Throughout this Advent season for 2022, we will seek to grow deeper in our understanding of the free gifts available to us through Christ and His coming. These are gifts we cannot earn and do not deserve.

Christmas is a time to celebrate the presence that came at that first Christmas, and it’s an opportunity for all to receive the greatest gift in Christ. It is no accident that gift giving is a part of Christmas since Christmas itself is a great gift!

-There are a lot of words that we use to describe Christmas: joy, peace, wonder. But rarely do we talk about mercy. Of all the gifts we could talk about, mercy doesn't seem very high on the list.
-But it was first on Mary’s list. In these moments of worship, she celebrates the gift of Jesus as a gift of mercy.
-In case we might miss the significance, Mary then concludes with another declaration of mercy: "[the Lord] remembering to be merciful" (verse 54).

-Jesus' life was a rescue mission, our rescue mission.
-We could not rescue ourselves from sin. And we deserved whatever we had coming to us. Instead, we received a Savior.
-The greatest act of mercy is a Father sending his own Son to show us the way back to the Father.

Verses for further study/reflection:
Luke 1:67-80
1 Peter 1:3
Psalm 145:9
James 2:13
Matthew 5:7
Hebrews 4:16
Ephesians 1:7
Acts 10:43