Messenger January 2012 and January Meditation

One Man

by

President Randall Golter

 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave or free, there is neither male or female, for you are all one man in Christ Jesus(Gal. 3:28, translation mine). 

    God made each human being with creaturely differences. Some people are tall and others are short; some have a knack for math while others would not even consider taking algebra. There are males and females, as Paul states, and Jews and Greeks. Creation, including every human being, merely displays the glory of God. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Ps. 19:1).

    This beauty of the one creation “took a nose dive” when the first parents did not believe in the tender love of their Creator. Their unbelief fractured the unity between God and man. God set forth the one unifying plan for restoration, the sending of the Woman’s Seed to crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15).

    God through His Church is seeking to restore all humanity to Himself through the preaching of the Christ (1 Cor. 1:21, 23; Matt. 28:18-20). Through the application of the Name and the splashing of water, God incorporates individuals into the one body of Christ.

    English translations put it this way: “For you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Far better and more accurate is this way: “For you are all one manin Christ Jesus.”

    The first Adam (man) rebelled against God; the second Adam (Jesus) was sent to be the perfect man in the place of the rebellious Adam. And now, through the proclamation of this second Adam, Jesus Christ, the fractured and broken humanity is brought back to be the one man, that is, the one human race. Restoration and unity can only be accomplished through the preaching of the Christ!

    The bumper sticker “Coexist” is untruthful. After the peace symbol, it shows the various symbols for the world religions, e.g., Islam, Hinduism, etc. The cross is listed as the last symbol. The message is quite clear: all these religions can “coexist” together in peace. Wrong! These world religions are at war with Christianity! They are attempting to stamp out Christ. These religions have a unity, that is, a unity of purpose: To exterminate Christ from this world.

  Only Christianity preaches a true unity (and peace) of humanity through the one man, Jesus Christ. Only Christianity teaches that God unifies all through Holy Baptism, where He makes the “one man in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). It is true that Christianity is at war against all non-Christian religions. For they disobey the very First Commandment, presenting a god apart from the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

    The Epiphany season is all about the restoration of the broken and divided human race into one man through the preaching of the one and only Savior of the world—Jesus Christ.

     January Meditation     

“For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”  These are the words of the Magi who came from the east in search of the king of the Jews.  As another Epiphany comes, what is your light?  What is it that leads you to worship the King of kings?  In a world that invites us to search for so many things, we need to be reminded that we have been given a light that the darkness could not overcome.  Yes, the child in the manger, who is the light that shines, will find His true meaning in the journey to Calvary.  This is the message that brings us to the foot of the cross, to see the gracious gift of love and mercy that God had for His creation. 

God invites us to worship the King.  Consider that it may have been the guidance of parents, the influence of a friend, the reading of an article, or the lyrics of a song that set you in search of your Savior, but it is the working of the Holy Spirit through Word and Sacrament that sustains and guides you on that journey just as the Magi were led by a star.  God’s grace is a marvelous gift, freely given to you and to me.  Let that light shine in your life; worship the King of kings and Lord of lords.  Epiphany reminds us of the marvelous light in which we live our lives.  May the light shine in your life so that you too might worship Him not only in Epiphany but each and every day God grants you here on this earth. 

 Devotion by

 Rev. Kent Schnegelberger
Messiah Lutheran – Longmont, CO