Skip to main content

The Greatest Gift


                John the Baptist had one job and that was to “prepare the way for the Lord” (Luke 1:76).  He did that by highlighting three blessings that Jesus would bring. 
                First, he talked about a restored relationship with God.  Reunions can be wonderful.  In fact, many of you are looking forward to the Christmas season because of the reunions that will take place.  John said that Jesus would come, “To give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God” (verses 77 and 78).  Sin separates us from God, but through his Son, God gives us a way home.
                Next, John spoke of Jesus as “The rising sun [who] will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and the shadow of death” (verses 78 and 79).  The world can seem like a dark place, but Jesus brings the light of hope that allows us to see the beauty that surrounds us.  The world can be a scary place, but Jesus can change our world. 
                Lastly, John spoke about how Jesus would “Guide our feet in the path of peace” (verse 79).  One of my favorite pictures of Jesus comes from Matthew chapter eight.  He and his friends are in a little boat on the Sea of Galilee when a huge storm comes up.  His friends are scared and they believe that they are going to drown, so they call out to Jesus, but he is not worried.  In fact, he is fast asleep!  When he wakes up, he asks, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”  Faith is rooted in the belief that God is in control and that there is more going on than what we see or perceive.  One of the best marks of spiritual maturity, then, is an attitude of peacefulness. 
                Our world could certainly use some peace, some light and a spiritual connection to our heavenly father. 
                Fortunately, those blessings, and many more, are given to us through Jesus, the greatest gift of all.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Consider This: What is so Great About Grace?

If you were to drive by our house, you would see that Sara loves plants.  Our yard is full of flowers, and Sara lovingly tends every one of them. Which is why I was so afraid when she left town and put me in charge of keeping things alive. She must have been a little concerned, too, because she sent me two videos with specific instructions on how to water, when to water, and what to do.  Honestly, those first two videos helped, but the third one she sent was the one I liked most.  In that one, she said, “Please do your best. I want the yard to look good for the family reunion in two weeks.  However, if something dies, we will dig it out and pretend that it never existed!” That is what grace looks like!  Try your best, do what you can, but if it goes wrong, it will be ok. Sometimes we talk as though grace and effort are opposites.  That is not true.  They are partners. In one place, scripture asks, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone c...
Post a Comment
Read more

New Article: Thanksgiving in Real Time

                    Thanksgiving weekend means that many of us will spend time together with family and friends, eat a lot of food and think about what we are thankful for in our lives.   Unfortunately, after that, most will go back to their normal routines and leave thankfulness behind.                   What would happen if thanksgiving were part of our everyday life, rather than something we focused on a few times per year?   Where would we even start?                 According to Philippians 1:18-26, the apostle Paul remained joyful and thankful, even while imprisoned for his faith, by holding on to three important practic...
Post a Comment
Read more

Process Produces Progress (1 Peter)

 Dreams are good. Plans and expectations are fine. However, only by focusing on the process do we find progress.   1 Peter 1:13 tells us what to do to get to where we want to go (point 3 is my favourite!)   https://youtu.be/qyGwN_OOmCQ  
Post a Comment
Read more