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Messiah

[Andrew] first found his own brother Simon and said to him,
“We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).

John 1:41

John 1 manages to pack many names of Jesus into one small segment of Scripture – Word, Prophet, Son of God, Lamb of God, King of Israel, Son of Man – but maybe none were as meaningful to the 12 Jewish disciples gathered around Jesus as today’s title…Messiah, that is Christ. This beautiful title comes from the Hebrew mashiach meaning Anointed One. The disciples in the New Testament would have heard about this Anointed One, promised from the Father, from the lips of their parents, grandparents, and elders. The promise of this One sent by God Himself was passed down from generation to generation. The people of Israel had waited centuries for this Messiah. So you can see that this was a massive proclamation for Andrew to make to his brother –

We have found the Messiah!
Can you hear his excitement?
He’s Here!
We get to proclaim the same this today – He’s here!
He has found us. He is here.

Devotion contributed by Heidi Goehman & Sarah Baughman.

Breath of Heaven

Have you ever thought about what the first Christmas was like? So many different people were involved in the story, and each bring a new perspective. Today I would like to focus on Christmas from Mary’s perspective. What was it like to have been chosen by God? Mary must have been filled with hundreds of emotions ranging from joy to fear. This weeks Music Monday represents what I imagine Mary was feeling that first Christmas. Continue reading

King of Kings

They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them,
for he is Lord of lords and King of kings,
and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
Revelation 17:14

For those of us living in the United States or other countries without a king, some of the significance of this Name is lost on us. But the King of kings is a ruler who is over all others. There is no one who can overthrow Him. He will always emerge victorious, for the battle, and indeed the war, has already been won. When the devil, the world, and even our own sinfulness seems to press so strongly that we can’t continue to stand, we cling to the promise that He is with us, that He is victorious — and because His victory is on our behalf, we are victorious, too! When He was born a helpless baby, He set aside that royal title for our good, and after He rose victorious from the grave and ascended into heaven, He took it up again, never to set it aside. He is our King, and graciously and lovingly provides for every need.

Contributed by Heidi Goehman and Sarah Baughman.

I Am

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”
John 8:58

As soon as the Jews heard Jesus’ reply, they knew He wasn’t playing around. He’d equated Himself with God, and rightly so…but their frame of reference couldn’t allow for a wandering Prophet who had nothing to recommend Him as a king, let alone God Himself. As we add decorations to make our houses look different, brighter during this time of year than they do any other time, and as we wrap gifts with bright, colorful paper, let’s remember that God, too, wrapped Himself in our human frailty and mortality, that He might earn our salvation, because of His great and unfailing love for us. He is the Greatest, the Brightest – the I AM.

Contributed by Heidi Goehman and Sarah Baughman.

Faithful & True

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse!
The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True,
and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
Revelation 19:11

You and I have not seen Jesus in person. We have the great benefit of the Spirit living and working in us until we see our Savior face to face. Today’s verse gives us a glimpse of when we will see Him riding in on that day when the devil will be completely stomped underfoot. The Titles Faithful and True connect to Christ’s judgement in righteousness. Jesus came as a baby boy in a manger, as Truth itself, because rightness matters. When life seems like evil is winning, we can lean on Faithful and True. Christ makes right our hearts and our lives in His death and resurrection. Evil and sorrow may last for the night, but just as the Bethlehem star appeared, Joy does come in the morning. It is promised to us in Christ Jesus. Be not dismayed, Faithfulness and Truth is at work!

Contributed by Heidi Goehman and Sarah Baughman.

Son of God

And behold, a voice from heaven said,
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:17

It’s one thing for shepherds to shout good news of a Savior come in a manger or a riff-raff crowd of disciples to say that they have found the Messiah. It’s another thing for a man named Jesus to identify Himself as the Son of God. God knows that sometimes people need it spelled out plainly, sometimes they need a bullhorn proclamation, a moment to take notice. In His Grace, God the Father delivers the message of just Who Jesus is, Himself, for us to read in His Word. Jesus as Son of God means One capable of saving. Son of God means great Sacrifice made by a Father to save a family. Son of God means Redemption has come, wrapped in love, for each of us.

Devotion contributed by Heidi Goehman & Sarah Baughman.

Alpha & Omega

I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the first and the last,
the beginning and the end.

Revelation 22:13

Jesus, with the Father and the Spirit, was there before the beginning of time and will be there when time as we know it closes and eternity becomes our absolute reality – forever in the best way we can’t even imagine! But Jesus Christ as Alpha and Omega reminds us that God isn’t just about eternity. He also values the middle. Alpha, is the beginning of the Greek alphabet, and Omega is the end of the Greek alphabet, so it’s also a way of saying He is the A to Z. He is our A’s and our Z’s and every letter in between. Without Him, things lose their purpose, their meaning, because they lack the Writer of each word, each story. In Him, we see the letters of our days come together and Hope springs new!

Blog post contributed by Heidi Goehman and Sarah Baughman

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