The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
TO PONDER
'The Lamb of God' it is another title or name given to Jesus. For it to make proper sense we have to understand the Old Testament sacrificial system which was the way in which the sins of the people were dealt with.
Once a year, on the day of atonement, the high priest of Israel would enter the most holy part of the temple (or tabernacle before the temple was built). This was where the presence of God was said to dwell among his people. After going through a whole bunch of ritual cleansing ceremonies, the High priest would enter this sacred space, the 'holy of holies' and offer a sacrifice of a spotless lamb, a young sheep without defect or marking, a perfect specimen as a sacrifice for the sins of all the people of Israel. This was a repeated yearly sacrifice.
What's great about this story of John recognising Jesus is that John clearly has an understanding, at least on some level, of what Jesus is here to do. Jesus, the perfect and unblemished human specimen and also God himself, was going to offer his own life as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. not a repeated yearly sacrifice, but a once and for all sacrifice for all of humanity.
We might not be best served these days by shouting out to all who hear, "behold Jesus the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." Most people today do not consider themselves to be 'sinners' and so in their minds they don't need a sin removing sheep. And yet to those of us who have come to know Jesus as the one who removes our guilt and shame, there is perhaps no greater comfort than knowing Jesus as the Lamb of God. Perhaps in sacrificing some of our life, our time, our resources for the sake of others, they might come to know something of Jesus' loving sacrifice for them?
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, you ask me to follow you as your disciple and that also means taking up my cross and living my life for the sake of others. Help me to be someone who can bear witness to your love and sacrifice on the cross, by taking up my cross daily to walk with and follow you wherever you call me to follow. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
TO PONDER
At various points in my life I have been called by various nicknames. With a surname like 'von Stanke' you might imagine what some of them were.
We seem to have a thing for assigning nicknames to people in Australia. The few international people I have met who have spent time living in Australia have found it a fascinating phenomenon. Sometimes an Aussie nickname is simple and easy to understand its origins. But the better you know a person, the more likely the nickname you use will be attached to some unique story or heroic (or foolish) deed that has somehow become almost folklore among your group of friends, so that no one knows how you got that name unless they were there when that thing happened.
Jesus has been given many names and titles in the Bible. Some are easy to understand, others come to make more sense the longer we walk with Jesus. All of them describe something of his character, his mission, purpose, or identity. It's not uncommon for you to feel particularly drawn to one as the primary way you relate to him. If your life feels particularly chaotic, you might really appreciate access to the 'Prince of Peace'. Likewise, if you're really struggling with an important life decision, then taking to the 'Wonderful Counsellor' for some advice and counsel could be just what you need.
The great thing about Jesus having so many names is that it reminds us that Jesus can be the solution to so many of our problems and that he can help us in every circumstance, and if you can't thing of a specific name to fit, 'Might God' probably covers it don't you think?
PRAYER: Everlasting Father, thank you for revealing so much of yourself to us through Jesus and all the names and titles you have used to describe yourself to us. Help me to remember that you are so much more than just 'God' and that you are ready to meet me with exactly what I need in every situation and circumstance. Thank you for everything that you are and all that you have done. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
TO PONDER
Immanuel, is one of my favourite names/titles for Jesus. I think I really love the idea of 'God with us'.
So often people these days imagine or think of a God that is somewhere far off. A distant God who sits on a cloud somewhere in Heaven, looking down on His creation perhaps tweaking an outcome here or there, but largely keeping his hands off the world and watching humanity muddle their way through.
That is not the God of Christianity. Ours is a God who has come to live among us. Not only that, but a God who has become one of us and now makes his dwelling among us. It is easy for us to think that God came, Jesus lived, died and rose, and then God left... but that's not true either.
God now lives in us by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. God has not left humanity or forsaken us. He has gone back to Heaven and left us to sort things out on our own. He is still with us. He live in us and is among us in every person whose faith and trust is in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
If that describes you, then you are the presence of Jesus in the world. You are how 'God is with us' to the rest of the world. What an amazing thought.
PRAYER: Jesus Immanuel, God with us. Thank you that you have promised to be with me even to the end of the age. Please help me to live more aware of the fact that you are with me and that I am to take you with me into all the world. Amen
Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle
Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
TO PONDER:
It's a busy time of the year!. With Christmas rapidly approaching, the "to do" list seems to have more things added than what is being crossed off. More and more people are saying the same thing, "This year has been exhausting." The problem is that this is not the exhaustion that can be fixed by taking a day off or sleeping in late, or even going on a holiday. It's the exhaustion that comes from expending physical and emotional effort that empties our spirit. You do what you've got to do to get things done; you show up but your heart is not in it. What are those things for you?
But on the other side of things, what are those things in life that you do that energise you? That you can totally immerse yourselves in, give yourselves totally to and seem effortless? You may be exhausted at the end of the day but it is a happy tired, a thankful tired, a joyful tired!
These two things represent two branches in our lives. The first is about productivity. The second is about fruitfulness! The first can dry out the spirit. The second enables the spirit to flourish. Sometimes that means that we have to cut off the branch that is dying in our lives and not bearing fruit. It also means that we may need to let God cut back and prune those things which are stopping us from being connected to him, from drawing the nourishment and strength from him that enables us to carry the weight of a fruitful life. Jesus says, 'Apart from me you can do nothing.' He wants your life to be fruit-bearing so that others can taste and see the the Lord is good! Advent is a time for cutting off and cutting back.
Spend some time reflecting today on what needs to be cut off and what needs to be cut back so that your whole life can wholeheartedly flourish because it is connected to and draws from Jesus.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, reveal those dried up branches that need to be removed from my life, and cut back those other branches that they may sprout anew and bear the fruit of a life that is deeply and wholeheartedly connected to you. Amen.
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
TO PONDER:
"Why does life have to be so hard?" It was a question that a newish Christian asked me recently as they struggled with some of the things that were happening in their life. It's a good question and one that Paul addresses in our verse today. Does life sometimes seem like a struggle to you? Do you find there are times when you lack courage or when you lose heart? Have you ever experienced sickness or failure? Have you encountered depression, doubt, loneliness or grief in your journey? This is the Christian life that is lived in the body. But it is not the whole story.
We also live by faith in God, the God who is with us, the God who is for us, the God who loves us and gives himself for us. It's Emmanuel, God with us, Christ's presence in us that makes it possible to live in the body with all its difficulties. It's Christ living in us that gives us strength to step into the day ahead boldly and full of hope, for there is nothing that you can encounter in your life today that is bigger than that God who loves, who gives himself for you and promises to be with you every step of the way.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, be the reason that I live boldly today whatever I encounter. Amen.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
TO PONDER:
Have you ever seen a person glow? Maybe it was a pregnant woman. Or a bride on their wedding day? I've seen it in people who are love. The other day, I saw it in the face of someone who had just found out that they had secured a new job. I've seen the twinkle in the eyes or a man riddled with cancer but content because he knows Jesus. I've seen the light emanating from children as they come to the Lord's table for the very first time full of excitement? I've seen the light shine in teenagers, young adults, and matured aged people who emit a warmth as they serve those less fortunate than themselves. I've seen the the visible glow in eyes and faces of those who've sat many times at the feet of Jesus. I've seen the radiance in those who will meet Jesus face to face in a short time.
It's not something that can be manufactured. It's a glow, a warmth, a light that is carried deep within that breaks through the skin, shines through the eyes and radiates from a heart that is filled with the love of Jesus. You can't hide it...it's unmistakeable. When others see it, it brings a warmth to their heart, a joy to their face and adds a beauty to their lives. May that glow be seen in you today because you carry Jesus.
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, may the light of your presence that I carry within, shine brightly through me today. Amen.
For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
TO PONDER:
God works in ways that we would never expect and through people whom the world easily discards.
It's a truth, I have seen at work in so many ways throughout my ministry. Through Bob with his wooden walking stick, through Nola and her humble service of cleaning, through a young child who climbed into the lap of a grieving woman and gave a hug, through the lisp of a teenager who struggles to form words right. No-one special in the eyes of the world but ordinary, flawed people through whom the power of God has shined so brightly.
In the world in which we live, we have been taught to despise the ordinary and to hide weakness. We devote our lives to camouflaging our brokenness and flaws and to cover them up with polish and pretense, so that what others see is the appearance of a perfect vessel; a vessel that is well made and acceptable. But maybe, as Paul tells us today, maybe it's time to acknowledge our cracks, our flaws and to trust that these are the very things that God uses to allow his glory, the light of Jesus to shine through. What if it is through this brokenness and imperfection that the power of God is on full display in the world. Would we look at others differently? Would we see ourselves differently? Would we understand God differently? Just a thought? What do you think?
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus, here I am, a cracked and flawed and even broken vessel. May your glory and power be revealed to the world through me. Amen.
But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
TO PONDER
"I can't believe we are in December already. This year has just been a whirlwind." So commented a person that I was talking to in the last week. Even as she spoke those words, you could see her mind flipping through the mental photo album of the past year, recalling all the experiences and happenings that had occurred. Sometimes life gets so busy and we are swept along in the flurry of activity that we don't stop to treasure what has happened or think deeply about how all the things connect together like a jigsaw puzzle to form a picture that reveals God's purpose and plan for our lives.
But what strikes me in reading this verse again today is that throughout the whole of Luke chapter 2, Mary doesn't say a word. She treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. Mary is silent, reflecting, meditating, pondering the whirlwind she has been caught up in. She takes a deep breath and holds the Christ-child close to her breast, being present in the moment, treasuring the experience, reflecting on the experience and holding the memories deep within her. It's like she is just pressing pause on life for just a minute to gather herself, to prepare herself for when the play button is pressed and life moves on again.
Has your life been a whirlwind this year? One thing after another? Highs, lows, interruptions, blessings and heartache? How does it all fit together? Have you taken the time to ponder the experience: What has God been doing within me? How has God been inviting me to grow? Where is He calling me to repent and change? What gifts is He calling on me to use more fully? Who is He calling me to give myself for? How has he been faithful to me through it all? Would you be willing to press pause for a moment, take a deep breath, say nothing and just treasure up all the things that have happened and think deeply in your heart about what it all means and carry that into your Christmas celebration? It will transform the experience.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, in the whirlwind of life, help me to press pause for a moment, treasure the experience and ponder the incredibly difference your presence makes in my life. Amen,
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
TO PONDER:
"Impossible! "Never happen!" "Not in my lifetime!" Have you ever uttered those words. Thought those words? Will I ever get over this grief? Will things ever change in my marriage? Will we ever become parents? Will we ever get on top of things financially? Can I ever let go of my past? Can I ever find forgiveness to that thing I did? Will the impossible ever become possible? You are not alone if you have ever asked those questions.
Abraham and Sarah said it when they were told they would become parents at an age that is well past retirement. Israel said it collectively when they found themselves between the rock of Pharaoh's armies and the hard place of the Red Sea. King Saul of Israel said it when a giant named Goliath marched up and down in front of the armies of Israel demanding a fight to the death for the right to reign. "Impossible! "Never happen!" "Not in my lifetime!"
Is there any power on earth that can break open such impossibilities?
When the impossible interrupts our lives – the message comes to us, "...nothing shall be impossible with God." Impossible means without power, without the ability to accomplish. Possible comes from the same root word as "power". The angel tells Mary how the impossible becomes possible, by God's power. The Holy Spirit is at work, the full presence and power of God will be on display, God is breaking open the impossible in his holy Son, Jesus. That changes everything. Every 'impossible' thing is now possible when we let God do his thing. Will you trust that? Marvel in that? Believe that in every impossible moment?
PRAYER:
God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, when things seem impossible, help me to trust your Word that tells me that nothing is beyond the realms of your possible making power. Amen.