Tuesday, January 28, 2014
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
MESSAGE OF COMFORT, MESSAGE OF PEACE
Through this text God teaches us that Jesus will continue to be our sin-bearing Lamb each day of the calendar year.
There are only two places where our sins can be: On Jesus or on us. God's Law puts them on us. It reveals all the times we fall short of God's holiness. Sins of attitude and the tongue. Non-loving, un-Christlike behaviors. The Law reveals them all and places them squarely on our shoulders. If that was the end of things we'd be lost forever. There would be no reason for joy, just gloom. A dark future would await us.
The Good News of the Lamb of God assures us that sin, the great, immovable barrier that separated us from our God -- which kept us from enjoying a loving relationship with Him now and living with Him in heaven's perfect peace -- has been smashed to smithereens. Jesus wiped out the charges that stood against us for breaking God's Law. He took them away and nailed them to the cross. Through repentance and faith in Him we have become God's children.
So, each day of the new year, get up in the morning with a heart of rejoicing. In whatever trouble you encounter, when you feel pressure, approach the throne of your Father to receive mercy and find grace to help you in your need, counting on Him to relieve the stress. This He will do. After all, in Jesus He's already taken care of your greatest worry. Thanks to Jesus a bright future awaits you.
Wilt thou find this one thing needful,
Turn from all created things
Unto Jesus and be heedful
Of the blessed joy He brings.
For where God and Man both in one are united,
With God's perfect fulness the heart is delighted;
There, there is the worthiest lot and the best,
My One and my All and my Joy and my Rest.
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 366:2)
