Christ Brings Change – September 14, 2021

Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
Isaiah 35:5-7

Christ Brings Change

There is a joke which asks: “How many Lutherans does it take to change a light bulb?” The answer is: “None. Lutherans don’t believe in change.” There may be a cultural kernel of truth to that joke which makes us chuckle. But in reality, Lutherans—along with all Bible-believing Christians—believe in many enormous changes because we believe in Christ.

We all come into this world spiritually blind, deaf, and lame—in other words, we are unaware of God’s goodness to us, unwilling to listen to his promises, and unable to walk according to his word. By nature, our souls are spiritual wastelands devoid of real life. But into that desert steps Jesus Christ with his life-giving, life-changing gospel. He came into our sin-darkened world not only to announce our salvation but to make it happen. By his sacrifice on the cross, our debt with God has been paid. We are fully and freely forgiven for the sake of Jesus and through faith in him.

This good news of Jesus our Savior has the power to effect incredible changes in us. It enables us to see God as the loving Father that he is. It tunes our ears to hear and believe his promises of eternal life. It makes our hearts leap with joy, which in turn empowers us and motivates us to love our neighbor and to live a life of praise and thanksgiving to the God who saved us.

Have you become frustrated with yourself, stuck in your self-serving, self-defeating ways? Look to Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, who alone has the power to make the blind to see and the lame to walk. Rejoice in the changes he brings you now, and especially the eternal changes he will make in you on the day of resurrection.

Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, let me always listen to your promises, see your grace, walk in your light, and sing your praises. Amen.