Advent-ure 2020 December 10: I AM (A COVID Christmas)

Jesus has promised to be with us as we carry out His mission.  His constant presence can sustain us 
when we are confronted with difficult choices. He is our I AM, according to the Scriptures. And, He teaches in Matthew 28:
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. 

Christ has come to save - we were once separated from Him by sin, but He died on a cross and rose from the dead so that we could experience a right relationship with God and to know His power to fulfill what Jesus said in Matthew 28, known as the Great Commission.  In verse 20, He reassured believers of His abiding presence.  He is with us, and He wants us to draw near to Him, even in and especially in the difficult seasons of life. 

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In John 8, we find that Jesus is involved in a rather tense exchange with the Pharisees, religious leaders of the day. They were invoking the name of Abraham in an attempt to discredit Jesus. He responded to them and said:
(54) "...If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.
55 Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."
57 Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"
58 Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."

In Revelation 1, the Bible says, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

We have reached Day 10 of the 25-day Christmas Advent-ure, our Advent Guide at Faith Radio, with the theme, "Call His Name."  Today, we focus on another name of Jesus, another one He used for Himself: I AM.

I AM - the Son of God, who has always been, present at creation, and seated on the throne of God forever.  The One who is available with us day by day, moment by moment.

And, we recognize and celebrate His birth during this season of the year.  Even though some Christmas activities may be altered due to the coronavirus and some canceled altogether, because Jesus lives, we still have the opportunity to observe this special season.  The summary of a new LifeWay Research study states this very simple fact:

A new study from Nashville-based LifeWay Research found 93% of American adults say they celebrate Christmas. That number is essentially unchanged from a decade ago when 91% said the same in a 2010 LifeWay Research survey.

However, about two out of three of those surveyed "noted at least one change they plan to make this year due to COVID-19."

Regarding holiday travel and the potential for gathering with family:

35% of Americans say they expect to spend less time visiting with family at Christmas this year.

Around half (47%) say their plans remain the same, while 13% plan to visit family more due to COVID. Few (5%) say such family visits aren’t typically part of their Christmas celebrations.

For most, the amount of gift-giving will not be affected, with 67% saying the level will remain consistent with the past; however, 20% will give less.  9% will give more. 

The level of participation in a church service during the Christmas season will be altered for some, with a little over a third saying their participation will be consistent with the past. A quarter say "the pandemic makes them less likely to attend a Christmas church service this year." 11% say they are actually more likely. Plus, "27% say their Christmas celebrations usually don’t involve churchgoing."

The summary also states that: "Around 3 in 5 adults (59%) say their spiritual reflections this year will stay the same, but 19% say they expect it to increase."

Scott McConnell, Executive Director of LifeWay Research, says: “Some Americans are reacting to the effects of COVID-19 by doubling down with plans to celebrate more,” adding, “Other Americans will scale back their traditions likely due to safety, finances or their state of mind.” He also relates, “Almost 9 in 10 Americans typically do some spiritual reflection at Christmas...Personal time considering why God would come in the flesh isn’t affected by health or financial concerns, so it’s not surprising that about twice as many Americans will do more of this than less for Christmas this year.”

We are now well into the Advent season, with the third Sunday of Advent coming up this weekend, and Christmas Day arriving - yes, it will arrive - two weeks from tomorrow.  And, perhaps the events of this year call for more intense reflection and seeking God during what has been a challenging year.  We recognize that the challenges we face will not end when the clock strikes midnight on December 31 - a new year will not mark the cessation of our troubles.  But, we can be reliant on the Christ of Christmas, who came to be our Savior, friend, and guide - the One who is with us through the choices and challenges of life - He is our I AM.

Things may be different regarding our observance of Christ's birth this year, but still potentially very meaningful.  And, these changes can provide opportunities for us to draw near to the Lord.