Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America

Wednesday within the Octave of the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord

Posted on December 27, 2017 by Pastor Dulas under Devotions
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Scripture: St. John 1:15-18 (NKJV)

15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'” 16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

Devotion

John’s words remind us that Christmas is not just about happy feelings and generic good will among mankind. Christmas is about seeing God according to the Gospel of His Son Jesus Christ.

The fallen world continues to fight towards secularizing Christmas. The devil has taught people to see it as a time for sharing and kindness that is disconnected from the Scriptures. But such an empty message is not much better than sending holiday cards that tell people “Go to Hell.”

Satan twisted God’s first teachings with Adam and Eve, and it brought sin and death to everyone. A twisted message of joy and peace is much the same. The whole point of Christmas is to remember that God had promised to send a Son who would defeat Satan and save us from sin and death. The wonderful news of Christmas is that the promised Christ finally came, and in Him we will have true peace and joy, and truly see God through the good will He manifests toward us in Jesus Christ!

We pray: Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that the new birth of Thine only-begotten Son in the flesh may set us free, who are held in the old bondage under the yoke of sin; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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