Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Second Day of Christmas

Posted on December 26, 2018 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
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Scripture: Malachi 4:1-6 (NKJV)
 
4:1 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up,” says the LORD of hosts, “That will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; And you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. 3 You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this,” says the LORD of hosts.
 
4 “Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.
 
5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. 6 And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.”
 
Devotion
 
“On the Second Day of Christmas my true love gave to me…” Over the years there have been many versions of this Christmas song with various gifts being given. The most important thing to note about this song is its reminder that the season of Christmas began on Christmas Eve and lasts for twelve days. As Christians we have the great joy of celebrating the birth of our Lord over the course of twelve days.
 
But there is more to Jesus than just His birth. As we know, He is the One who lived a perfect life, died our death, and was raised again for our justification. But the promise we celebrate at Christmas has one last chapter. On this Second Day of Christmas we listen to the words of the prophet Malachi: “For behold, the day is coming…”
The day is coming when our Lord will return. It will be a day of Law and a day of Gospel. Those who reject the Lord will be cast into the outer darkness. There they will suffer in never-ending punishment for their sins which they could have easily escaped had they trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins.
 
The thought of never-ending punishment can bring fear to the hearts of Christians, too. The Holy Spirit leads us to know that we “justly deserved Thy temporal and eternal punishment.” Yet, as Malachi proclaims, “But to you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings.” Even when we begin to doubt, and fear comes over us, the Holy Spirit brings us the eternal gift of the Gospel of forgiveness for our sins. Merry Christmas!
 
We pray: Almighty and Everlasting God, direct our actions according to Thy pleasure. Amen.
 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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