Tis’ the season, of bells jingling, gift-giving, and eggnog lattes flowing. These “Christmasy” things are warm and comforting to think about and experience. But as wonderful as those comforts are, they are quite limited in their power to truly console. We look for consolation during this time of the year because it is likewise a time of reflection. And it has been another tough year.

As we reflect, we may notice that the Christmas season is a strange paradox of joy-filled celebrations, as well as a sobering reminder that the world is deeply broken.

In the Bible, the people of Israel likewise experienced a paradoxical reality. On one hand, they experienced one traumatic event after another. And on the other hand, they were able to remain grounded in who they were as a people and hopeful of where God was leading them.

This was a result of the Israelites' deep trust in God’s promise of coming to be with them. This unimaginable promise is The Consolation of Israel. The Messiah, the Creator of time and space entered creation itself to rescue and save.

As we shall see in this series, God’s people for generations were casting their gaze heavenward until one fateful night when a star blazed in the night sky, unlike anything they had ever seen before…

God had finally come.