Planet Home

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Planet Home

Emily Tenter

December 26, 2019 • Kevin Zeller • Isaiah 45:18, Revelation 21:1–5

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The spacecraft settled one last time. It was only when all was quiet that I realized I was back. I started to take my helmet off, then paused.

Could I really do it? Walk outside without a helmet? Were the computers lying to me in their atmosphere reading of 21% Oxygen, 1% argon, and 78% nitrogen?

The rest of the crew didn’t seem to think so, and they all lumbered off the ship through the airlock, struggling against 9.807 meters per second of acceleration.

I had expected blinding sunlight and sky, but the sun was veiled by clouds, and raindrops patted against my helmet as I emerged. Instead, my first impression was of green everywhere. Trees, grass, even the uniforms of the attendants who greeted us.

My suit sensor buzzed, warning me of microbial life. I silenced it with a verbal command. I hadn’t heard it during the trip, so I had forgotten it was still on.

The rest of the crew had removed their helmets, so I reached up to do the same. My fingers felt weak, but I finally managed to undo the constraints and twist the thing off.

Water sprayed me. Oxygen and argon-flavored nitrogen washed through me, filling my lungs and my blood. Invisible microbes landed on my skin and hair, like an organic blanket welcoming me back home.

For the first time in months, life surrounded me. The trees, the people, the animals, the insects, and the smallest creatures high in the atmosphere and deep in the mantle.

I was on Earth, the best place in the universe. • Kevin Zeller

• Why is Earth special in the universe that God created? How is it different from other planets and moons in

the solar system? What kinds of details did God include in making it a habitable place for humans?

• Jesus lived, died, and rose again on the earth and will return to reign on the made-new earth forever. How does this knowledge affect the way we look at our planet now?

For this is what the LORD says—the Creator of the heavens, the God who formed the earth and made it, the one who established it (he did not create it to be a wasteland, but formed it to be inhabited)—he says, “I am the LORD, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:18 (CSB)

Day 12 - Prepare Him Room

December 23, 2019 • Melissa Yeagle • Psalm 98

Pop quiz: What famous Christmas carol was based on today’s Scripture reading? If you guessed “Joy to the World,” you’re right. This psalm talks about looking forward to Jesus’s return: when He comes to judge the earth in righteousness, bringing justice for every wrong done and destroying sin and its effects (2 Peter 3:8-13; Revelation 21:1-8). . Okay, here is your second pop quiz: Can you sing the first line of “Joy to the World” without looking at the words? “Joy to the world / The Lord is come / Let earth receive her king.” In fact, this Christmas carol was originally written about Jesus’s return (or second coming) rather than His birth. . Both Jesus’s birth and His return are cause for rejoicing and singing! When Jesus came as a baby, He created a way for us to be freed from sin and death so that we could be with God forever. This is because Jesus came to earth the first time to die on the cross for our sins. If we put our trust in what He did, we are freed from sin and death. Jesus’s second coming is when He returns to dwell with His people forever. . But the second line of this carol is just as important as the first: “Let every heart prepare Him room.” Born that night in Bethlehem, Jesus came to prepare the hearts of His people to be in relationship with Him. Without Christ, our hearts long for the wrong things—going after sin instead of the God we were made to serve. . This Christmas, if you haven’t already, consider the Savior who offers to free every part of you—including your heart—from sin and death. Put your trust in the forgiveness He offers you through His death and resurrection. • Melissa Yeagle . • How does Jesus’s death and resurrection make it possible for us to be free from sin and death? Why is His return so important? (For more information, check out our "Know Jesus" page!) . • If you know Jesus, what are some ways He is freeing your heart from sin even now, through the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)? . Let the rivers clap their hands in glee! Let the hills sing out their songs of joy before the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with fairness. Psalm 98:8-9 (NLT)

Day 8 - Jesus is Fully God (Part 2)

December 25, 2019 • Taylor Eising • Matthew 2:1–12

Three wise men, three kings, three magi—who were these people? The truth is, we don’t know a lot about them. But the Bible and history together do tell us a few things. . To begin with, the Bible never says there were three. The only reason we say “three wise men” is because they gave three gifts, so historically, Christians have talked about three people. And what are they called, anyway? The technical term is magi, which is a Greek word referring to a certain group, possibly from Persia, who studied the stars. When they traveled, they tended to do so in big groups, so maybe a better title for the song “We Three Kings” would be “We Caravan of Magi.” . God showed these magi a star that predicted the coming of a great King. As they traveled, probably for months or even years, He led them to Jesus, who was about two years old at the time. They recognized Jesus as the King whose birth had long been foretold. God opened their eyes to show them that this toddler was their Savior, and they bowed down and worshiped. These travelers from afar recognized Jesus as God before most of Israel, Jesus’s own people, did! . This incredible part of the story of Christ’s birth shows that Jesus is fully God. The very stars proclaim who He is. Jesus is God, and because of His goodness and holiness, His handiwork cannot help but praise Him. His Name and His divinity are written all throughout creation, and if we earnestly seek Him, He will reveal Himself to us, so that we may join in that chorus of praise (Psalm 19:1-3; Romans 1:20). • Taylor Eising . • Why is it important that Jesus is fully God? Could His sacrifice on the cross have saved us if He wasn’t fully God? (2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:5-11) . • Has God revealed Himself to you in any unexpected ways? What are some ways that you catch glimpses of God in creation? . • It can be really hard to wrap your mind around the fact that Jesus is both completely God and completely human. It’s a divine mystery that can only be understood through faith. What questions do you have about it? Bring them to God! Who is a trusted Christian in your life you can also ask about these questions? . All Your works shall praise You, O LORD, and Your saints shall bless You. Psalm 145:10 (NKJV)

Day 7 - Jesus is Fully Human (Part 1)

December 24, 2019 • Taylor Eising • Luke 2:1–7

Sorry, guys, but I’m going to ruin Christmas for you. Jesus probably wasn’t born in a stable. Read the passage again. It doesn’t say “stable” anywhere. We usually hear about Jesus being born in a stable because it says He was laid in a manger, which is where animals eat, and in our current time and place, animals live in stables. Makes sense, right? . The problem is, in the time and place that Jesus was born, animals lived in the house. Archeologists are discovering that most homes in the area were built with one small room for the animals to sleep in at night, one larger room for the family, and one room upstairs for guests. The room for the animals had large bowl-shaped indents in the floor, called mangers, to hold the animals’ food. . Also, the Bible says Joseph had family in Bethlehem, so he and Mary would have been welcomed into a relative’s house with open arms. In that culture, failing to show hospitality brought an incredible amount of shame. When the Bible says there was “no room” for them, it probably means the upstairs guest room was full, so they stayed downstairs with the family and animals. So, when Mary gave birth, she was surrounded by family to help with the delivery. But the house was packed so full that the only place they could put Jesus was in the manger. . Why does this all matter? Well, the circumstances of His birth say something very powerful: Jesus is human. He had a relatively ordinary birth for His time and place in history. He was surrounded by the people He came to save, right from His first moments out of the womb. . Jesus experienced everything it meant to be human. Although He is also fully God, He became every bit as fleshy as we are, so that He could save every bit of who we are. • Taylor Eising . • Why is it important that Jesus is fully human? Could He have taken our place on the cross if He wasn’t fully human (John 1:14; 14:6; Romans 5:12-21)? . • How does the fact that Jesus is fully human affect your relationship with Him? . • As we study God’s Word, why is it important to understand the culture and history of the Bible? . This High Priest of ours [Jesus] understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. Hebrews 4:15 (NLT)