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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion January 18, 2007 The Scandal of Incarnation |
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Frontline Devotion for Thursday, January 18, 2007 by Fritz Foltz
John 1: 14 The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. .
It is important as we look at the crèche scene in the
midst of all the seasonal lights and songs that we remind ourselves this
is not just any newborn baby in the manger. This is God himself.
The primary scandal of Christianity is precisely this claim. We profess God came to us as one particular person, born of a woman just as we were. It is especially a scandal that this person was Jesus of Nazareth, a person of suspicious birth who was executed as a criminal.
Muslims and other have always criticized the faith for emphasizing God’s coming in flesh. All other religions believe we can only preserve God’s purity and majesty if we locate him far away from our ordinary life. Yet we insist, “We have seen God’s glory” when we seen Jesus of Nazareth. To accept him as God is to know the secret of the universe. God’s glory is precisely that he loves us enough to suffer for us right here and now.
Galatians 4:4-7 puts it this way, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God”.
Let us pray: We thank you, Gracious Father, for coming into our world as a child with whom we can relate. Fill our hearts with his love that we might reach into the world of other people who need us. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry on the "Frontlines" of the world. Frontline Devotions are sent via email daily. Sign up by clicking on the box to the left. Pastor Dave welcomes feedback. Contact him at pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org. |
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