SUNRISE
Daily Devotion for Advent 2020 | Thursday, December 17
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
(Luke 1:76-79)
There’s a reason why people in hospitals, sitting by the beds of loved ones, look out the window at the night. They are waiting for dawn—for the hope of a new and better day.
Zechariah refers to Jesus as our sunrise who “shall visit us from on high.” He will not simply stay in heaven and shine on us from there—He will come down, into our dark world, and be born as a human baby among us. He will “give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.” He will do more than that—through His death and resurrection, He will remove the shadow of death forever, and bring us into the everlasting light of God’s kingdom.
Zechariah spoke as a man who was privileged to see the first rays of dawn, the beginning of Jesus’ coming. But you and I have something even better—the full knowledge of how Jesus has saved us, laying down His life for us, and then sharing His resurrection life with us even now. We see the sunrise clearly— and already we begin to see the increasing full light of His wonderful day.
Heavenly Father, lead us into the light of Jesus. Amen.
Reflect & Discuss
- Which do you prefer, sunrise or sunset? Why?
- Can you recall a sunrise that meant a lot to you?
- How does Jesus’ coming into our world give you hope?
Brought to you in partnership with Lutheran Hour Ministries – lhm.org/advent
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About These Devos
GOD WITH US Advent Devotions 2020
Christmas is a time for reflecting. We think of holidays past and the one that’s upon us. As you read the messages of God With Us, consider the many ways that God is present in your life—through His Word, your loved ones, the fellowship of believers, Holy Communion, and more. His love for us is personal. He proved that in a Bethlehem manger—God’s only Son born for all mankind, so that through the Christ Child we might know life with Him forevermore.
Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) is a Christian outreach ministry supporting churches worldwide in its mission of Bringing Christ to the Nations—and the Nations to the Church.