Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed One — “Christ” is not the family name of Jesus. It is a title. The Greek word “Christ” and the Hebrew word “Messiah” both mean the same thing: “The Anointed One.” Anointing was the practice of pouring liquid over the head of someone to signify selection for some special task. When the Lord had someone anointed, he also poured his Spirit over them. It was the fulfillment of promises made over centuries.

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This week, we celebrate the Festival of the Holy Innocents—remembering the massacre of the innocent baby boys King Herod had ordered in search of the threat to his throne…Jesus. We remember the children God calls for us to care for, protect, and equip. We look to the Christ-child to find hope as we remember the children who have died, who are lost, who suffer, who live, and who we serve in the love and truth of our Savior and King, Jesus Christ. Every child matters to God and so…every child matters to us at every stage of development.

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From eternity, Jesus has been God, holy and majestic. When we look tenderly at the holy infant, we are looking at the same God who once told the prophet Moses, “No one may see me and live.” Yet, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds all saw their holy God and survived. How? God became human, hiding his glory within flesh, so that he could come to us without instilling fear or dread. A famous theologian once said, “We are to think of the Lord’s birth, where the Word became flesh, not as a past event which we recall, but as a present reality on which we gaze.” It’s not that Christ the Savior was born. It’s that Christ the Savior is born.

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John pointed to Jesus and said, “Look—the Lamb of God!” He pointed to the one who actually takes away guilt and gives real hope. Through Jesus, God brings forgiveness, peace, and a future we can trust. This Christmas, our hearts are made ready when we turn to him and discover the hope he offers—and like the first disciples, we’re invited to share that hope with others.

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Zechariah’s voice had been silent for months, yet when he finally spoke, he celebrated God’s faithfulness. God had kept his promises and was bringing salvation to the world. His song reminds us that we don’t have to face life’s uncertainties alone—God’s mercy and faithfulness give our hearts confidence as we wait for Christmas.

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Mary wasn’t rich, powerful, or famous. She was an ordinary young woman. Yet through her, God brought his Savior into the world—the one who would lift up the humble and bring hope to all people. Mary’s story reminds us that Christmas isn’t about what we do for God, but about what God has done—and is still doing—for the world.

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The Christmas season often leaves us feeling scattered and stretched thin. But what if the best preparation isn’t about doing more, but about coming home? John the Baptist’s birth was announced as part of God’s plan to turn people’s hearts back to him. This Advent begins with God inviting us home—to forgiveness, peace, and a fresh start.

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Friends, as we approach Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s — those weighty, silent moments of reflection when the room grows still and our hearts start to whisper “why me?” — this episode offers a different question from the lips of Jesus: “What is that to you? You follow me.” I am going to share a deeply personal monologue based on my latest book project entitled: What Is That to You: Following Jesus Through the Unwanted. In this book, I will be exploring how the theology of the cross collides with our modern hunger for control, comfort, and success. But for this podcast, my prayer is that in this season of gratitude and longing, we can discover and rediscover together how the unwanted places in your life might just be where Jesus is doing His best work.

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