Christian Reflection and Prayer

By Rev. Wayne Palmer
December 5, 2015


Read Luke 1:13-15. TEXT: "... Your wife Elizabeth will bear
you a son, and you shall call his name John" (Luke 1:13b).

The time has finally come. At long last Zechariah's wife will
conceive and bear him a son--his own son, from his own
body. The angel even passes along the name God has
personally chosen for this child.

The name John means "The Lord is gracious." It reflects
several things. First would be God's personal grace for
Zechariah and Elizabeth. This child will be a daily reminder
of His grace to the aged couple--enlivening their home and
filling their hearts with joy and gladness.

But God won't restrict His grace to just this little family of
three. He wants to extend it far beyond. Through this child,
God will pour out His grace upon the whole people of Israel
and still further beyond. For this child will be the messenger
who prepares the way for God's own Son. Through John's
baptism, Jesus Christ will step forward and reveal God's
amazing grace in His life and ministry, in His suffering,
death and resurrection.

Similarly, God personally showers His grace upon you by
forgiving your sins and promising to be with you always as
He leads you to the eternal pleasures of heaven.

But He doesn't want to restrict His grace to you alone.
Through you, He wants to enrich the lives of your family,
friends, neighbors, fellow students, teachers, co-workers--
even strangers. As you treat the people in your life with
kindness, respect, love, concern and dignity, you show
God's grace to a hurting world. And like John, when you
tell them about Jesus, you prepare the way for Him to
come into their lives.

THE PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, as You worked through John to prepare
the way for Jesus, work through my words and actions
so that my friends, family, and even the strangers I meet
may live in Jesus. I pray this in His Name. Amen.

(By Rev. Wayne Palmer
December 5, 2015 Lutheran Hour Ministries)