St. Johns News

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
John 1:11,12

The Gift

Daily Devotion – December 25, 2022

Devotion based on John 1:11,12

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Picture this, it is Christmas morning, and the kids are up well before the sunrise. They wake up dad and mom and run downstairs to the tree. To their delight, the presents are wrapped and stacked up under the tree. They begin shaking the presents and figuring out which one is theirs. The air is filled with the sounds of laughter and excited giggles and Christmas music in the background. Finally, it is time to open presents, and one of the children stands up, gives a wave of his hand, and with a frown, says, “no thanks,” before walking away to find something else to do.

Yeah, right! That’s a pretty unrealistic story, isn’t it? Who doesn’t love opening gifts? Who doesn’t love receiving gifts from loved ones—gifts that are unearned and undeserved?

Actually, that’s what many people have done with the greatest gift ever given. Our Bible reading today reminds us that many did not receive Jesus and had no interest in the gift of a Savior. It’s still true. There are many in this world who have no interest in Jesus.

And even those who know Jesus as God’s greatest gift are sometimes not as interested in spending time with him as he deserves. We all have so much going on in our lives and are so busy. We have to work so many hours and have other obligations.

Let’s change that. Let’s spend more time with the One who always has time for us. Let’s receive and appreciate and cherish the gift. Let’s spend time with Jesus and his Word. Let’s talk to him more often and make time for him in our lives. Thank God today and every day for his gift of a Savior.

Prayer:
Dear God, what a wonderful gift you have given to me in Jesus! Help me never to always appreciate what he has done for 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.

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 1:1-5

A Promise Kept

Daily Devotion – December 24, 2022

Devotion based on Romans 1:1-5

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It doesn’t seem to be a hot topic now, at least not as hot as it was in the past. Or maybe it’s just not getting the attention it once did. It’s the debate between “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Holidays”. Rather than spending time on this debate, we are better off spending a few minutes thinking about why we can say”“Merry Christmas” and have it mean more than another superficial holiday greeting.

Why can we wish others a heartfelt “Merry Christmas!”? Focus again on what the apostle Paul wrote in our Bible reading for today. It is not about the night before Christmas when all through the house, not a creature was stirring. It is about the centuries before Christmas when all through the Bible, God’s prophets were revealing a promise, the gospel, the good news, regarding God’s Son.

It is not about whether we have been naughty or nice. (We are all naughty—corrupt by nature and sinful even now.) It is about Jesus Christ our Lord, who became true man—a descendant of David—and as true God gave his perfect life in payment for sin. His resurrection from the dead assures us of victory over sin, death, and the devil.

“Merry Christmas” is not about a wish list that may or may not be satisfied by gifts under a tree. It is about the grace and peace that are ours through God-given faith. It is about belonging to Jesus Christ.

For us, the greeting “Merry Christmas” is about a promise kept—God’s promise and God’s keeping.

May you be blessed in God’s keeping by the promise he kept of sending his Son to be our Savior. Merry Christmas!

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, grant me a Christmas blessed by the gift of your Son, and make me a blessing to others as I share with them your promise kept in him. 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.

Regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:3,4,7

He Comes to Give Ultimate Peace

Daily Devotion – December 23, 2022

Devotion based on Romans 1:3,4,7

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I don’t think the first Christmas was as peaceful as we might picture. It was more of a frantic scramble. The time had come for the baby to be born while Mary and Joseph were far from home. They scrambled to find a place to give birth, but there was no room in the inn. So she placed him in a manger, a feeding trough. She must have given birth among the animals. Maybe in a stable.

It was into this world that seriously lacks true peace our Savior has come. He came to bring peace. Maybe we question that at times. Life so often still seems like a frantic scramble. The world around us still lacks real and lasting peace. What we see is division, violence, and war. Where is this peace?

We see it in a manger. Peace came to earth because Jesus Christ came to earth. Peace between God and you. Peace declared from heaven, “We’re not at odds anymore. Your sins are forgiven. I don’t hold anything against you. We are at peace!”

Let’s marvel at the manger this Christmas, but let’s make sure we see more than just a cute baby. The baby is truly a man, born of Mary. He’s also truly God who came into the world to bring real and lasting peace. He grew up and lived a perfect life as your stand-in. His perfect life brings you peace with God. That baby became a grown man and was nailed to the cross with all your sins. His death brings peace between you and God.

And how do you know he’s really God? He proved it by rising form the dead. The empty tomb is proof that his promises are not empty. It proves he’s really God and that you have true peace with God. Grace and peace to you from God, our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer:
Come Lord Jesus and fill my heart with a peace that surpasses all understanding. 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.

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
Matthew 1:22,23

He Comes Through on His Promises

Daily Devotion – December 22, 2022

Devotion based on Matthew 1:22,23

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“I’ll be there!” a dad says to his son as he heads off to work. The son has a basketball game, and it would mean a lot to have his dad there cheering him on. But the afternoon rolls around, and he leaves work later than he’d hoped. Then, he sits in traffic as the game clock keeps ticking. He will not be able to keep his promise to his son.

Hundreds of years before Jesus was born, God made a promise to his children that he’d be there. He promised that the virgin would give birth to a son, and he would be called Immanuel, which means “God with us.” Those plans and that promise were not tentative; they were not subject to unforeseen circumstances because the one who made the promise is God. He’s not limited in any way. There was no need for him to say, “I’ll be there, God willing,” because he is God, and it was his will to be Immanuel, God with us.

Here in the very first chapter of the book of Matthew, we see that Jesus is called Immanuel, “God with us.” In the very last chapter of Matthew, he says to all who believe in him, “surely I am with you always to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Remember who speaks that promise—Immanuel, God with us. When he says that, it’s not like when we say, “I wish I could be there in person, but I’ll be there in thought,” he means it.

The one who makes that promise is not limited in any way. Jesus, Immanuel, is still God with us. He has the power to be with us in more than just a thought. He comes to us through his Word with reassurance that our sins are forgiven and we are no longer separated from God. And he promises that he will not leave us in this world with all its problems. He will come again and take us to be with him. He lives up to his name Immanuel, God with us.

Prayer:
Come Lord Jesus and be with me through your words and promises! 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.

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:21

He Comes to Save His People

Daily Devotion – December 21, 2022

Devotion based on Matthew 1:21

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What does your name mean? Most names have some meaning behind them. You might be able to trace the roots of your name to another language. Maybe you were named after someone in your family. Or maybe your parents picked your name simply because they liked it.

Mary and Joseph didn’t have to flip through baby name books to land on the name Jesus. God, through his angel, instructed Joseph to give him the name Jesus because he would save his people. In Hebrew, the name means “salvation.” For anyone else who ever bore that name, it was a nice name that perhaps served as a reminder of God’s salvation. However, for anyone else, it was just a name.

This time, it was different. This Jesus, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, would be the first and only in history who truly lives up to the name. His name means salvation, and he is the only source of salvation from all sin for all people. His name and all it means came into clearest focus when it was written on a notice and placed above him on the cross—JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS (Matthew 27:37). There on the cross, he was dying to save you. From cradle to cross he came to save.

What does the name Jesus mean to you? His name means salvation for you! It means that the guilt of your sin is taken away. Through Jesus, your Savior God has declared you not guilty. It means God does not hold your sins against you. He nailed them to a cross where not only the name “Jesus” was nailed, but also Jesus himself was hung, his life in the balance for you! It means that as you remain on this earth for a time and still see the impact of sin and imperfection salvation from sin is already yours. It means he will come again rescue us from this perishing world to bring us to live everlasting.

From cradle to cross, he came to save you. And he will come again!

Prayer:
Come Lord Jesus, with your salvation full and free. 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.

An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 1:20

He Comes to Calm Our Troubled Hearts

Daily Devotion – December 20, 2022

Devotion based on Matthew 1:20

See series: Devotions

In the middle of the night, fear or worry crosses your mind and disturbs your sleep. Worry about a mountain of work that’s waiting for you the next day or fear of the test you will take in school tomorrow. Whatever is troubling you hits you in the middle of the night when all you want is rest.

Imagine Joseph tossing and turning one night. He discovers that the woman he is about to marry is pregnant and plans to divorce her quietly. Imagine the pain he felt—the pain of a broken promise and crushed dreams. But a promise hadn’t been broken. A promise was being kept.

The Lord sent a message in a dream to calm Joseph’s troubled heart. He said, “Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” “Do not be afraid.” you hear that phrase here and several other times surrounding the birth of Jesus. An angel said to Mary, “don’t be afraid…” On the night Jesus was born, an angel said to troubled shepherds, “Do not be afraid, I bring you good news!”

Jesus came to calm our troubled hearts. By nature, the thought of God coming to us—even one of God’s angels—is terrifying. But Jesus, true God in human flesh, came not just to say, “Don’t be afraid.” He takes away every reason to be afraid in God’s presence because he took away your sin. He knows what troubles you and what makes you toss and turn at night. He cares, and he comforts. Your Savior, Jesus comes to you through his Word and says, “Take heart, your sins are forgiven! You have peace with God! Don’t be afraid.”

And he will come again for all the world to see. Then his greatness and power, as true God, won’t be hidden. Then he will say to you, “Don’t be afraid.” Remember, He’s taken away every reason to be afraid because he’s taken away your sin. Rest in that reality!

Prayer:
Come, Lord Jesus, and calm my troubled heart! 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.

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14

He Comes to Be With Us

Daily Devotion – December 19, 2022

Devotion based on Isaiah 7:14

See series: Devotions

We make plans around Christmas to be with the ones we love. If they are far away, we make travel arrangements. Then we wait for that day to come when distance will no longer separate us from those we love, and we can finally be with them.

There was once a time when God was with his people, and it wasn’t a long-distance relationship. When God created the first people, he dwelt with them in the Garden of Eden. Then came a serpent, the devil. He tempted them. When they sinned and did what God had told them not to do, for the first time, they were separated from God. But in the very same moment, God made a promise. He promised that one born of the woman would crush the devil and his plan to separate God and his people forever (Genesis 3:15).

It was always God’s plan to be with his people. It was always his plan to take on the burden of traveling the long distance between us and him. He’s the God that comes to us. He doesn’t meet us halfway. He doesn’t kickback in heaven and say, “You know where to find me, but it’s up to you to come the distance.” No. He’s the God who comes to us in love.

In the centuries that followed the promise he made in the garden—that one born of a woman would come to save—he revealed more details about the coming Savior. Here is living proof that our God comes all the way to us: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

Immanuel means God with us. No longer separated by sin. He wants nothing more than to be with us. God bridged the gap just as he always planned. Jesus—the offspring of the woman, the son born of a virgin—is living-proof that God came to be with us, and he will come again to take us to be with him.

Prayer:
Come, Lord Jesus, to be with me and to comfort me with your promises. 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.