Advent December 19th
In Making Room I wrote about how Jesus never gives up on anyone. He stands at the door and knocks, full of love, even for the person who is most hostile to the Gospel.
Today’s CSLI devotional centers around the excerpt of Handel’s Messiah which quotes John the Baptist announcing, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.”
It’s interesting to consider how the calls to repent and to behold the lamb are consistent themes throughout Scripture. The Old Testament prophets called the Israelites to repent, to follow the Lord their God anew, to obey His commands. Likewise, sacrificial lambs are provided, most memorably in the Passover, when the blood of the lamb saved the beloved firstborn sons.
And today it is just the same. Through Jesus the call to repent reaches the end of the earth:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
The question is whether the sacrifice of the perfect Lamb is accepted or rejected? If the sacrifice is accepted then we will obey His commands out of love and gratitude. But it all still starts with repentance.
Digging Deeper:
Where in your life do you need to repent?
Who in your life is hostile to the Gospel? Will you pray that their heart is softened this Christmas?