“Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.’ Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be since I do not know a man?’” Luke 1:30-34 (Read Luke 1:26-38)

How can this be? Upon hearing the angel Gabriel’s announcement, Mary wondered how she, a virgin, could conceive in her womb and bring forth this Son who would be called “the Son of the Highest” and reign on the throne of His father David forever.

The answer of God’s angel is recorded for us as well: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). By the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit, Mary would both conceive in her womb and give birth to this promised Son while yet being a virgin, “for with God nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37; cf. Isa. 7:14).

There is another — possibly even greater — “How can this be?” for us to consider. How can it be that God would send His only begotten Son into the world to save sinners like you and me? How can it be that God the Son would come into this world and take on human flesh and blood and then suffer and die on the cross to atone for our sins?

The Bible tells us that “when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4,5). Christ Jesus “died for our sins according to the Scriptures … was buried, and … rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3,4).

How can this be? Jesus tells us: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).

God’s desire for you and me is not to condemn us for our sins and shortcomings but to pardon and forgive us and give us eternal life through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice on the cross for the sins of all! May God grant you such faith in Christ Jesus!

Dear Father in heaven, we thank You for Your great love for us sinners in sending Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into the world, a true man, born of the Virgin Mary, that He might redeem us from sin and everlasting punishment and grant us a place with Him in His eternal kingdom. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

[Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

“And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Luke 1:16-17

The words of Gabriel to Zacharias echo the Word of the Lord recorded by Malachi, the prophet: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse” (Mal. 4:5-6).

And, as we prepare for the second advent of the LORD, our Lord Jesus Christ, we carry on the ministry of John the Baptist in calling all to repentance and pointing them to Christ Jesus and His atoning sacrifice on the cross for the sins of all (cf. John 1:29).

While many think lightly of Christ’s return and the final judgment and see no need for repentance, it is a most serious matter. If the LORD judges us according to His law, who can stand (cf. Mal. 3:2ff.; 4:1,6; Ps. 130:3ff.)? Indeed, none of us, for we have all sinned and come short of what God, in His law, demands (cf. Rom. 3:19-20,23).

For that reason, John the Baptist came to call upon sinners to repent and look to Christ, the Lamb of God, for pardon and forgiveness (cf. Luke 3:2ff.; Ps. 130:4ff.). And the Church, through its ministers, still preaches the same message today (cf. Luke 24:46-47; John 20:20-23; Acts 3:19ff.). Both John and the church seek “‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Through the preaching of God’s Word, the fathers and their children are united again in the true fear of the LORD. Those who were disobedient to the true faith are awakened to their sinfulness by God’s Spirit and turned to the wisdom of the just — to the wisdom of those who acknowledge and repent of their sinful ways and look in faith to the LORD God for mercy and forgiveness for the sake of the promised Messiah and His redeeming work (cf. Psalm 32:1-6; 1 John 1:5 — 2:2).

The only way for you and me or for anyone to be ready for the Lord’s return and to escape the curse and condemnation of God’s holy law is to repent and trust in the holy life and innocent sufferings and death of Christ Jesus for the sins of all (cf. Gal. 3:10,13; Acts. 4:12).

O, LORD God, we have sinned and come short of the righteousness your law demands. We are guilty and justly stand condemned. Have mercy upon us and forgive us our sins for the sake of the holy life and innocent sufferings and death of Christ Jesus, Your Son and our crucified and risen Savior, that we might be found in Him, just and holy and acceptable in Your sight on that day when Christ returns to judge the living and the dead. Amen.

[Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

“For since the creation of the world, His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Romans 1:20-21

Americans are much like the first-century Athenians, who, among their objects of worship, even had an altar “To the Unknown God” (cf. Acts 17:23). We say, “In God We Trust,” and that we are “one nation under God.” We even have a national holiday set aside to give thanks to God. However, we do not specify who that God is; rather, we leave it open and generic to appease people of many faiths.

At Thanksgiving, we express our gratitude but often fail to acknowledge whom we thank. Giving thanks is important, but only when we thank the one responsible for all our cherished blessings. Giving thanks and praise to the wrong party insults the true Giver of life and our many blessings (cf. Isa. 42:8).

That’s why the Apostle Paul proclaimed to the Athenians the God who created the heavens and the earth, the source of life and breath and all things (Acts 17:22-31). It’s why he told the believers in Rome that God’s wisdom and power are clearly revealed by all He has created and made so that no one has an excuse not to honor Him and be thankful to Him for life and all things.

In fact, as Paul says in his letter to the Romans, not glorifying the true God and being thankful to Him for all He has done and provided for us is a reason people are hardened in their unbelief and remain under the wrath and judgment of the almighty God.

In Psalm 96:7-9, God’s Word admonishes us: “Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, give to the LORD glory and strength. Give to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth.” The Bible calls upon all people to give to the LORD the thanks and praise due unto His name (LORD in all uppercase letters indicates the Hebrew name for the true God, the Great I AM of Exodus 3:14, Yahweh or Jehovah, who is to be thanked and praised).

And why thank and praise the one true God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? He is the God who created us and all things and who sustains us throughout our lives! He sent the only-begotten Son into this world as a man to redeem us from sin and death by dying in our stead on the cross and then rising again on the third day! He works through His Word to create and nurture faith in our hearts, whereby we partake of Christ’s redeeming sacrifice and receive the joys of eternal life in heaven! Indeed, He is the source of every good gift!

David wrote in Psalm 103:1-5,22: “Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. … Bless the LORD, O my soul!”

This Thanksgiving and every day, we have reason to be thankful, but not just generically thankful. We have reason to thank the God of the Bible, the God who created the heavens and the earth and everything in them, the God who gave us life in our mothers’ wombs, the God who loved us despite our sinfulness and sent His Son to redeem us, the God who continues to call us to trust in Him that He might grant us forgiveness for our sins and a place in His eternal kingdom.

We have every reason to bless and praise the LORD God and give Him the honor due to His name. Not thanking the God who created and redeemed us can only further darken our hearts to the truth.

“We praise You, O God, our Redeemer, Creator; in grateful devotion our tribute we bring; we lay it before You; we kneel and adore You; we bless your holy name: glad praises we sing.” Amen. — Tr. Julia C. Cory, 1902

[Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” John 15:1-8

God desires that we produce the fruits of faith and bring glory to His name for graciously saving us from sin and eternal death and enabling and moving us to live for Him and do the works He created us to do (cf. Eph. 2:8-10), but no one can do what is pleasing and acceptable in God’s sight without saving faith in Jesus Christ.

With the illustration of the vine and the branches, Jesus teaches us that He is the only source of life in communion with God, and only those who abide in Him — those who are and remain connected to Jesus through saving faith — can produce fruit acceptable to God the Father. He will cut off those branches that have no faith in Christ and thus produce no fruit for Him.

Our heavenly Father also prunes and purges those branches that do produce fruit so that they might bring forth more fruit for Him (cf. 1 Pet. 4:17-19). This may be through the admonition of God’s Word (cf. 2 Tim. 3:15-17) or through the troubles and hardships of life that force us to re-examine our ways and hold tightly to Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Those who, through faith, are joined to Jesus Christ have forgiveness for all their sins and evil works. They are clean through the Word of the Gospel spoken to them — their sins are washed away in the blood of Jesus, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The sharp sword of God’s Word exposes and cuts away the evil from their lives through daily contrition and repentance (cf. Heb. 4:12).

As long as people have true and saving faith in Christ Jesus and His redemptive work, they are fruitful and do works acceptable and pleasing in God’s sight. This is so because Christ, by the indwelling Holy Spirit, abides in them and empowers them to live for Him, and because the sin and impurity yet in their works is forgiven and not held against them.

Apart from saving faith in Jesus Christ, the only true and life-giving vine, no one can do good works in God’s sight; unbelievers remain spiritually dead to God and unable to love Him and honor Him with pure and holy works. They are like a branch that is severed from the grapevine. It will not produce grapes but withers up and is, eventually, thrown into the fire and burned.

So also, the one who does not trust in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice for forgiveness and life will not only be unable to do good works in God’s sight; he is dead spiritually and will be gathered up on the Last Day, together with all others who were unbelieving and fruitless, and cast into the eternal fires of hell!

“Abide with richest blessings among us, bounteous Lord; let us in grace and wisdom grow daily through Thy Word. … Abide, O faithful Savior, among us with Thy love; grant steadfastness and help us to reach our home above.” Amen. (“Abide, O Dearest Jesus,” Verses 4 & 6; Author: Josua Stegmann; Translator: August Crull)

[Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27 (Read John 14:25-31)

Jesus offered and gave His disciples peace, not the kind the world gives but the peace that only He can give. What is that peace? It’s peace in times of trouble and turmoil, comfort and hope amid despair, and certainty when all seems uncertain.

Jesus’ disciples were about to see Jesus arrested and crucified and to fear for their own lives as followers of Jesus. They were about to see Jesus, their teacher and hope, taken from them and laid in a tomb. They were about to face uncertainty regarding their faith and their future because Jesus, whom they had followed for three years, was about to be taken from them and return to the Father in heaven. But, in all this, Jesus offered and gave to them peace.

As believers in this world, we face tribulations and persecution, uncertainties in life, and fears in death. As sinners, we feel the burden and weight of our sins and despair at the thought of standing before the righteous and holy God who created us to live for Him and do His will and who hates and punishes sin and disobedience. But amid all our fears, uncertainties, and despair, Jesus gives us peace.

Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” How true this is! God does not give us worldly peace or a life without fears or troubles; He gives us peace amid those fears and troubles.

Those who place their trust in Him and the salvation He provided for us in the shed blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, know they will face tribulation and troubles in this world, but they know that God is still in control and is working all things for their good (cf. John 16:33; Rom. 8:28, 1 Pet. 4:17-19). They know they are sinners and deserve only God’s wrath and punishment, but they take comfort in God’s promise of full pardon and forgiveness for the sake of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross (cf. John 3:14-18; 5:24; Rom. 3:9-26; 4:23 — 5:2). They, like everyone else, face death, but they know that Jesus, their Savior, conquered death when He rose again on the third day and that He will keep His word and raise them up again on the last day to reign with Him forever in heaven (cf. John 11:25-26; John 14:1-3; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 7:9-17).

So, when we face troubles in life, when we face sickness and death, when we despair over our sins and the judgment we deserve, Jesus offers and gives His peace to all who trust in Him — the peace of sins forgiven through faith in His shed blood, the peace that He will bring us safely through the troubles of this life and is working for our good, the peace that He is always with us and will raise us up on the last day and give us the eternal joys of heaven.

Give us Your peace, Lord, through faith in You and the salvation You won for us by Your innocent sufferings and death in our stead and Your glorious resurrection. Amen.

[Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]