From the Jews for the World (Advent 2023)

Advent will soon be upon us and in the more than 10 years I’ve been doing this, I never dreamed I would be burdened to address–again–why so many in the Church still have an odd spiritual connection to “the Jews” or why even today, Jesus belongs in a diverse world’s Christmas.

Christians like me feel a deep historical tie to Jesus’ heritage as our brother, Son of God, and our Savior. But the rise of antisemitism within Western culture overall has influenced the Church. It is distressing indeed. Jesus would not be pleased.

It’s personal to me. I think of the recent opinion piece in NZZ entitled, “God is pretty much dead to the Germans” (November 16, 2023) by Susanne Gaschke. It hits home because a German friend with whom our family exchanged letters every Christmas one year finally replied, “I like family news, but I hate all that Jesus. Do you have to do that?” (Well, yes, I do have to include Jesus). The sneer may have been bluntness in translation, but his attitude about Jesus wasn’t lost on us. I hope his view changed. As a scientist, he was too smart to believe in God and stopped corresponding. He died last year from cancer.

“From the Jews for the World.”

Yes, that’s my devotional topic for this year because God’s plan for “the Jews” didn’t end with the World’s Crucifixion of Christ (and hear me clearly: it took both Jews and Romans to do it.) True, not all modern Jews are so by faith, nor are all who call themselves Christian or go to a church. We must understand the theology of Jesus’ Jewish root to fully appreciate what God did at Christmas.

Doesn’t sound super Christmassy? Well, it is because it’s all about Him. Please join me beginning Sunday, December 3, 2023. God’s Gift shipped more than 2000 years ago and with God’s order number in hand, we’ll begin tracking God’s Gift “From the Jews for the World” with guaranteed delivery by Christmas.

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Acknowledging inquiries about an entire season’s devotionals for your study group’s planning purposes, Seminary Gal’s prior seasons’ Advent devotionals can be accessed via the archives to the right and are as follows:

“Awaken Remnant” was the devotional topic for 2022. It began November 27, 2022, and highlighted the remnant found throughout Scripture as evident in Jesus’ lineage.
The multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King was the theme of 2021’s devotional series. It is archived beginning November 28, 2021.
2020’s Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times. Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence. His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology. They began November 29, 2015.
Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols. You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives. They began November 30, 2014.
The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John. It began December 1, 2013.
The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story. It began December 1, 2012.