Lutheran Daily Devotional 30 January 2022 | Sunday Message
Lutheran Daily Devotional 30 January 2022
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Topic:Â From God the Father, Virgin-Born
“From God the Father, virgin-born, To us the only Son came down; By death the font to consecrate, The faithful to regenerate.
“Beginning from His home on high, In human flesh He came to die; Creation by His death restored, And shed new joys of life abroad.”
Upon seeing a newborn baby, people may exclaim that the child is cute or looks like one parent or the other. Well-wishers might ask about the child’s name and wonder what the infant will do one day as an adult. If we had seen the Christ Child in the manger, we might have admired the baby boy or asked about the meaning of His Name. But there would have been no speculation about the holy Child’s future work. We would not need to ask, “What will He do when He grows up?” The holy infant’s future was determined before the foundation of the world. The promise of His birth and His life’s purpose were first declared to Adam and Eve in Eden. Through the centuries the prophets foretold what lay ahead for Him. This Child was born to die.
When the Savior was grown, His purpose was announced by His kinsman John: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29b) The Lamb who once slept in the Bethlehem manger offered up His life as the perfect sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world. “In human flesh He came to die,” but then, on the third day after His death, Jesus rose in triumph from the grave. Through faith in our crucified and risen Savior, we have forgiveness for our sins and the gift of eternal life.
Our hymn reminds us of the many gifts we receive from the virgin-born Son. By His death and resurrection, the baptismal font is consecrated, that is, set apart for a special purpose. Through Baptism we are born anew as children of God. The washing of water and the Word that we receive at the font is a “washing of regeneration and a renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5b). In Baptism we are united to Jesus in His death, buried with Him and raised to new life. In Jesus, God’s plan is revealed, “a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth” (Ephesians 1:10). Each of us is now a new creation in Christ, and on the Last Day creation itself will be made new, restored according to God’s design.
God sent His Son into the world, the Son who came to suffer, die, and rise. Now, having been born again at the baptismal font, we are called to “shed new joys of life abroad.” As witnesses for our Lord, the joyful news is ours to share—the promise of forgiveness and eternal life through faith in Jesus, the virgin-born Son who came in human flesh to die.
Lutheran Daily Devotional 30 January 2022
THE PRAYER: Lord Jesus, by Your Spirit lead me to speak boldly about the joyful news of salvation. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn “From God the Father, Virgin-Born,” which is number 401 in the Lutheran Service Book.
Lutheran Daily Devotional 30 January 2022 Reflection Questions:
- Do you have a typical first reaction when seeing a newborn baby?
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How hard would it have been on Mary and Joseph to realize what Jesus was going to go through?
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How does Baptism unite us in Jesus’ death and raise us to new life?
Today’s Bible Readings:Â Genesis 31-32Â Â Â Â Matthew 20:1-16
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Lutheran Daily Devotional 30 January 2022. Lutheran Hour Ministries is a trusted resource in global media that equips and engages a vibrant volunteer base to passionately proclaim the Gospel to more than 150 million people worldwide each week. Through its North American headquarters and ministry centers on six continents, LHM reaches into more than 60 countries, often bringing Christ to places where no other Christian evangelistic organizations are present. LHM’s flagship ministry, The Lutheran Hour®, airs weekly on more than 1,800 radio stations and the American Forces Network.