Daily Advent Reflection & Creche Exhibit

“Journey to Bethlehem”
Creche Exhibit & Virtual Pilgrimage
December 20, 2024

Welcome to the St. Gregory's Episcopal Church virtual "Journey to Bethlehem". During these days of Advent, as we prepare our hearts for the arrival of Jesus, we will present creche scenes from various countries throughout the world. Our hope is to share the beautiful tapestry of cultural images of the Holy Family. We'll also share a brief explanation of the creche and a reflection taken from John Piper's "Good News of Great Joy". Our hope is that this journey will be a blessing to you as you prepare your hearts to be the dwelling place of the Christ Child.

For the people of Nigeria, Christmas is a truly celebratory season! The match firecracker, known as knockout or banger, has emerged as the go-to unofficial notification system for the Nigerian Christmas season. Nigerians celebrate the season with carols, decorations, and delicious food. Chicken is the Nigerian Christmas mascot. Rich families can buy goats, ram, or cow, but a typical Nigerian Christmas is incomplete without the chicken. What characterises the Christmas period is that Christians, who celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, give cooked food to non-Christians, especially in Northern Nigeria. This beautiful creche scene is created by artisans from Nigeria.

The assembly line of Satan turns out millions of sins every day. He packs them into huge cargo planes and flies them to heaven and spreads them out before God and laughs and laughs and laughs. Some people work full-time on the assembly line. Others have quit their jobs there and only now and then return. Every minute of work on the assembly line makes God the laughingstock of Satan. Sin is Satan’s business because he hates the light and beauty and purity and glory of God. Nothing pleases him more than when creatures distrust and disobey their Maker. Therefore, Christmas is good news for man and good news for God. “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). That’s good news for us. “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). That is also good news for God. Christmas is good news for God because Jesus has come to lead a strike at Satan’s assembly plant. He has walked right into the plant, called for the solidarity of the faithful, and begun a massive walkout. Christmas is a call to go on strike at the assembly plant of sin. No negotiations with the management. No bargaining. Just single-minded, unswerving opposition to the product. We won’t be a part of making it anymore. Christmas solidarity aims to ground the cargo planes. It will not use force or violence, but with relentless devotion to truth it will expose the life-destroying conditions of the devil’s industry. Christmas solidarity will not give up until a complete shutdown has been achieved. When sin has been destroyed, God’s name will be wholly exonerated. No one will be laughing anymore. If you want to give a gift to God this Christmas, walk off the assembly line of sin and don’t go back. Take up your place in the picket line of love. Join Christmas solidarity until the majestic name of God is cleared, and he stands glorious amid the accolades of the righteous.

John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. For more than thirty years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis. He is author of more than fifty books, and his sermons, articles, books, and more are available free of charge at desiringGod.org.

By John Piper. © Desiring God Foundation. Source: desiringGod.org