In Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:19
The little boy's father, a soldier in the British army, had been captured during the beginning days of World War II.
As the months, and then the years passed, the only thing that kept the boy's remembrance of his father alive was the aging picture of his uniformed father on the wall. After three years, even though he fought hard against it, the boy had forgotten almost everything about his father. Often he could be heard saying as he stood in front of that picture, “If only my father could step down and be here for me once again. If only my father could be real.”
For Christians, the birth of Jesus means that God has stepped into our sinful world.
Jesus is not a once-upon-a-time wish or a fond memory from the past. The Savior is real. Because Jesus stepped into our world no longer are we weighed down by all the things we have done wrong; no longer do we have to wishfully long for forgiveness.
God is real. In the person of Jesus, He came to live among us, be with us, care for us, love us, and give His life to save us. I can tell you that when our boy was eventually reunited with his father, it was a wonderfully happy time.
But that earthly reunion was a pale imitation of the joy we should be given in the Savior whose birth we celebrate later this month. Jesus has come and because He has, our holidays are blessed, and so will our lives be.
From a devotion originally written for "By the Way"
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, I give thanks that You have come. Because You have entered this world to be our Savior, my sins are forgiven and I am reconciled with the Father. May my days, my life, be filled with appreciation for what You have done. In Your Name. Amen.
In Christ I remain His servant and yours,
Pastor Ken Klaus
Speaker emeritus of The Lutheran Hour®
Lutheran Hour Ministries
Today's Bible Readings: Zechariah 1-4 3 John
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