The Light of Christ has Come! Celebrating Christmas
- Anna Portillo
- Dec 26, 2025
- 2 min read
CHRISTMAS 2025
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Advent is a season of waiting, longing, hoping, remembering…looking forward to the celebration of Christmas: of the entrance of Christ the Savior into a dark, groaning world. Today, as we celebrate the birth of the Savior, we look back on the weeks of watching and waiting, and rejoice to see His faithfulness. The first Sunday of Advent, as we lit the candle of hope foretold, we remembered that God had a plan of salvation, even from the beginning and the fall of man in Genesis 3. The second week of Advent, we saw the unfolding of this plan, as the prophets told that God knew His love would be displayed in Bethlehem in the perfect timing, as He sent His Son to be incarnate. In the third week of Advent, the light grew as we lit a third candle alongside the first two. This third week of Advent pointed to the shepherd’s joy, as they saw these long-awaited promises coming true, and given to lowly people like themselves. And this past week of Advent, we lit the fourth candle reminding us that the Angels heralded peace at the Messiah’s birth: HIS incarnation, HIS coming into the world brings peace on a cosmic level: peace between God and man, as the Savior reconciles ruined sinners to Himself, and promises to bring them into His eternal Kingdom of peace.
As we come to Christmas, we light the final candle on the Advent wreath: the central candle of the wreath, and the heart of the promises of Advent. It is the candle that invites us to celebrate this Christmas because the light of Christ has ... [click here to read more]
Anna Portillo is the wife of HLI's Executive Director, José Portillo. Aside from being a wife and mother, Anna is a freelance author and editor in her spare time, with a number of published books and devotionals for adults and children. She also writes regularly for the Retratos blog, and serves in Women's ministries and in leading worship and Vive Charlotte Church.
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