My favorite time of year is the Christmas season. The Jury household decks the home with Christmas decorations. One of our annual traditions is going as a family to cut our Christmas tree. Decorating the tree is a big deal for family night.

I also love leading the church I pastor through the Christmas season. December is probably the busiest time of the year at my church. With the hanging of the greens fellowship, the caroling to the shut-ins, the Christmas cantata, and the Christmas Eve service, we pack the calendar, at least for a small church like ours.

Each Christmas I preach a series of messages on the doctrine of Christ. In some years the series focuses on the nativity account and various topics related to it. In other years the series focuses on other aspects of Christ’s person and work.

The Scriptures abound with promises of Christ’s coming. The Psalms are not devoid of these promises. In fact the Psalms contain some of the most beautifully worded promises of Christ’s coming.

While believers are generally divided into two camps concerning the timing of Christ’s Advents, one thing is certain. Christ came as the Babe in the manger, and He will come again to take believers to be with Him. Whenever the Second Advent may be, the First Advent made it possible. In this way we find difficulty separating the two advents. In fact the Bible often portrays one Advent with two aspects or phases.

The Psalms foretell of Christ’s advent, and four psalms were chosen specifically because of their connection with Christ’s First Advent. I have called the four psalms “The Christmas Psalms”. My personal hope and prayer is that you, the reader, will be encouraged in your walk with Christ no matter what the season may be.

May God bless the proclamation of His Word, multiplying it as the five loaves and two fishes.

Matt Jury