5 Minutes with Jesus is a daily devotional series for people in the midst of real life, whether facing anxiety, grief, questions of purpose, or simply needing encouragement and connection. Hosted by Sheila Walsh, each five-minute episode offers Biblical truth, honest reflections on faith and emotions, and closes with a moment of prayer.
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| Sheila Walsh: Eternal Hope | 5 Minutes with Jesus | December 23, 2025
- Christ's crown of thorns gives us a crown of hope.
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- Holly will always be a part of christmas in our home.
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- I mean, i love the lights at the tree,
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- The ornaments and the brightly colored ribbon.
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- Every time i look at the holly, i find my heart full of praise.
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- Perhaps you too, can include a little holly in your home
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- This christmas.
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- And let it remind you of the eternal hope
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- That we have in christ.
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- A box arrived
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- On our doorstep one christmas eve while we were at church.
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- I didn't see it till later that night
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- As i was making sure the front door was locked.
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- The package was addressed to me,
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- But i didn't recognize the sender.
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- All the christmas gifts i'd ordered from
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- My family were already badly wrapped and under the trees.
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- I wasn't expecting anything else.
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- I took it upstairs
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- Into the kitchen and i opened it,
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- And it was actually a gift for me.
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- But there was no name attached to the note inside,
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- Just a simple greeting.
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- May this remind you of our hope.
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- Inside was a beautiful wreath made out of shiny, bright green
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- Holly leaves covered in red berries,
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- Perfect as a centerpiece for christmas table.
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- So i lifted out the box and as i carried it
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- Over to the table, the thorns and one of the holly leaves
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- Pricked my finger and it began to bleed.
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- I placed the wreath on the table,
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- And as i ran my finger under cold water
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- And watched
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- Little drops of scarlet blood spread out in the sink,
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- I realized what a profound reminder
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- This gift was of the true meaning of christmas.
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- A crown of thorns.
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- A crown of hope.
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- I put a bandaid on my finger,
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- Picked up my bible and sat down by the fire.
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- Barry and christian were already asleep.
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- I was enjoying the last
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- Blowing embers of the fire in the quiet of the evening.
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- We read the christmas story together that night
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- After the christmas eve service, but i decided to read further
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- As i did.
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- The symbolism of the hope
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- Represented by the rita holly became crystal clear.
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- At that time
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- There was a man in jerusalem named simeon.
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- He was righteous and devout, and was eagerly
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- Waiting for the messiah to come and rescue israel.
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- The holy spirit was upon him, and had revealed to him
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- That he would not die until he had seen the lord's messiah.
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- That day the spirit led him to the temple.
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- So when mary and joseph came to present the baby jesus
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- To the lord, as the lord required, simeon was there.
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- He took the child in his arms and praised
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- God, saying, sovereign lord, no.
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- Let your servant die in peace as you have promised.
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- I have seen your salvation,
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- Which you have prepared for all people.
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- He is a light to reveal god to the nations,
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- And he is the glory of your people.
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- Israel.
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- I can't begin to imagine what that must have been like
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- For mary and joseph.
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- It was one more glorious confirmation of the hope
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- This child would bring to the world for simeon.
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- What a miracle!
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- This old man, year after year, had faithfully
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- Made his way to the temple, waiting to see
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- The fulfillment of the promise that god had given him.
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- And now we herald that very promise in his arms.
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- He held the hope up high.
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- But then he turned to mary.
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- And what he said next must have pierced her heart
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- Like the sharpest edges of a thorn.
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- This child is destined to cause many in israel
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- To fall, and many others to rise.
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- He has been sent as a sign from god, but many will oppose him.
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- As a result, the deepest, deepest thoughts of many hearts
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- Will be revealed and a sword will pierce your very soul.
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- Sword will pierce your very soul.
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- Luke doesn't tell us how mary responded to simeon's words.
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- We can imagine.
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- She gazed into the eyes for eight days.
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- Oh, baby boy, how was such a thing possible?
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- She must have reflected on the words
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- Gabriel had told her about her son.
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- He will be very great.
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- He will be called the son of the most high.
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- He will reign over israel forever.
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- For they had been nothing about a sword.
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- Gabriel had told mary about the hope,
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- But he didn't tell her about the thorns.
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- All that luke tells us after the encounter in the temple
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- Is that mary, joseph,
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- And their precious baby returned home to nazareth,
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- Where jesus grew up,
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- Healthy and strong, with god's favor on his life.
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- As i close my bible that night,
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- I realized it was already christmas morning
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- And the last glowing embers in the fire were gone.
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- I turned off the lights and the tree,
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- Then carefully moved the holly wreath
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- From the edge to the center of the table,
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- Stood for a moment in the
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- Quiet, and thanked jesus for the hope he gives to us.
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- It cost him so much.
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- His crown of thorns gives us a crowd of hope.
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- Christ's crown of thorns gives us a crown of hope.
- 00:04:56.586 --> 00:05:01.023
- Holly will always be a part of christmas in our home.
- 00:05:01.023 --> 00:05:04.160
- I mean, i love the lights of the tree,
- 00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:05.962
- The ornaments and the brightly colored ribbon.
- 00:05:05.962 --> 00:05:09.298
- Every time i look at the holly, i find my heart full of praise.
- 00:05:09.298 --> 00:05:13.770
- Perhaps you two conclude a little holly your song
- 00:05:13.770 --> 00:05:17.073
- This christmas.
- 00:05:17.073 --> 00:05:18.274
- And let it remind you of the eternal hope
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- That we have in christ.
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- Let's pray.
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- Lord jesus christ,
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- How we pause to praise you
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- For this gift that you have given us.
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- This gift of eternal life
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- That must have been like for simeon,
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- Who had waited year after year after year in the temple,
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- And finally was holding the gift holding the hope.
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- And so, lord, in this season we hold on to you,
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- And we hold on to the hope that you have given us
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- That no one, no one, and no situation can take away.
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- And we thank you in jesus name.
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- Amen.
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