Understanding the Hope Restored in the Birth of Jesus - The Crosswalk Devotional - December 13

PLUS...10 Ways to Lessen Stress at Christmas  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ &zwnj [Crosswalk.com Logo]( The Crosswalk Devotional  [Devotionals](        [Newsletters](        [e-Cards](      [The Crosswalk Devotional]( Understanding the Hope Restored in the [Birth of Jesus]( By Clarence L. Haynes Jr. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” – [Luke 1:30-33]( We often consider the birth of Jesus from the perspective of looking back. For a moment, I want you to put yourself in the hearts and minds of the people who were alive during this time. When you do this, it will help you understand the reason for the hope and excitement surrounding Jesus’ birth. Israel had a glorious past as a nation. The history of Israel began with a promise to Abraham. God told him he would make him into a great nation and give him land for his people who would come after him. Through exile and then exodus, God eventually fulfilled this promise, birthed a nation, and gave them their own land. The glory of Israel extended through the period of judges, but eventually, Israel wanted a king. The kingdom was formed first with Saul, then David, then Solomon. After Solomon, the kingdom was split into the Northern kingdom, which had ten tribes and was known as Israel, and the Southern kingdom, which had two tribes and was known as Judah. All during this time, there were kings in Israel and Judah. However, because of their rebellion and sin, eventually, the nations went into captivity.  [CONTINUE READING →](            You May Also Like:        [10 Ways to Lessen Stress at Christmas](  Molly Parker Because “he himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14), the Son given to us, Jesus, has made peace possible with God and with those around us. Yet we often find ourselves caught up in the season’s buzz, feeling everything but peaceful, wishing there was a way to lighten the load at Christmas.  [CONTINUE READING →](       [Do John 5:31 and John 8:14 Contradict One Another?](  Mike Leake One verse has Jesus saying that His witness is sufficient, the other he says that if he alone is bearing witness, then His testimony is not true. Do these contradict one another?  [CONTINUE READING →](            [6 Female Celebrities Who Openly Follow Christ](  Michelle S. Lazurek Although it is hard to live out beliefs that promote the Bible, which is seen as an outdated, archaic relic, these women prove it is possible to work in Hollywood without compromising their beliefs.  [CONTINUE READING →](                            Bible Trivia Question of the Day                                           Who says, `Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us`? A. The heathen B. Rulers C. All of these D. Kings [ANSWER THE QUESTION →](     [Crosswalk.com Logo](  [Read about Salem Web Network](  |  [Unsubscribe](   [Email Preference Center](  |  [View in Browser](   © 2022 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Crosswalk. Â