Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. Luke 2:10-11 NIV
It’s almost 2026. How do we know that? The calendar, of course. So how did we get the calendar? It began in ancient times; people watching nature, noticing days, moon cycles (months), and the Earth going around the Sun (years) to know when to plant and harvest crops. There are numerous verses in the Bible that refer to those things. Some ancient cultures made calendars based on the moon (lunar) or sun (solar), but they didn't quite match up. The Romans had a 10-month calendar, then added more, naming months after gods (March for Mars) or numbers (September for seventh). Around 45 BC, Julius Caesar made a new, more accurate 12-month calendar that mostly matched the sun's year (365 days). To fix the extra quarter-day, he added a day to February every four years (a leap year), which is why we have February 29.
Even Caesar's calendar wasn't perfect, and by 1582, it was off. Pope Gregory XIII ordered a fix by removing 10 days and making a new rule for leap years (not every 100 years, unless divisible by 400, like the year 2000). This is the calendar used by most countries today, called the Gregorian calendar.
So why are we thinking about the calendar? Well, I think of it every single year at this time. I am absolutely convinced that God uses every single thing to speak to us if we are open to see Him and hear His voice. Does that mean He directed Julius Caesar and Pope Gregory to do this? No, I’m not saying that. I’m saying that God USES the calendar as it is set up to give me and anyone who takes it as a gift to draw close to Him and empower our lives. It's like this: Isn’t it wonderful how the special days/holidays line up to enable us to enter a new year with confidence and joy? In November, the next to last month of the year, we celebrate Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving closely mirrors the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. Both are autumn celebrations focused on deep gratitude for God's provision, and sharing with family and community. Some historians suggest the Pilgrims patterned their first feast on this tradition.
Cultivating gratitude leads us strongly into marking the coming of Jesus Christ, focusing on His birth, His presence in our lives, His Kingdom, and His coming again. We celebrate and worship all month, leading up to Christmas Day. We are fresh with hope, peace, joy, and love (the focus of the advent Sundays) to enter the New Year, exactly one week after Christmas. Could it be any more perfect? The calendar is a great gift from God to me. The Savior has come! A grateful me is walking strong with Jesus into 2026!
- One of the best habits is to take the last week of the year to give thanks for the past year, make goals with God for the new year, and spend special time getting closer to Jesus. How will you do that?