Some 3,500 years ago, God powerfully led His chosen people out of slavery in Egypt into a new world of hope. A nation of slaves anticipated freedom as they packed up their belongings and walked in the footprints of Moses across the countryside, through the Red Sea, and up to Mt. Sinai. An easily overlooked piece of this exodus story is exactly how Moses knew which way to go. The obvious answer is God, but God didn't give Moses latitude and longitude coordinates. He led him by a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire. God actually became visible to lead His people, and their feet followed the Lord almighty. Every one of the Israelites looked up and saw the visible presence of God.
Likewise the Wise Men followed the star, which they saw in the east.
The gift of sight is a wonderfully powerful sense. Simeon gazes upon the Christ-child in the temple. Andrew runs to his brother claiming to have seen the Messiah. Thomas is granted his request of empirical evidence. Peter stares wide eyed at the Christ in a locked room. Is there any wondering why Peter preaches such a passionate message, based on what he has seen, in today's Bible verse? As an eyewitness of the majesty of God in the flesh, his message is not some conjured-up story, but a real account of what he has witnessed with his own two eyes: the risen Savior.
Now we have completed our walk through this Advent and Christmas season, and we begin the season of Epiphany, where God reveals that the baby of Bethlehem, Jesus of Nazareth, is His one and only Son, our mighty Savior. We are reminded that we, too, will be given the wonderful opportunity to gaze face to face at the grace of God in the flesh-at the risen Lord Jesus-who shines His light into the darkest corners of our lives and declares us forgiven in the presence of the Father. O Come, O Come Emmanuel!
THE PRAYER: Gracious Father, shine the light of Your grace on me today as I serve You and only You. Reveal Jesus to me through Your Word and Sacraments that I may follow Him more closely than yesterday and bask in the anticipation of seeing You face to face through the work of Your Son, Jesus Christ. In His name I pray, Amen.
Written by Pastor Landon Ledlow
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
Carrollton, Texas
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