rejoices with us because we are His and He delights in us. His love is so large and so personal that our hearts are overwhelmed with peace. This peace truly leads our hearts to say, “Joy to the World!”
For Christians, Christmas is a time of refreshment and restoration. Zephaniah ends his short prophecy with God’s promise of restoration. Like all of the prophets, Zephaniah brings a message of warning about God’s judgment. At the same time, he includes the reminder that God does not forget His covenant. Judgment for sin is certain, yet God’s grace is even more certain. Zephaniah foretold the day when all our fears would give way to praise. That day came when Jesus entered this world. His life and death set the stage for our ultimate victory and joy.
Christ gives us victory because He takes away the judgments against us. Our sins bring death and the wrath of God, but Christ Jesus removes those judgments, making our case legally clear before God (Rom. 3:21-23). Still, the devil prowls around looking for men to devour. Yet, we can rejoice because Christ’s death on the cross disarmed the devil’s power and triumphed over him (Col. 2:15). Because Christ dwells in our midst, we need never fear evil again.
Christ’s victory brings us joy. We rejoice because our King is in our midst and continues to bring us the fruits of our salvation. He, too, rejoices with us because we are His and He delights in us. His love is so large and so personal that our hearts are overwhelmed with peace. This peace truly leads our hearts to say, “Joy to the World!”