Thursday, December 18, 2014
Luke 1:68-69, 75 "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 ... to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days."
PRAISE GOD FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING HIM
Here's something else over which we should rejoice and praise God along with Zechariah. Having redeemed us to be His at the cost of His Son's blood, God has now granted us the privilege of offering ourselves in service to Him throughout the days of our lives, till the time arrives for us to enter the glories of heaven. This is the reason He had Jesus descend from heaven and save us. As Paul wrote to Titus: "[He] gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good" (Titus 2:14). Martin Luther put it this way: "He did this that I should be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in eternal righteousness, innocence, and joy" (Explanation to the Second Article of the Creed).
What a marvel that God would send His Son to ransom us to be His own dear children and give us the privilege of glorifying Him in our daily lives (doing things like sharing His Gospel good news with friends, supporting the expansion of His Church with prayers and monetary gifts, drawing near to Him with the sacrifice of worship at church, offering our bodies as living sacrifices to Him through the week in so many different ways as in Romans 12:1-8), and in all this, knowing He looks down on these works, these fruits of our faith, with His favor, counting them as exceedingly precious for Jesus' sake.
No wonder Zechariah was moved to marvel and praise God in the Benedictus. Let us do the same!
Oh, rich the gifts Thou bringest, Thyself made poor and weak!
O Love beyond expression, That thus can sinners seek!
For this, O Lord, will we Our joyous tribute bring Thee
And glad hosannas sing Thee And ever grateful be.
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 69:6)
