Author: Kerry

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. . . So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
Galatians 4:4,5,7

No Longer Slaves to Sin

Daily Devotion – January 5, 2022

Devotion based on Galatians 4:4,5,7

See series: Devotions

The apostle Paul compared the human condition to slavery. He wrote, “We were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world” (Galatians 4:3). In other words, our selfish passions and desires seem to control us, and the law (meaning all the good things God wants us to do) feels like a task master magnifying our failures.

That might sound overly dramatic but think about the internal struggle of everyday life. Think about the feelings of envy, anger, or lust that seem to pop up in your heart. Day after day you fight against ungodly thoughts and feelings that tempt you toward ungodly words and actions. You (like all people) are, by nature, enslaved by sin.

But that’s why Christmas is such good news! Paul also wrote, “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law.” That means, at just the right time, Jesus was born as a real human. And he was placed in bondage under those same laws and temptations as we are. But what made Jesus different is that he did not give in to the temptations. He overcame them to redeem us, which means to free us from our slavery to sin. Now Paul says that those who trust in Jesus are no longer slaves to sin but adopted sons or daughters of God.

That doesn’t mean that we will never struggle with sin. But it does mean we don’t need to let it control us, nor do we need to wallow in guilt and shame. We are not slaves to sin! We are sons and daughters of God!

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you have set me free from sin and shame. Fill me with your Spirit, so I can live for you. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

[God has shown] mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
Luke 1:72-75

Serve Him Without Fear

Daily Devotion – January 4, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 1:72-75

See series: Devotions

Fear is an all-encompassing emotion. When a person is afraid, they can become virtually paralyzed. The fight-or-flight system kicks in, and the whole body goes into survival mode. Can you think of a time when you were so afraid that you couldn’t carry out your normal responsibilities?

The Bible describes much of Israel’s history as one of fear. They were afraid of their enemies. And because they kept turning to idols to deliver them, they were also afraid of God and his just punishment.

But God had promised from the very beginning, from the time of Abraham, to rescue the people from all their enemies so that they would no longer be afraid. That’s why when John the Baptist was born (the forerunner to Jesus), his Father, Zechariah, sang the words above.

Zechariah knew that the coming Messiah was going to fulfill the promises that God made to Abraham, namely, to rescue God’s people from their enemies. Then, God’s people could finally serve God without fear.

Through his life, death, and resurrection, Jesus defeated our enemies of sin, death, and the devil. We no longer need to live in fear. We don’t need to fear the devil and his lies. We don’t need to fear our enemies who want to harm us. We don’t even need to fear the judgment of God. Because of Jesus, we are free to serve God without fear.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you came into this world on the very first Christmas to set me free. Set me free from all those things that cause me to be afraid, so that I can serve you in love. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them . . . (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.”
Luke 1:68-71

Part of a Larger Story

Daily Devotion – January 3, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 1:68-71

See series: Devotions

Christianity didn’t start with Christmas. Of course, Christmas is an important event. But the birth of Jesus is part of a much bigger story. If you are unaware of the greater narrative, you might miss out on the significance of all the presents and parties that go along with this Holiday season.

The bigger story focuses on the nation of Israel. In the second book of the Bible, the Israelites find themselves enslaved by the Egyptians. For 400 years, they cry out to God for their freedom—which is also called “redemption.” Finally, God sets them free, but they are not free for very long. The surrounding nations continue to oppress them until one day, the whole nation is carried off into captivity in Babylon. But God’s people hold on to the hope that they hear from their prophets, namely, one day God will set them free from all their enemies for good.

Around the time of Jesus’ birth, a priest named Zechariah believed that God was bringing all his promises to fulfillment. That is why he sang the song that you read at the beginning of this devotion. He believed God was continuing his story of redemption through the Messiah, Jesus. He believed that his son, John the Baptist, was going to prepare the way for Jesus. Finally, that Jesus was going to set God’s people free. And he was right.

You see, Christianity is a much bigger story than just the Christmas story. Christianity is a much longer narrative about how God is redeeming his people. And this story isn’t over yet. The same Jesus who came at Christmas promises to come back again to set us free from all our enemies, from sin, death, and all that is evil. Let’s join Zechariah and praise the Lord who sets his people free.

Prayer:
Jesus, I praise you for coming to rescue your people. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

When the time had fully come, God sent his Son.
Galatians 4:4

Timing

Daily Devotion – January 2, 2022

Devotion based on Galatians 4:4

See series: Devotions

Barton Mitchell served as a private during the American Civil War. He fought for the North. Things were not going well for the Northern army. In fact, things were going so poorly that Great Britain was on the verge of recognizing Southern independence. If the South could gain just one more victory, Great Britain might intervene on behalf of the South. In other words, if the North lost one more battle, it might lose the war.

This brings us back to Barton Mitchell. One day, Barton and his comrades were on a hillside, taking a break from their march. The place where they were resting was a former campsite for the Southern army. As they sat, Barton looked down and spotted some cigars wrapped in a piece of paper. Interested in the cigars, Barton picked them up. And that’s when he discovered that the paper around the cigars contained the marching plans for the Southern army. Quickly, Barton passed the paper up the chain of command. The information he found that day was enough to give the North a much-needed victory.

In so doing, Barton Mitchell may well have saved his country. It was one of the most dramatic episodes of good timing that history has seen.

The Bible tells us about an even better episode of good timing: one that took place in the town of Bethlehem.

The apostle Paul wrote, “When the time had fully come, God sent his Son.” At a time when the Roman Empire ruled the known world, immorality and religious confusion seemed rampant, and many of God’s people felt isolated and forgotten—it was in that moment when all things were ready. It was in that moment when God demonstrated that he was in control and sent his Son.

As you stare at that new calendar on the wall, keep in mind that God’s sense of good timing has not changed. The One who sent his Son at just the right time to cleanse you from all sin is the same One who holds and blesses every moment of your life.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, you are the One who sent my Savior into this world at just the right time. Move me to trust your timing in every aspect of my life. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Then [Jesus] went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.
Luke 2:51

The Perfect Gift

Daily Devotion – January 1, 2022

Devotion based on Luke 2:51

See series: Devotions

What was the best gift you received for Christmas? Was it just what you hoped? Sometimes we receive a gift that is exactly what we wanted, and after opening it, we say, “It’s perfect!”

Unfortunately, even the best gifts don’t last forever. We grow tired of toys and games. New clothes wear out or become unfashionable. Things break or get lost. We discover that perfect gifts aren’t so perfect.

Except, Jesus. Jesus is God’s perfect gift to us. Jesus perfectly obeyed God’s holy law, including being obedient to his earthly mother and father. Think of it—the all-knowing, all-powerful God obeyed his sinful human parents. He did this, not because they were always right or fair, but because it was his heavenly Father’s will. Children are to obey their parents. So Jesus did, perfectly.

Can we say the same? Not one of us can. We have all been guilty of disobeying our parents and others that God put in authority over us. That’s why we needed Jesus. We needed Jesus to do for us what we were supposed to do. Jesus obeyed for all the times we have disobeyed. Jesus honored his parents for all the times we dishonored ours. His perfect life is God’s gift to us so that when God looks at us, he sees Jesus’ perfection. He sees children who are worthy of his heavenly kingdom, and through faith in Jesus, he freely gives them the gift of an “inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 3:4).

Even the best gifts you receive will lose their luster eventually. But not Jesus. He is the perfect gift.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for doing what I have failed to do. Give me the strength and humility to honor those you have placed in authority over me. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

That by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Hebrews 2:14,15

Our Freedom From Death

Daily Devotion – December 31, 2021

Devotion based on Hebrews 2:14,15

See series: Devotions

The further we move away from December 25th, the smaller our Christmas celebration gets in life’s rear-view mirror. For many folks, that is extremely depressing. We prepare so intently (perhaps even frantically!) to make our celebration as close to perfect as we can. And then, in a flash, it’s over. And it’s tempting to think, “Is that it? Is that all there is?”

But Christians know that what happened at Christmas is not all there is. Our reason for celebrating Jesus’ birth is not just that he arrived in a manger. It’s that he eventually left the manger! The story of Jesus doesn’t fade to the closing credits with angels singing, shepherds worshiping, and Mary pondering all these things in her heart. Jesus eventually left the manger and passionately carried on until he’d carried out every part of the work required to save us. Living in perfection. Reaching out with affection. Resisting the devil to the point of exhaustion. Suffering in the deepest humiliation. Triumphing through his resurrection. Ascending with the greatest celebration. Making us a new creation. It was all a labor of love done for you by your brother to “destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

One day we will die, but don’t let that thought bind you in chains of dread and fear because Jesus lived a perfect life as your substitute and paid for all your sins as your sacrifice. He then came to life, conquering death for you. He has done everything necessary for you to live eternally in heaven. And if it all depends on what Jesus has done, none of it depends on what you have done. Don’t let the thought of death hold you captive. Hear those shackles fall. What child is this? It’s Jesus, the substitute and sacrifice who has set you free.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, cast out my fear of death and every fear the plagues me. Help me face them knowing you are victorious, and you are near to me. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity.
Hebrews 2:14

Our Flesh and Blood

Daily Devotion – December 30, 2021

Devotion based on Hebrews 2:14

See series: Devotions

“He, too, shared in their humanity”—the import of that statement may not fully strike you until you consider how completely unwilling we are to settle for anything less than we think we deserve. If we pay for second-row seats behind home plate, there’s no way we’re going to accept being ushered up to the twenty-fifth row of the upper deck terrace instead. If our team is robbed of a hard-earned victory by an official’s error, that loss will sting as we remember it for years to come. If we reserve the SUV with third-row seating as our rental car and the best they can offer us at the counter is roughly the size of a clown car, we are going to grumble and complain and grouse to anyone who will listen.

Do you want to know how awesome Jesus is? Look at how willing he was to settle for less than he deserved. Jesus deserved the best heaven could offer. He willingly traded it for a crust of bread as his dinner and a rock for his pillow, for the indignities of childhood and insecurities of young adulthood. Jesus shared in our humanity. Being born was necessary so that he could one day die and so he could live every day in between as our perfect substitute.

Ever since the Garden of Eden, the devil has been trying to make us think that he is our closest friend. He tries to convince us that what he wants us to do will make us happy, fulfilled, prosperous. “Stick with me,” he says, “I have your best interests in mind.”

But, of course, the devil doesn’t. Only Jesus does. Only Jesus was willing to share our humanity and do everything necessary to save us from our sins so that we can share eternity with him.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you are not only the powerful God, but my human brother, my flesh and blood. Thank you for all you sacrificed to come and be a sacrifice for me. Help me to live my life always willing to sacrifice for you in return. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.
Hebrews 2:11

Our Unashamed Brother

Daily Devotion – December 29, 2021

Devotion based on Hebrews 2:11

See series: Devotions

Paul Gerhardt was a man who’d been put through the emotional wringer. Some might even call him a more recent version of Job. Because standing at the graveside of your son or daughter, especially a son or daughter who died at a young age, is one of the most horrific things a parent can imagine, that is if one can imagine it at all. Having to do that once would be borderline unbearable. Paul Gerhardt had to do it—four times. Four small caskets, four sets of funeral clothes, four painful goodbyes. And as if that weren’t enough, then Gerhardt’s wife died unexpectedly, leaving him as a single dad to their sole remaining child, a six-year-old boy.

But all that loss, believe it or not, is not what makes Paul Gerhardt memorable and noteworthy. What makes him memorable and noteworthy is the fact that he experienced what he experienced in life and yet was still able to sit down and put these words on paper in one of his hymns, “Dear Christian Friend, on him depend; be of good cheer and let no sorrow move you.” How could Paul Gerhardt say, “Be of good cheer and let no sorrow move you”? It’s because of what he wrote next. “For God’s own child in mercy mild, joins you to him, how greatly God must love you!”

God’s own child joined himself to our human family. He is not ashamed to call us his brothers and sisters. Shouldn’t he be? I mean, every family has at least one child who always seems to choose the more rebellious road. In God’s family, that rebel is you and me.

And yet here is our Jesus, our proud brother, unashamed to call us his siblings. And not only willing to simply call us his siblings, but our brother also went on to be our sacrifice so that we might spend eternity as co-heirs with him, sharing the same heavenly Father. Fellow rebels, rejoice! Jesus is willing to be our sacrifice, and he is not ashamed to call us his family.

Prayer:
Jesus, I am proud and so very thankful to be a part of your family. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.
Luke 2:43

Our Substitute in Worship

Daily Devotion – December 28, 2021

Devotion based on Luke 2:43

See series: Devotions

As a 12-year-old, Jesus travels to Jerusalem with his parents, and when the festival is over, his parents accidentally head home without him. It’s unusual—but at the same time, it’s not hard to picture how that could happen. Mom and Dad are preoccupied with getting everything packed up and getting on the road on schedule. Perhaps, with Jesus being the oldest, Mary and Joseph had a few younger children demanding their immediate attention. Have you ever been on a road trip with your family? If you have, it’s a little easier to see how a semi-self-sufficient 12-year-old might not be his parents’ greatest concern at that moment.

We make a big deal about Jesus getting left there, but maybe we should be making a big deal about him even being there in the first place. He was there in Jerusalem to worship God! At any time was he tempted to think, “Wait a second, I am God!” He was there in Jerusalem to offer the required Passover sacrifices. At any time, was he tempted to think, “I’m the One all these sacrifices are pointing to? Shouldn’t I be on the other side of the altar? The object of the worship, rather than the one doing the worshiping?” Fact is, he is God. But he willingly chose to follow God’s laws. He did deserve to be the object of worship, but he willingly took his place alongside the worshipers.

So we see Jesus, even at 12 years old, already perfectly carrying out his Father’s will as our substitute. He perfectly worships at the temple for our moments of imperfect worship, distracted worship, uninterested worship. All so that on one dark Friday afternoon, he could step forward as our perfect substitute once again. Yes, all our accumulated punishment was placed on our substitute. Today, and every day, consider the magnificent and undeserved blessing of having a Savior so willing to be your substitute.

Prayer:
My sins are many, O Lord, but your mercies are even greater in number. May your perfection in my place always bring me true comfort and joy. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom.
Luke 2:41,42

Our Substitute From Heaven

Daily Devotion – December 27, 2021

Devotion based on Luke 2:41,42

See series: Devotions

Does studying this text at this particular time seem like we’re maybe rushing things a little bit? Wasn’t it just a couple of days ago that we were gathered around the manger, gazing with awe at the Wonder born for us there? We’ve just finished singing “Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Glory to the Newborn King.” And now suddenly, Jesus is 12 years old! The birth of our Savior is a place in the Bible where we rightfully want to linger and ponder that singular moment in human history. The Creator becoming the created is a big deal. Are we rushing Christmas out the door?

We don’t have to feel that way. Don’t think of the verses from Luke chapter 2 as leaving the manger scene behind, but rather as filling in an important part of what the manger scene is all about.

Jesus’ birth is indeed significant and worthy of our highest joy and celebration. But Bethlehem was really just the first domino to fall in the story of God with Us. The 33 years that followed, the lifetime of humbling himself, of serving, of obedience, was a major part of why he was born in the first place.

Because we don’t have a lifetime of humbling ourselves, serving, obeying, we can’t string two seconds of perfection together. (As if we could even produce one second of perfection in the first place!) And eternal separation from God is what we have deserved as wages for our lifelong wicked work. But the One who demanded perfect and complete obedience saw our perfect and complete disobedience and came to do for us what we could not do for ourselves—to keep the law himself as one of us. And then, without there being any merit or lovability in us, Jesus gave up his life on a cross.

That is love unconditional. That’s what we celebrate at Christmas, after all. Not just that we have a substitute, but the amazing love for us that brought him here.

Prayer:
All praise and thanks to you, Lord Jesus, for the love that brought you as my substitute. Help me always to love you in return. Amen.

Daily Devotions are brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.