As we enter the final days of Advent, we reflect on Paul’s introduction to the Romans, which reminds us that Jesus is the long-promised fulfillment of the entire scriptural narrative. We recognize that Jesus was never a “last resort” for a failing humanity, but rather God’s intentional “Plan A” from the very beginning of creation. By drawing parallels between the Old Testament journey of Israel and the life of Christ, we see that the Gospel is the completion of a story God has been telling for ages. We understand that just as the shepherds in Bethlehem transitioned from raising sacrificial lambs to witnessing the ultimate Lamb of God, we are invited to trust that God’s plan for redemption is consistent, purposeful, and currently at work in our lives.

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It is Christmas week! It’s wonderful to be with you on this Monday morning. Christmas is just two days away, and I hope you are ready. If you haven’t finished your shopping yet, I saw a meme that might give you peace: it said, “You need to stop tracking that package; it’s in God’s hands now.” So, if you are still waiting on Amazon, go with God!

Just a bit of housekeeping for our final week of Advent: We will have reflections today, tomorrow (Christmas Eve), and a special devotion on Christmas Day. For Christmas Day, I’ll be sharing my message from the Christmas Eve service so you can enjoy a deeper reflection that morning. Then, I’ll be taking some time off between Christmas and New Year’s, likely returning with a New Year’s Day reflection.

Today’s reading comes from Romans 1:1-7. Romans is a favorite for many, and it sets the stage perfectly for the arrival of Christ.

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Let’s look at the opening of Paul’s letter to the Romans:

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The Calling of Paul

As a quick reminder, Paul was a Pharisee whom the Lord Jesus appeared to on the road to Damascus. He left his old life behind to become the “Apostle to the Gentiles.” In a biblical sense, an apostle is someone to whom Jesus physically appeared and gave a specific purpose. While Peter was largely sent to the Jews, Paul was sent to the Gentiles (the non-Jewish world).

Paul describes himself as “set apart” for a Gospel that was promised long ago through the prophets. This reminds us that the birth of Jesus wasn’t a random event; it was the culmination of the entire Old Covenant.

The Shepherds and the Sacrificial Lamb

I want to share a small “revelation” I had while visiting Bethlehem in the Holy Land. We were looking at the fields where the shepherds kept their flocks. Because Bethlehem is so close to Jerusalem, many of the sheep raised there were destined for the Temple. When Jesus cleared the Temple of the money changers and the animals being sold for sacrifice, those animals likely came from shepherds just like the ones in Bethlehem.

It struck me: The first ones to hear the news of the New Covenant were the ones keeping the Old Covenant. The shepherds raising sheep for the sacrificial system were the first to hear of the coming of the Great High Priest. Jesus came to be the final atonement, rendering the sacrificial system of sheep and goats no longer necessary. He didn’t come to destroy the Law; He came to fulfill it.

Plan A, Not Plan B

Sometimes we treat the birth of Jesus as if God had tried everything else—the Prophets, Moses, David—and when nothing worked, He finally sent Jesus as a last resort.

But Jesus was not God’s “Plan B.” He was the plan all along.

The stories of the Old and New Testaments run in beautiful parallels because Jesus is the embodiment of Israel’s story. Just as God called His people out of Egypt in the Exodus, the Holy Family fled to Egypt to escape Herod and returned at the appropriate time. Just as Israel was tested in the wilderness for 40 years, Jesus was tested in the wilderness for 40 days.

Jesus is the “Lamb slain from the foundations of the world.” God always had a plan to redeem humanity and all of creation.

As we enter these next few days of beauty and mystery, let that truth wash over you. God has a plan. He knew what He was doing in Jesus, and He knows what He is doing now. Trust in Him.

Have a great day, and we will see you tomorrow for “Christmas Eve-Eve!”