Dear Fellow Children of God,
Let me share with you the simple lesson which I shared
with children in worship this past Sunday. Perhaps this Advent reading can help
us to focus on God’s Christmas love. In
the Gospel Lesson for the Third Sunday of Advent, the Apostle John taught about
John the Baptist. Therefore, during the
children’s message I showed the children a picture of John, and I asked them who
he was. They knew a little about John. So, my next question, as they looked at the
picture of John was, “Is this Jesus?”
The obvious answer was and is, “No!”
John is not Jesus. The children
replied to my question with their enthusiastic, “No!”
In fact, that is what John the Baptism said of himself in
last Sunday’s reading. “19
And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from
Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20 He confessed, and
did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’" (John 1:19-20) John had caught the attention
of the people of his time because of his strange appearance and his powerful preaching. But, in spite some personal fame, John was
not Jesus. John came to point us TO
Jesus. So, John had to tell the people, ‘I
am not the Christ.’
Next, I showed
the children another picture. This one portrayed a rotund man in a red suit and
a snowy white beard. You know the
guy. I asked the children, “Is this Jesus?” One little girl did smile and sheepishly say,
“Yes.” But, then she knew Santa is not
Jesus. She shouted out, “It’s Santa!!!” Like John, Santa is not Jesus either.
In reality,
sometimes adults get this wrong just like the little girl. We can replace the Jesus of that first Christmas
with the Christmas of our culture. Our
world often forgets Jesus whose birth we celebrate, while in place of Jesus we
remember reindeer, and singing of snow men, and focusing on presents, and rejoicing
in seasonal music. No Santa is not
Jesus. The trappings of the season are also not our Lord and Savior.
Finally, I showed
the children one last picture. It was a
picture of Santa kneeling at the manger praying to the baby Jesus. This one might cause you to scratch your head
a little. History and tradition say
there was indeed a St. Nicolas who lived in the area of present day Turkey
during the second century. Nicolas was a
leader of the early Christian church who was especially known for caring for the
needy by giving unexpected gifts. St.
Nick did point to Jesus, because he himself worshiped the Jesus of Christmas. The gifts St. Nicolas gave pointed to the
gift God gave, our Savior Jesus.
John the Baptist could have accepted the adulation of the
people of his time and could have gotten in the way of Jesus. The people seemed willing to consider John as
the ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise.
Thankfully, John rejected their attention and he pointed the people to
the one who is the Lord of all, “whose sandal John was not worthy to untie.” (John
1:27) John pointed to the Savior, “The
Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)
Christmas is ultimately and rightly about Jesus.
Christmas celebrates the coming of the Son of God, the Savior of the
world. Cultural Christmas celebrations
can get in the way of Christ.
Nevertheless, it is worth celebrating that God loves us so much he came
to this world. It is worth celebrating
that the Lord of the Universe humbled Himself so much to be born as a baby in a
manger. It is worth celebrating that
Jesus came to take on all the sin and all the problems and pain of this world through
His birth, through His death, and through His resurrection. God’s love in Christ is WORTH celebrating!
I pray that your trees and presents, your worship and
your family, point you to God’s love in the greatest gift ever. CHRISTmas blessings to you and your family
A Child of God, Celebrating Christ, the Reason for
CHRISTmas!
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. Here are the
pictures I used in the Children’s message on December 17. https://photos.app.goo.gl/F8WXHkAiSziSL4mk6
P.P.S. FISHING J - I went fishing once this past week. The weather has been cool and windy, and I had
been working. The day I fished it was
raining and breezy, but the fish were biting.
I had 9 bites and caught 5 in about an hour and a half. Here are some pictures. https://photos.app.goo.gl/oJvyDsugt1zQvHdZ6
P.P.P.S. I have a new laptop – NOW to get things
transferred. It will happen in
January. J
P.P.P.P.S. ESPECIALLY
FOR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF
FIRST LUTHERAN CHURCH - Gainesville.
READ THROUGH THE
SCRIPTURE IN 2024 and 2025? –
Pastor Rockey is inviting you to join him in reading through the Bible starting
Monday, January 1, using the “Today’s Light Bible.” This Bible leads a person through Scripture
in 2 years and includes daily devotions.
It may be purchased online at CPH or at Amazon. Here is a link to purchase this devotional
Bible. https://www.amazon.com/Todays-Light-Devotional-Bible-Fryar/dp/0758643519/ref=sr_1_1?crid=18IZZOYD5KP0Z&keywords=today%27s+light+devotional+bible&qid=1701895876&sprefix=Today%27s+light+devotional%2Caps%2C432&sr=8-1
SPECIAL HOLIDAY
WORSHIP - Special Advent and Christmas worship services will be offered at
First Lutheran Church in Gainesville, as follows.
·
Wednesdays, December 20 – First Lutheran will
use Holden Evening Prayer at 6:30 p.m. to consider the Advent theme of
“Hope.” Sermons will include a skit by
First Lutheran members.
·
Sunday, MORNING December 24 - Christmas Eve DAY
we will celebrate Advent 4 in our regular Sunday morning service at 10:00 a.m. Our worship will be blessed with a baptism of
Eleanor Denson.
·
Sunday Evening. December 24 - Christmas EVE
worship will be held primarily with children in mind at 5:00 p.m..
·
Sunday Evening, December 24 - Christmas EVE
candlelight worship will be held at 6:30 p.m. There will be special music from
the First Lutheran Choir and a brass quartet.
·
Monday, December 25 – Christmas Day worship will
be held at 10:00 a.m. This worship will also
be blessed with choir music.
*******
ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I retired
at the end of August 2019 from serving as full-time senior pastor of St. John
Lutheran Church in Palmer, AK. I was
writing a weekly devotion previously entitled, "Thoughts from the
Pastor." When I retired many asked
me to continue writing these devotions.
So I have continued writing.
However, with life's changes I now call this weekly devotion
"Journeys Through Life as a Child of God." Since I am no longer senior pastor at St.
John, I felt it right to only send this message to those who asked to receive it. (Currently I am serving as Vacancy Pastor for
First Lutheran Church in Gainesville, FL.)
So, if you stopped receiving these
devotions and wondered why, now you understand.
And, if you are now receiving these devotions and do not wish to receive
them, please let me know, and I’ll gladly remove your name from my distribution
list. My e-mail address is
jonrock53@mtaonline.net.
My prayer is that these devotions help
each of you in your daily walk with our Lord, Jesus.
*******
Jonathan
Rockey
Child
of God
Husband,
Father, Son, Grandfather
Vacancy Pastor, First Lutheran Church, Gainesville, FL
Pastor
Emeritus, St. John Lutheran Church, Palmer, AK
“How great is the love the
Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that
is what we are!” (1 John 3:1 a)
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