All Nations Have Come to Worship Jesus Today

Special Christmas Eve Devotional Thought

Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)

12/24 Reading Portions: 2 Chronicles 29; Revelation 15; Zechariah 11; John 14

Revelation 15:4

“Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed.”

CHRISTMAS

Surely, I’ve taught, preached, and have written devotionals stating that Jesus was not born on December 25th, or even this time of year, according to Scripture (you can check out last year’s Christmas day devotional for some of that). Yet I have also taught that we should be celebrating the incarnation of God’s only Son every day of the year. Tonight, I’d like us to consider in this special “Christmas Eve” devotional how this verse has been fulfilled in one sense. What do I mean by this? Because I’ve preached for so many years that Jesus wasn’t born at this time of year, I’ve also been asked on a few occasions why a sovereign, almighty God has let an error as such go on for nearly two-thousand years (the tradition of Christ’s birth near the winter solstice seems to have started around the fourth century AD). While there are groups like the Joshua Project, Global Frontier Missions, and others who will readily inform us that there are many, many unreached people groups who have not yet heard the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, the gospel in one sense is in every nation today. It’s because of “Christmas.” Every nation across the globe has believers residing in those countries who are celebrating the incarnation of God’s only Son, just as it is written, “All nations will come and worship You.” What a wonderful thought because our Savior is worthy of all worship. Moreover, as far as Christ’s imminent return, and His words, stating that this gospel must be proclaimed to all nations (Mark 13:10), that was technically and biblically fulfilled on that Pentecostal Day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples at the Temple Mount, in the House of the LORD:

Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. Acts 2:5

Hallelujah! What a Savior! Perhaps this is why we sing “Joy to the World” at this time of year, a hymn written by Isaac Watts about the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Shout for joy and clap your hands,
Lift praises to our King;
His name is known in every land:
Let’s celebrate and sing!