A Very Matthew Christmasಮಾದರಿ

Dear believer,

In English, the word Fulfillment is made up of 11 letters. Three syllables. It means: To achieve, complete. To realize.

In Greek, it's a shorter word, punchier. It means to cram, level up, or to furnish, satisfy, execute, finish, or verify.

I’m a math guy. I collected taxes. I kept accounts. So maybe I like these words more than your average person.

But no matter what language you speak and no matter what your background or personality type, those definitions probably appeal to you in some way.

We like to see things get done, don’t we? To realize dreams. To achieve goals. We want to execute a job and finish well. And we’re geared to verify that something is complete, accurate, true. That’s why we have search engines!

So what does any of this have to do with Christmas? Well, my friends, Jesus is all about Fulfillment.

The fulfillment of scripture, the fulfillment of prophecy, the fulfillment of God's plan of redemption for all time.

And he got the job done. The job no one else could do. He lived a perfect life and was a perfect offering for our sin. He measured up to God’s holy standard. This, my friends, is verified, accurate, and true.

He is the realization of all our hopes as humanity.

If you read my Gospel, the first few chapters repeat the phrase “this was to fulfill what the prophet said…” over and over and over again.

Boom, boom, boom: one after the other. Jesus walked on earth and fulfilled prophecy after prophecy. It’s normal if your jaw drops in awe when you see all that Jesus fulfilled in the scriptures!

But, my friends, he didn’t come to earth to just check off a list of predicted events. He came to fulfill the greatest cry of our hearts. Jesus came to earth to bridge the gap between God and humanity, to restore us to the Father.

Jesus brings deep, soul-restoring fulfillment to our lives and fulfills all the promises and hopes of God.

As you gear up for Christmas, remember that!

Sincerely,

Your friend Matthew

Light the candle of Advent

As we prepare our hearts for Christmas by lighting the candle today, may we remember that Jesus came to fulfill what we could not accomplish, and the result is peace in our hearts.