Christmas Family Devotional 2025, Week Four: God’s Kingdom Will Come – “The Returning King”

Week Number Four

God’s Kingdom Will Come – “The Returning King”

Scripture: 

Note- Today is two portions that flow together in the Bible.

Revelation 20:11–15:  “11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Revelation 21:1-5: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

The life and mission of Jesus began with the manger, and it did not end with the cross or even His Resurrection back from the dead to life. It continues with God's promise that one day Jesus will return—not as a humble baby, but as the conquering King who will rule and judge the world. This is the hope we cling to: Jesus will make all things right. Every injustice, every pain, every tear will be answered when He comes again. We will also have to give an account before God for how we lived our life, followers of Jesus and those who do not follow him.

At Christmas, we celebrate His first coming, when He came in humility to save us. But we also look forward to His second coming, when He will come in glory to reign forever. The sweet baby in the manger is also the powerful King of Kings!

This truth reminds us that our lives are not just about today. They are about eternity. Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead, and those who belong to Him will live with Him forever in His perfect kingdom. That’s why Christmas is more than just a holiday—it’s a reminder of the greatest hope we have: Jesus is coming again!

Discussion Questions

• How does it make you feel to know Jesus will return as King of Kings? Excited, fearful or something else?
• Why do you think God chose for Jesus to come first in humility and later in glory?
• What does it mean to live today with eternity in mind? What would you change about how you are living now?
• How can you share the hope of Jesus’ return with someone who feels hopeless or discouraged?

Prayer

Pray together as a family. Take turns speaking out who He is and why He is good to us. Thank God for sending Jesus the first time to save us, and thank Him for the promise that Jesus will return again. Ask Him to help you live with hope and courage, knowing that Jesus is the King who will make all things right. Pray for those who don’t yet know Him, that they would be ready for His return and find joy in His kingdom.

(All content copyright Mark Taft.)

Christmas Family Devotional 2025, Week Three: God’s Love Is Stronger – “From the Manger to the Cross”

Week Three of Four

God’s Love Is Stronger – “From the Manger to the Cross”

Scripture: John 3:16–17  

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

The Christmas story doesn’t end with the baby in the manger. It's only the beginning of the world's greatest story! The manger points to the cross Jesus would die on to save us. That's the most important piece of the story and the one that is often forgotten. 

The whole Bible points to this very big truth and then what happens when Jesus returns to judge and rule the world. The story is an adventure and a mystery at times, but most importantly, it is a love story about the One True God who loves the people He created. That's me, you, and the people on this earth.

Jesus died in place of you! Yes, that’s how much God loves you. He saw how our sin hurts the people He loves. He saw how it hurts us, too! He saw the brokenness in our world—the hate, the fear, the ways of living that bring pain to His heart. He knew He had to step in because we couldn't fix any of it. Without Him, we'd be totally lost. We'd have no hope, no purpose, no joy. And our eternal future would be pretty awful!

When we look at Jesus, we see the Father’s love in action. It’s not a distant, “maybe someday” kind of love. It’s real, personal, and strong enough to change our lives.  He is the very definition of love, and He is the Conquering King who will return to earth one day! 

Discussion Questions

• What does God’s love shown through Jesus mean to you personally?
• If you really believed God’s love is that strong, how might it change the way you live, the way you treat others—or yourself?
• Who in your life needs to see this kind of love through you this Christmas? How can you show it?
• Who do you know that needs to understand this story about why God sent Jesus to the earth? Try practicing how to tell them.

Prayer

Describe back to God all His characteristics. Tell Him why you love Him. Then ask Him to give you strength to live for Him. Think about the people you know who do not know Him. Talk to God about them by name, and ask Him to show them who He is and how much He loves them.

(All content copyright Mark Taft.)

Christmas Family Devotional 2025, Week Two: God Keeps His Promises – “The Plan All Along”

Week Two of Four

God Keeps His Promises – “The Plan All Along”

Scripture: Matthew 1:21–23 

“She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. … and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).”

Long before Jesus was born- in fact all the way back to the beginning of history- in the book of Genesis in Chapter 3, God promised that He would send someone to rescue people from their sin. He himself would pay the penalty we should be paying for its consequences. God himself loved us so much that He decided to fix the problem. All through history, people waited and even at times wondered if God would really follow through with what He said He would do. Those people whose hearts trusted God pleased Him, and they were seen as being in right standing with God even before Jesus showed up on the earth.

True to His word, Jesus the perfect sacrifice for our sin, did show up and right on time. His name “Immanuel” means God with us. That’s huge! It means God didn’t just send someone else to clean us our big mess; He came and did it Himself. No one else in Heaven or on Earth could do what Jesus accomplished! Jesus didn’t show up just to be a nice teacher or do miracles. He came to take away sin—the stuff in our hearts and the bad choices we make that separates us from God. He alone bring us back into a right relationship with Him.

God’s plan was always to rescue, not reject. That’s who He is: a Father who keeps His promises and does whatever it takes to bring His children home. What it took was living a perfect life and then going even further to die on a cross for our sin. Who else could have done that? No one!

Discussion Questions

• What does it mean to you that God is “with us”? How does this change or affect the way you live?
• Can you think of a time when it was hard to trust someone to keep a promise? How is God different?
• Has God given you a promise from the Bible? Have you seen it happen yet? How do you feel about that?
• How could you reflect God’s faithfulness by being someone others can count on?

Prayer

Stop and Thank God for who He is and what He accomplished. Tell Him the things that are on your heart- what you want and need from Him. Then tell Him the things you've done wrong or some of the bad thoughts you've had. Ask Him to forgive you and to give you strength to live in a way that pleases Him.

(All content copyright Mark Taft.)

Christmas Family Devotional 2025, Week One: God Shows His Heart – “The Gift in a Manger”

The period of preparation for Christmas Day has always seemed to us the right time to try new ways of drawing our kids to Jesus. This happened year round too, but seemed so much more relevant when the season is sometimes focused on everything but what is most important and eternal. We realized that all too often, our kids would see us busy with activity and busyness. Shopping, decorating, and cooking, in addition to all the parties and gatherings we attend, kept us very busy. Although it was all fun, it was a lot of work- especially for the Moms! 

Taking our eyes off the true reason for family celebration, we often fell into a trap of anger, impatience, and frustration. There was a sense of deep struggle as we tried make sure our kids really understood that all these things only point to a greater event- the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We thought, "How can this change?", so we put together these Family Devotionals. We've been sharing these on line now for many years as a source of encouragement to you.

We've set this up so that the devotional is split into four segments, with the final one giving you many days before Christmas morning to complete it all. Part Two will arrive here on the blog December 8. Part Three hits a week later on the 15th, and the final part December 22.

Our goal as parents is to train our children in the ways of the Lord and to see our children own a personal, ongoing, life-changing relationship with God. If you want to use this with your children, grandchildren, or children you love, consider these suggestions:  

1.  Make this doable. Try to commit to a family devotional time.  Decide on a practical time. Avoid setting yourself up for failure. Adjust it as necessary so they enjoy the time- but also expect some “pushback”.  Remember, it’s about the relationship not the accomplishment. Guard against any discouragement if it doesn’t go as well as you wish, and be sure to guard against pride if it does.

2. Print this and keep this devotional on the dinner table. Explain to your kids why the book is there. Someone is bound to remember.

3. Model praying for your kids. It will be easier for them if they follow your lead. Praise and confession may be vague terms for younger ones. Explain the words. Start simply: “Lord, I praise you for being the God who loves us”, or   “I confess  I was mean to my sister today. Forgive me for hurting her feelings”.

4. Be honest with your family what you are praying for including your own sin and weakness. It models prayer to them as well as keeps you accountable.

5. If you have older children, allow them to share the responsibility of reading the verses. Leading them to Him is the goal. 

----------

Week One of Four

God Shows His Heart – “The Gift in a Manger”

Scripture: Luke 2:10–11

“And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’”

Imagine you’re one of the shepherds that night. You're just out there doing your job, looking after sheep. You think no one is paying attention to you or even appreciates your hard work. Suddenly the sky lights up with angels announcing good news of great joy. That’s not something that happens every night!

This “Good News” wasn’t just about a baby being born—it was about what that baby meant and the mission He came to accomplish. He was a touchable God! Through Jesus, God was showing His heart. He wasn’t distant or angry. He wasn’t unreachable. God the Father wanted the world to know that He cares deeply, loves completely, and came to pay the price for our sin. My sin. Your sin. All this so we can live in harmony with Him now. And we can spend eternity with Him instead of being separated from Him.  

Think about that! The Creator of the Universe came to us in the most gentle, humble way possible. If we were the ones to choose how God would make his presence on the earth known, we might want Him to come in a great show of power. But not the God who created all things. He had a different and much better idea! That’s what God is like—He comes close when we need Him most- and His ideas are always better than ours.

When we look at Jesus, we see what God the Father is really like too. Jesus is kind, patient, forgiving, full of compassion and willing to sacrifice on our behalf. That’s God’s heart too.

Discussion Questions

• Why do you think God chose to send Jesus as a baby instead of as a powerful king or warrior?
• What does it show you about God’s character that He wanted to be close to us?
• How can you show God’s kindness to someone who might feel left out or overlooked this week?
• Who can you tell about Jesus and his wonderful plan for us?

Prayer

Stop and pray together as a family. Thank God for who he is. Then, stop and thank him for his wonderful gift! 

(All content copyright Mark Taft.)