Read: Luke 2:1-21; Zechariah 2:10-13
And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. (v. 11)
The day is here. Christmas. During Advent, we’ve longed for the presence of the Lord. At times, we have ached for his coming, for apart from the Lord we are left in darkness, stumbling in the shadow of death.
Today we celebrate that the Lord has come. Many years before Mary and Joseph, the prophet Zechariah envisioned a glorious day when the Lord of the heavens would come to dwell on earth, and “many nations shall join themselves to the Lord.” With breathtaking drama, the holy Lord will make his home with creation—not just with his promised people of Israel, but with Gentiles as well.
The day is here. The God of Israel, the Lord of the universe, has come—in the humble form of Mary’s baby. The God of Zechariah comes to dwell in human flesh. Yet, the day is coming. Even as we celebrate the coming of Christ, the story is not complete. Zechariah’s vision has not fully come to pass. Until Christ returns to set things right on the final day, we continue to live in a world that aches for the presence of God. Until that day, we have glorious, good news of God’s love to proclaim to all nations. —J. Todd Billings and Katlyn DeVries
As you pray, rejoice that the Lord of the universe has come in Jesus and long for the glorious day when he returns.
About the Author
Dr. J. Todd Billings is the Gordon H. Girod Research Professor of Reformed Theology at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI. An ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America, he received his M.Div. from Fuller Seminary and his Th.D. from Harvard. Dr. Billings approaches the discipline of theology with a commitment to the ministry of the church. His varied experience in Christian ministry includes work in community development in Uganda, teaching theology in Ethiopia, working on staff at a Boston-area homeless shelter, and serving his local church in various leadership roles. He is an ordained minister in the Reformed Church in America.
