2025 Christmas Letter from Home (Isaiah 11:1-10)

Christmas is all about hope—hope that stretches beyond the manger to
eternity. The baby born in Bethlehem came to do more than just change the world for a moment; He came to secure our future forever. No matter how uncertain life feels, we have the promise that Jesus will return, making all things new. The same Jesus who entered our world in humble beginnings will one day return in glory, wiping away every tear and bringing eternal joy. This is the true gift of Christmas—hope that lasts forever!

Transcript

My dearest child,

Upon the arrival of every Christmas, I smile as you see your face. It’s the wonder of sharing such a space of warmth, not emanating from shallow sentimentality, but true love. And as you know, the love I have for you is oh-so-unique. The world has its way of loving, doesn’t it? Loud, glittering, and shallow, it parades through the streets with grand promises. “Follow me,” it whispers, “and you’ll finally be enough. Do more. Achieve more. Be more.” But when you stumble, when you fall short, the world’s love grows cold. It walks away, leaving you like an Edward Hopper painting. Alone.

But I am not the world. My love doesn’t depend on your performance or fade with your failures. It doesn’t keep score or run out. My love is steadfast, eternal, and deeply personal. Long before you were born, I saw you and chose you. And through your brother in faith, the prophet Isaiah, I whispered to a weary world the promise of My greatest gift to you. A gift set in motion from the moment sin entered the world, twisting and breaking what I had made, my plan that has a name: Jesus.

Remember what your brother Isaiah wrote you many centuries ago, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots, a Branch will bear fruit.” At the time, My people felt abandoned, their hopes cut down like a tree reduced to a dead stump. The dynasty of David, Jesse’s son, seemed finished. But I am the God who brings life from death. From what looked like ruin, I raised up the world’s Savior, a living shoot, tender and green, yet strong enough to bear the weight of the world’s salvation.

You see, I don’t just work through what looks strong or impressive. My Son, your dear brother, wasn’t born in a palace but in a stable. His cradle wasn’t gilded with gold but lined with hay. And yet, on that holy night, heaven and earth rejoiced because My eternal plan to save you was unfolding. He didn’t come to bask in applause or demand recognition. He came to serve. To rescue. To redeem. You. “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him,” I had Isaiah write, “the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.” Think about what that means. Every decision He made was guided by perfect wisdom. Every word He spoke was saturated with truth. Every act of love came from My heart through His hands. He saw through the shallow love of the world, past the masks people wear, and into their deepest needs. Longings. Hopes.

And do you know what He did with that perfect insight? He didn’t turn away in disappointment. He drew near. He judged not by appearances but with righteousness. He defended the poor, the powerless, the broken. He came not just to teach or inspire but to bring justice. Not the kind of justice that makes headlines—one tribe triumphing over another—but true justice. The world’s love clings to the powerful and the popular, but My Son came for the ones the world forgets. His love, truly unoffendable.

Isaiah paints a picture of what He came to do—a world where wolves lie down with lambs, where children play with delightful giggles as they hold vipers. It’s more than poetic imagery; it’s a glimpse of the peace I intend for My creation. A peace My Son came to restore. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus has begun the restoration of all things, and one day, He will finish it on the most magical Christmas of all, when he comes back for you. This is my peace for you.

This peace isn’t a fragile truce or a fleeting feeling. It’s the deep, abiding harmony of being fully known and fully loved. It’s the assurance that no matter how chaotic the world becomes, My Son’s victory over sin, death, and Satan cannot be undone. His cross and empty tomb have secured a future where all things will be made new.

But, my child, don’t wait for the undefined, unspecified “someday” to live in this peace. It’s already here. Every time you rest in My promises instead of the world’s lies, every time you reflect My Son’s love to others, the peace of His kingdom breaks into the present. The world’s love might promise freedom, but it enslaves you to its endless demands. It tells you to be your own savior, to find hope in progress, leaders, or technology. But where has that love led? Division. Fear. Exhaustion. The same old tired story. My love leads somewhere different. It leads to a manger, a cross, and an empty tomb. The story of stories. It leads to a King who doesn’t demand that you climb up to Him but who came down to you.

So as we celebrate this Christmas together, please remember this: My love for you isn’t an idea or an emotion. It’s a person—Jesus. He is My love made flesh, My promise fulfilled, My peace given to you. And His kingdom isn’t built on shifting sands or shallow promises. It’s rooted in righteousness, justice, and grace. I know the world will tell you to look elsewhere for meaning or hope. Philosophers will claim that you are your own savior, and humanists will insist that progress is the answer. But My Word tells you a better story. The hope you seek is not found within yourself or in the world around you. It is found in the One who came for you.

My child, lift your eyes from the chaos around you and see the One I sent. He came for you. Not because you had earned it, but because you are worth everything to Me. His wisdom, His power, His peace—they are yours. And He alone is the answer to all your questions. Rest in Him. Rejoice in Him. For My Son, your Brother, your Savior, is enough. It’s all true just as He has told you.

I love you with an everlasting love, Your Heavenly Father