Christian Reflection and Prayer

"Christmas Trees Don't Last Forever"

Read Matthew 3:7-12.
Even now the axe is laid at the root of the trees. Every tree
therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown
into the fire. Matthew 3:10

The cut Christmas trees we got when I was a kid sure didn't
last long. Mom always tried to stretch them until Epiphany,
January 6, but the tree didn't always make it that long. And
each day it became more of a fire hazard. We'd watch our
cut tree dry up, drop its needles, turn brown and die -- all
 because it had been cut off from its roots.

Each of us is like a cut Christmas tree. From the moment
we're born we begin the gradual process of dying. But that is
not the way God created us. God made our first parents Adam
and Eve sinless and pure and placed them in the Garden of
Eden. When they listened to the words of the serpent and ate
the forbidden fruit, God cut them off from the Garden and barred
their way to the tree of life. Like a tree cut off from its roots, we --
along with all of Adam and Eve's other children -- creep steadily
closer each day to the day of our death.

But God did not leave us alone in our sin. While Adam and Eve
were still in the Garden, even before God drove them out, He
promised them a Savior, who would be the Seed of the woman.
He would crush the serpent's head on the cross, and through
His resurrection would swallow up the death that came to us
all in the Garden.

That Seed was Jesus Christ, God's own Son who became one
of us when He was conceived of the Virgin Mary. Though He
was without sin, Jesus fully paid the price for all our sins. He
was cut off. He was crucified and died on that cross. He washed
us free of our sin in Baptism, and He has restored eternal life to
us. Through His Word and His body and blood in Holy
Communion He empowers us to do good works -- just the same
way a tree bears good fruit when it is firmly attached to its roots.

John warned us against being overly confident in ourselves. It is
humility and sincerity that make us approachable to others. As
we share the love of God with others this Christmas season,
remember to offer more than a "Merry Christmas!" Offer to give
yourself as you follow the example of Christ's sacrifice for us.

THE PRAYER:
 
Lord Jesus, You became one of us, that through Your suffering
and death, You might crush the Serpent's head. Receive our
praise and thanks and enable us to bear fruits that reflect Your
love. We pray this in Your Name. Amen.

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

Read Matthew 3:1-6.
John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around
his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Matthew 3:4

I grew up thinking our living room was the natural place for a
Christmas tree. But after I had grown up it finally dawned on me --
 a tree is not supposed to be sitting right in the middle of your
living room! It's totally out of place there! Trees belong outside
in the yard! In fact, in recent years we decorated one evergreen
tree in our front yard with lights, ornaments, and bows. The tree
belongs outside -- where it can live and grow year round. Cutting
a tree down and setting it up inside a house is an out of place
location for a tree.

That phrase "out of place" fit John the Baptist perfectly. John
wore different clothing from everyone else, and he ate very
different food from everyone else, and he lived in a very different
place than everyone else. Why? Because John was the prophet
God sent to prepare the way for His Son. His message was
repent! In other words, reverse the direction of your life because
the Kingdom of God is at hand.

We too must recognize how often we are going the wrong way
in life because of our sinful nature. We often see it pretty clearly
in our broken family relationships, our strained friendships, and
our divided congregations. Just like an evergreen tree that is cut
down and then propped up in a living room and decorated, we
are all dying.

John came to show us why we need a Savior. So John dressed
differently, and he preached out in the wilderness. And if you
wanted to hear what God had to say to you through John, you
had to go out of place too. You had to join him in the wilderness.
His location teaches us to leave our old way of thinking and our
old way of life to meet and travel together with our humble King.

Just as John the Baptist left his home in the hill country of Judea
to live in the wilderness, Jesus left His heavenly throne and lived
among us. The glorious Son of God, Creator of all, became a
human baby and lived out His earthly life among us in poverty and
want. He was rejected, suffered, and died that we might find
peace and forgiveness. Jesus was out of place on earth so that
you and I would be made right for heaven, His home.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus, thank You for going out of place for us when You left
Your home in heaven to live with us here on earth. Through Your
sacrifice and death in our place, we are forgiven all our sins and
inherit eternal life. Move us to leave our sinful lives and walk with
You on the road to heaven. We pray this in Your Name. Amen

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)

Read Romans 15:8-13.
Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's
truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the
patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles may glorify God
for His mercy ... Romans 15:8B-9A

I have to admit, once the lights were on the tree, I was
satisfied. I didn't really care whether any ornaments went
on or not. But that wasn't the case with Mom. I never could
understand why she took each ornament in hand, carefully
inspected it, and smiled as she chose its precise place on
the tree. To me she was wasting time -- just get them up
there so we can put the icicles on!

Now that I have a few years behind me, I understand Mom
a whole lot more. Now I find myself looking carefully at our
ornament collection. "This was the ornament we got when
we were first dating!" "We were newlyweds when we bought
this." "This was Jacob's first Christmas!" "This was our first
house." And, like Mom, a smile spreads across my face as
I recite each ornament's history.

The promises God made about Jesus in the Old Testament
are like those ornaments. Each one has a beauty and
significance that grows deeper every year. Consider one
from Isaiah: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a
son, and shall call His name Immanuel (which means 'God
with us')" (Isaiah 7:14b). Or Micah's famous, "But you, O
Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the
clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me one who
is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days" (Micah 5:2). My favorite is another
from Isaiah, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His
Name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6).

Each prophecy is like a dearly loved ornament. We get it
out, examine it carefully, place it into the timeline of
Christ's life, and rejoice in what it shows us about our
Savior.

* He went around serving people through His words and
mighty deeds.
* He took our sin and guilt upon Himself and suffered
and died in our place.
* He perfectly satisfied God's wrath for our sins.
* He rose in glory on the third day.
* He ascended into heaven and took His place at the
Father's right hand.
* On the Last Day He will return to judge both the living
and the dead.

Like precious ornaments they hang on the tree of our faith
and strengthen our confidence and trust in Christ Jesus
who is our Savior and our Guide through this life.

THE PRAYER:

Lord Jesus Christ, thank You for fulfilling all the promises
given to Your Old Testament people, our ancient brothers
and sisters in the faith. Give Your children great joy, hope,
and confidence in Your life so that we may glorify Your
Name and share Your salvation with all people. Amen

(Lutheran Hour Ministries)