Jeremiah 31:7-14, Psalm 147:12-20, and John 1:9-18
I saw the New Year’s countdown cross Canada from the east. I always knew that time zones were different, but I realized that Canada’s east and west coasts are very far apart. The reason this is interesting is that my home country uses one time zone. I feel the light of God’s grace approaching from the east. What I am thankful for is that we all begin the new year with the Lord’s word and grace. Through the Word, we now know that the Epiphany is about to start. It is a holiday that commemorates the coming of Jesus Christ to this earth as light. Western churches, including the Reformed Church, Anglican Church, and Catholic Church, celebrate the Epiphany, commemorating the Three Wise Men. Conversely, the Eastern Orthodox Church, including the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Greek Orthodox Church, attaches significance to Jesus Christ’s baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. So, in this cold winter, many Orthodox believers perform a ceremony in which they throw a cross into the river and then go inside to find it. The important thing is that Christ is with us.
As in John 1:14, the word “Father” appears over 130 times in the Gospel of John. Because the existence of the Holy Son Jesus is defined in God the Father, his identity is God, and he existed before creation. Jesus taught his disciples that knowing the Father and the Son is the same thing and that they are very closely related. So, Jesus lived and worked in perfect accordance with God’s will and plan.
What we should note is that the account in this Gospel differs from that in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Unlike the other three gospels, the Gospel of John tells the story of the beginning of the world rather than describing a genealogy or a birth. It says that before Jesus came to this land, he existed as the Word. It explains that there is life in it and light in it. The reason for this explanation was that John wanted to tell his readers about the existence of Jesus Christ. The purpose is to prove that Jesus is truly the Son of God and the Christ. The Apostle John wanted people to believe that Jesus is the Christ and be saved. I sympathize with the Apostle John in this regard. There are many spiritual people around us, all of whom confess Jesus Christ as Lord and desire to live in His light. Salvation is God’s work. However, the faith of the Reformed Church is based on the simple truth that salvation is by faith. So, I hope that 2026 will be the year when my loved ones believe in Jesus and are saved.
This is verse 12. “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Jesus Christ came to this earth as a baby. Two thousand years ago, only a few people discovered God in this image: the Magi, Mary, Joseph, Zechariah, and Elizabeth. Afterwards, John the Baptist, Peter, and others confessed Jesus as Christ. But most people didn’t receive Jesus. So, those who believe in Jesus are very precious and accept the authority to become children of God. What does this right to become children of God mean? In biblical language, it is expressed as “edoken exuxian.” This means granting God the rights, power, and authority. To be a child of God is a glorious and empowering thing. In a monarchy, being a king’s child is a privilege in itself. In the kingdom of God, just being a child gives you privileges. These privileges are not earned through our own efforts, but by the grace of God. Thus, I want us to pray for the people of this land like this. Lord, save your people, the remnant of the world. I pray that the glory of Christ will be upon our home and that grace and truth will abound for all people. Furthermore, I pray that our Knox church will be filled with such people of the Lord.
Finally, I pray that the grace of salvation will be abundant for you through the Book of Jeremiah. This is verse 7. “This is what the Lord says: “Sing with joy for Jacob; shout for the foremost of the nations. Make your praises heard, and say, ‘Lord, save your people, the remnant of Israel.” We do not know who ‘you’ refers to here. It could be the people of Israel or all nations. What is important here is that God is urging you to pray for the remnant of Israel, as the Creator refers to you. Furthermore, God is saying that the Creator will save the remnant of Israel.
What is mysterious about these words is that they were called the foremost of the nations at a time when Israel’s situation was most difficult. Israel is one of the smallest nations. On the surface, they are a truly powerless people. Compared to Babylon or Egypt, it was a small nation. Currently, it was under the control of Babylon and was barely able to maintain its national identity, and was on the verge of destruction. Many of those people had already been taken captive to Babylon and were living there. Yet God values Israel foremost. Why is that? Because God chose it.
Our lives today are no different. I, too, am sometimes weak, like Israel. But God chose you both and me. There is nothing shabby about God’s choices. God saved us through that choice and wants to save the world. Therefore, beloved, let us live the new year boldly. God walks with us as Emmanuel. Let us wisely invite our friends into the faith. Let us encourage them to live with the light of God. And let us pray. Lord, save your people, the remnant of the world! Amen.