First Advent Bonus Day

Advent 2017

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

The number of days of Advent is different from year to year. In 2008, there were twenty-six days in the season. This year there were only twenty-three days. So the following few “bonus” days for 2017 will take us almost to the end of the year. Enjoy these extra devotions, keeping in mind that Christmas for the author didn’t happen until the next to the last entry.

This is eternal life, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.

John 17:3

Here we are, just three days from the celebration of Jesus’ birthday, and the verse that keeps coming to my mind is this one from Jesus’ great high priestly prayer, the one he prayed just before he went to the cross.  The way that it came to my mind is so unusual that I know it must belong here.

We refer to the prayer in Matthew 6 as “The Lord’s Prayer,” though it is really not his prayer at all. We can know that for sure if we look closely at the words he uses. He never had to pray that God would forgive him of trespasses! He never trespassed! No, that prayer was the one he taught them to pray. They had watched him in prayer, and had come to the startling realization that they knew very little about prayer – certainly not the kind of praying that they saw and heard him praying. That’s when they said, “Lord, teach us to do that!” (The paraphrase is mine.)

So he taught them, and we continue to pray today the prayer that he taught them. But in the seventeenth chapter of John we have his prayer, poured out from his heart just before he died. He knew that life was never going to be the same for those he left behind, and he prayed fervently for them, including a petition for those who would come after them, believing because of their testimony. That’s us! That’s all the believers here in Homosassa United Methodist Church! Jesus, 2000 years ago, was concerned about us. Praise the Lord! We need his concern!

At the very beginning of that long and wonderful prayer, he makes the simple statement in verse three that is given above. He wants us to be sure that we know what eternal life is, and certainly knowing what it is helps us to know what it is not! Eternal life is not “pie in the sky someday.” Eternal life is not pearly gates and streets of gold after we die. Eternal life is now! Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. That is what we got for Christmas when Jesus came! Man could never understand God, know God, until God came and walked on earth as a man. And Jesus, in his prayer for the disciples and for us, asks God that we may know him! The present of God 2000 years ago brought a way back to God – for us! We have – now – eternal life.

“How marvelous, how wonderful! And my song shall ever be. How marvelous, how wonderful is my savior’s love for me!” (I Stand Amazed by Charles H Gabriel) The hymn writer really hit the nail on the head!

Father, thank you for your great love for us in giving us such marvelous knowledge and position in the eternal realm. We want to know you, to know you well! Help us to learn. Amen.

The Light of the World
prepared for Homosassa United Methodist Church, 2008,
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator.