Christmas is all about Christ! I hope you had a beautiful day reflecting on the birth of the Messiah. We commemorate Christ’s birth by gathering with family, continuing or starting new traditions and just being with the people we call our own. It made me think about who God calls his family and these verses came to mind:

46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” 48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers.50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.

Maybe your earthly family couldn’t physically gather together this year, or there are members missing, perhaps dysfunction is your current family environment or the family setting is uncomfortable for you. I just wanted to put you in remembrance of your heavenly and spiritual family. 

In the above verses from Matthew 12, Jesus reshapes the definition of family. Jesus shows us that God’s family is not limited by bloodlines or last names, but is formed by hearts that seek to do the will of the Father.

At Christmas, as we celebrate the Savior given us, rejoice that we are also invited to live as His family. God’s family is called to his marvelous light, to be holy, overcome the world, to love with action and truth, show compassion, obey His commands and above all else believe in his Son. In doing so, we discover that the greatest gift of Christmas is belonging to the family God adopted us into!

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. – Ephesians 1:4-5 

See you next week!