At Christmas - Rejoicing In God's Promises Fulfilled

"Today's Devotion" For December 12, 2005

Read: Luke 1:67-80; Psalm 145

AT CHRISTMAS - REJOICING IN GOD'S PROMISES FULFILLED

"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed His people. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David (as he said through His holy prophets of long ago)." (Luke 1:68-70)

One of our most time honored Christmas traditions has been the giving of gifts. Different characters, from different parts of the Western world particularly are associated with such gift-giving. "Father Christmas," "St. Nicholas," and "Santa Claus" are a few of the more well-known of these Christmas characters. Most popular in the United States is the character of Santa Claus, who's "making a list and checking it twice; gonna find out who's naughty or nice." Parents with small children are frequently seen during the month of December standing in line in malls and department stores waiting to see "Santa" so that little Jimmy or little Suzy can tell "Santa" what they want for Christmas and hear his "promise" that if they've been "good" they'll their hearts' desire.

On Christmas Eve and/or Christmas morning (depending on your tradition - we do both at or house) children, especially, dig into the gifts "under the tree" hoping to get the gift for which, quite often, they've been asking. Squeals of glee and shouts of joy are often heard when a child gets that special gift they've wanted and for which they've longed. Then, of course, in the aftermath, we hear that familiar question directed toward the children (and often toward adults), "Well, was Santa good to you?" The answers vary, of course, from a resounding, "Yeah!" to seeing a countenance dropped because a child is disappointed that they didn't get what they wanted.

In the face of life in a sinful world, God promised humanity that He would send a Savior to redeem His Creation from the curse of the Law and the power of Sin, Death, and Satan. While He made that promise to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden after the Fall, He more specifically made the promise of salvation for the world through His chosen people, starting with Abraham and continuing over the centuries through the Children of Israel. Then, as St. Paul reminds us, "when the time had fully come" - when the time was right - God fulfilled His promise and sent a Savior. God became flesh and lived among us in the person of Jesus Christ. Remembering that promise of God, Zechariah rejoices at the "naming party" of his newborn son, John (later to be known as John the Baptist), because God has kept His promises to Israel and has sent salvation to them according to His promise. God's promised gift was on its way. In just a few more months, the Savior, Jesus Christ, John's cousin, would Himself be born to fulfill God's promises throughout the ages.

All the gifts under the tree can't compare with the greatest gift of God - the fulfillment of all His promises to redeem us from Sin, Death, and Satan - the birth of Jesus Christ to be our Savior and Lord. As we approach another solemn feast of Christmas, we do so rejoicing that God's promises made so long ago, have come true and have been fulfilled in Jesus. We are the recipients of those promises as the Holy Spirit draws us to God through the Word of God and the washing of Holy Baptism. This time of Christmas is a special time of rejoicing for God's people. We rejoice as Zechariah did in his song in Luke's Gospel, praising God for keeping His promises of salvation for Israel and the world. Zechariah rejoiced because God has given life to John so that he could be a living witness - a prophet - of the "Most High" to prepare the way of the Lord. We, too, rejoice with Zechariah, because God has also called us in the Gospel to share His love in Christ with the world as we received His promised salvation in our own lives.

How wonderful it is to rejoice in God's promises because He always keeps them. As we celebrate Christmas again this year, may we do so with all hope, peace, and joy knowing with all our heart that God's promises are sure and certain. He has sent us a Savior according to His promises. He has given us the gift of faith in Jesus, just as He has promised. He has given us a ministry of reconciliation - the sharing of His grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness in Jesus Christ - just as He has promised. What a marvelous thing it is for us at Christmas that we are blessed to be rejoicing in God's promises fulfilled in Jesus.

Prayer: Father, in the midst of all the gift-giving during this solemn feast of Christmas it's really easy to forget that the gifts that Your people give to one another are but a reminder of the greatest gift You've given the world - the Lord of life and the Savior of all, even Your precious and only Son, Jesus Christ. You promised already in Eden that You would send a Savior, a promise You continued to make throughout the ages - to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. You wanted to make certain that I and all Your people know that You've fulfilled Your promise of redemption through the gift of Jesus. I pray, gracious Father, that as I celebrate the solemn feast of Christmas that you would also lead me to rejoice that You have fulfilled Your promises to me and the world in Him so that I might have life with You now and forever - forgiven and renewed to live with You in heaven. Strengthen my faith that I might be a winsome witness to others who need to hear Your promises so they, too, might see them fulfilled in Jesus, and, believing in Him, be saved for all eternity. In Jesus' precious and most holy name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright (c) 2005 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.