Listen to today’s devo!

One who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. (Luke 3:16)

Much of the Christmas season is about preparation. Shopping, wrapping, decorating, cooking, and family traditions drive us throughout the season and escalate all the way to Christmas Day. It can be a time of stress no matter how determined we are because we give the majority of our focus to these preparations. The word advent means “coming” in Latin, and for Christians, this season is a reminder of Jesus coming to the world and an invitation to prepare, much like John the Baptist did.

John was an important man in the line of prophets leading to the salvation plan that was coming through Christ. His God-given role was to prepare the way. Our uncreated and eternal God sent Jesus to break through into our created world. John wanted to challenge the people to whom he spoke to get ready for what God was doing. One more powerful than John was coming. God gave John the understanding that the Promised One was on his way. Although John was a great prophet and teacher, he was not the Messiah. He directed all of us to the One whose sandals he was not worthy to untie.

This Christmas, our focus should be less on our preparations, ourselves, or anything we have done and more on the One who God sent for the salvation of all.

Point others to Jesus Christ by sharing your story.

Nancy Pike is the director of creative arts and congregational care at LifeSpring Church. She recently completed a masters of pastoral ministry at Wesley Seminary.

© 2021 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.