December 23rd Devotion

What Does “Noel” Mean?
By Meg Bucher

Today's Bible Verse: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” - Luke 2:11

Noel, another word for Christmas, reminds us to stop and sing of the hope we have in Jesus. Noël, the French word for Christmas, came from the Latin word natalis, meaning “birth.”

A “Christmas Cactus" only blooms during the Christmas season. I forget to water it most of the winter, re-pot it in the spring, and continue to forget about it. But my plant continues to survive beyond my ability to care for it. Annually, the first week of Advent (Christmas), it begins to flower. It’s in a pot of fairly dry dirt… on my desk… in Northern Ohio… and it’s a cactus. Yet God says, “it’s time.”

Noel is a birthday! We define time as an appointed, fixed, or customary moment or hour for something to happen, begin, or end. (Merriam-Webster)Behind every human being is a baby in a womb whose life began to God’s whisper, “it’s time.” We can trust the Author of Life, and the proof is Jesus. In the town of David, God said, “it’s time,” and born was the Savior of the world. Jesus, born to hold, nurture, and love us; came to us as a vulnerable baby boy who needed to be held, nurtured and loved.

“He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.” - John 1:10-13

Each morning, I faithfully clean and prepare my glasses for the day with special cloth and spray. It’s worth it to me. I appreciate the view. Guess what? They’re shatterproof, too. My vision is protected.

When Zechariah lost his ability to see God clearly, his speech left with it. He doubted the vision he saw. He questioned the message. At his son’s birth, his speech returned. Jesus restored our hope with His. Might something we were previously unaware of be blocking Him from our vision?

The b-side of birth lies beyond God’s creation of our physicality. He built the possibility of hope into our DNA. A gift of grace allowed by the sacrifice of the baby boy born in the town of David. The opportunity to break free and follow Him home. The power of purpose as our feet tread the dirt of this Earth. When Christ is our personal Savior, the silence is lifted and our vision realigned… like getting new pair of shatterproof glasses. In a fresh hug of friendship defined, we are born… again. Believe. See…

“Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel… born is the King of Israel.”
“Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel… born is the King of Israel.”

-The First Noel Christmas Carol

Take time to sing in celebration! Jesus was born to save us. It’s not just any birthday celebration. Christmas is the love of the Father and peace of the Son that transcends the encapsulation of time. Birth is the emergence of a new individual from the body of its parent (Merriam-Webster.) God said, “it’s time,” and like the wind blows when He says and the seas calm at His hand, Heaven came to earth embodied in His Son. We not only get to partake in this love story …we are the center of it. Can you see it? Noel! It’s time.