God’s Protection
Christmas 2 – January 5, 2025
Jeremiah 31:7-14
Psalm 147:12-20
Ephesians 1:3-14
John 1:1-18
Our psalm for today is one of the five hallelujah psalms that end the book of psalms. This psalm was written after the Israelites returned from exile. As I have said in the past, that was a difficult time for the Israelites. They had been away for seventy years and they had to start all over with other people living on the land, Jerusalem and the temple had been torn down and needed to be rebuilt while the economy was in shambles. It was not an easy time and many were questioning their decision to return to Jerusalem and even if God was true. In this time of struggle and questioning the psalmist was still able to give praise to the LORD. He is reminding the Israelites that God is their true protection and stronghold and is always to be praised even in times of hardship.
We read this psalm for today primarily because it talks about the Word of God. The psalmist is referring to God’s gift of the Law. But the Word meant more to the Israelites. We see that in the first creation story in Genesis which tells us God created the heavens and the earth by speaking. The writer of John’s gospel knew this as well. So he begins his gospel with the Word. John has packed a lot of theology in these first verses of his gospel. John is telling us that Jesus is the Word, that all things were made through him, and from the beginning Jesus was God – the eternal light that shines in the darkness of our lives. He also tells us that, although John the Baptist was sent by God, he was not the light.
In fact all of our texts today are about God’s salvation. Jeremiah is written to a people whose lives had been shattered and who live in disarray. The promise for them is that God will bring them all back to the land and reorder their lives. That was what the psalm was about. Except the people had a different idea of how their lives should be ordered and many were grumbling. Instead of chasing after some false god, the palmist tells them to rejoice and praise the LORD. Paul is also telling us the same thing. Through Christ we have been adopted by God and given redemption. We no longer are a people lost and scattered in the wilderness. We are a people gathered together as the Body of Christ.
God has not guaranteed us an easy life, even if for some that may happen. For others it may be quite difficult. How life comes to you doesn’t matter. What matters is that we are God’s children and thus are called to live our lives always praising God for God’s Word. We do not have to praise God or even live our life in a certain way. But since God redeemed us from sin and death we are able to live our lives knowing that God is always comforting and guiding us in praise. Filled with God’s love we can do nothing other but to live our lives shining forth as the light of the world. The light that no darkness can overcome.