Vicar Oelhafen • January 2, 2022
What Child is This? A Light for All People
The twelve days of Christmas are coming to a close. Likewise, this worship series—WHAT CHILD IS THIS?—comes to an end with the Festival of the Epiphany, a celebration of the first time non-Jewish believers worshiped the newborn Savior. They were guided by a special light in the sky to a child who would be the Light for All People.
We live in a world where sin can divide people along many lines: ethnicity and race, rich and poor, red states and blue states, etc... . The only dividing line that Jesus cares about is the one that separated sinful mankind from a holy God. By his death and resurrection, he removed that line and united all believers into one kingdom. For that, we offer him our finest gifts.
For centuries Israel offered sacrifices to God for sin. Over and over, a substitute shed its blood to earn forgiveness. Then Jesus appeared, the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. He died as the substitute for sinful mankind. Connected to him by faith, you have new perspective and new motivation for living a Christian life.
For centuries Israel offered sacrifices to God for sin. Over and over, a substitute shed its blood to earn forgiveness. Then Jesus appeared, the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. He died as the substitute for sinful mankind. Connected to him by faith, you have new perspective and new motivation for living a Christian life.
“Christ” is not the family name of Jesus. It is a title. The Greek word “Christ” and the Hebrew word “Messiah” both mean the same thing: “The Anointed One.” Anointing was the practice of pouring liquid over the head of someone to signify selection for some special task. When the Lord had someone anointed, he also poured his Spirit over them. It was the fulfillment of promises made over centuries.
