Prophetic



Prayer: Let our gladness have no end, alleluia!
       For to earth did Christ descend, alleluia!
       On this day God gave us, Christ,
       His Son, to save us
       Prophesied in days of old, alleluia!
       God has sent Him as foretold, alleluia!
       On this day God gave us,
       Christ, His Son, to save us

Read:  Isaiah 44:21–24
http://www.esvbible.org/Isaiah+44%3A21-24/

Think about It: Almost 700 years before Jesus is born, the prophet Isaiah wrote the words we share today for our devotion. They are words of great hope and promise. God has not forgotten the promises for redemption that He made to His people!
     As we enjoy the great birthday celebration of Jesus, we must keep Him connected to His purpose. He came to be the One who would “sweep away our offenses like a cloud.” The Father entices us with the words “Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” We were lost in our sin, but now we are found.
     Redemption is an interesting concept. Today, we think of redemption in terms of coupons or gift cards. You hold in your hand a slip of paper that says “40% off!” and the price of your purchase is reduced by 40%! You did nothing to earn the coupon. It probably came to you freely in the mail or in a magazine. Now, you get a break on the price of your purchase. God holds us in His hand, but we are sin-filled and unworthy to be with Him. He sends His Son to complete the transaction that brings about our redemption. We are purchased back from the death we deserve because Jesus blood pays the price. The full price for our sin is swept away by the spilling of Jesus blood on our behalf. We are free to sing our praises and worship our holy God. That Isaiah would be given enough of an understanding of this concept that he could utter these prophetic words is a   miracle in and of itself. Taken in context, the passage is even richer. In the verses just before our reading, Isaiah expounds the ridiculousness of idolatry. Why would we worship anything that cannot redeem us from our frightening situation? To do so would be utter foolishness. (He uses a block of wood as his foil. We can replace that with almost anything else – money, sex, fame . . . name your own choice.)
     The Savior is born and with Him comes our full redemption. Why would we go in any other direction?

Prayer:  See, the loveliest blooming rose, alleluia!
       From the branch of Jesse grows, alleluia!
       On this day God gave us, Christ,
       His Son, to save us
       Into flesh is made the Word, alleluia!
       He, our refuge and our Lord, alleluia!
       On this day God gave us,
       Christ, His Son, to save us
Let Our Gladness Have No End . . . LSB 381 – Public Domain

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