Christmas Eve!
Luke 1:76-79 NIVUK
76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.’
John’s task is to be the same as ours, to point towards Jesus, to prepare people to receive him.
I love in this prophetic utterance by Zechariah his description of God’s attitude towards us, ‘tender mercy’. It is God’s tender mercy that means he is persistent in his love of us. It is his tender mercy that sends us Jesus. It is his tender mercy that guides us towards him and the peace that he offers.
Father, by your Spirit, may we also show your tender mercy in our dealings with others and as we point towards Jesus this Christmas.
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