On the threshold of the new year
Shopping, stress, and arguments.
Christmas?
Christmas has become a sad consumer competition, emptied of meaning. What are we actually celebrating? If you ask this question, you will find that fewer and fewer people know what our religion is about. Tradition has become an empty shell. We exchange expensive gifts without appreciating the gift that is priceless, which God gave us.
A unique child. At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of our Prophet, who is also a priest and king.
In this capacity, he shines like a bright morning star in the sky and heralds the day even before the first ray of sun appears. He provides guidance and gives hope.
He puts an end to darkness.
God promised Abraham descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky or as grains of sand in the desert or by the sea. Overwhelmingly many. Simply countless. We are these descendants. Our mission: to shine like stars. To give hope.
Jesus is also one of these stars; his lineage can be traced back to Abraham. Through Abraham and his descendants, all the peoples of the earth were to be blessed, according to God's promise. Jesus is the bearer of this blessing. He is referred to in the Bible and other writings as the son of Abraham.
At Christmas, we remember that Jesus was born. He was given to us by God, hence the ritual of giving gifts. Jesus showed us how we can live a life that gains God's approval. We can learn from him. Jesus can guide us to make peace, do good, and above all, turn our hearts to God and dedicate them to Him.
That is the meaning of Christmas.
The meaning of this special night.
Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”
Acts of the Apostles 3:22+26 (ESV)
Jesus answered: You say so: I am a king. I was born for this, and I came into the world to testify to the truth. Whoever is of the truth listens to my voice. According to John 18:37
Christmas is over, the holidays are behind us, and we are already on the threshold of a new year. The old year is like a book with densely written pages, almost full. Some pages are still blank, but they will also be filled in no time. And then? What comes next? Will it be better, will it be worse? Will things go on as they are? Will the book for the year 2025 simply be closed, the spine folded at the end, and then the continuation of the old story appear? No.
"Behold, I am making everything new," promises the Lord. He had it written down in the Book of Revelation, chapter 21, verse 5. The Revelation is meant to be an encouragement for Christians and congregations in particular distress, living in uncertain circumstances, facing sudden changes and situations beyond their control.
When John wrote the Revelation, Christians were being persecuted by the Roman Empire, and John lived in exile on the island of Patmos. He describes what God shows him:
- Death, fear, and suffering will lose their power
- They will be overcome
- Pain and crying will be no more
- And God Himself will wipe away every tear
- Injustice, violence, loneliness, lack… all of that will be wiped out
- A complete transformation full of hope, comfort, and healing
This is true for those who are very close to God, who seek protection with Him.
“Behold, I make all things new,” says to us the Almighty, All-Knowing, and Ever-Present God, He who created everything. In the beginning, He spoke into the chaos, He spoke into the void, and something completely new came into being, a wonderful, complex, and ordered creation that reflects the beauty and wisdom of God.
There is no hopelessness with God. When nothing is left, when everything is destroyed, when everything is against us, then He raises His voice and speaks:
“Behold” – look, before your eyes – “I make all things new.” He says this to me, he says it to you and to everyone who wants to hear it. He who can also do it says this. His word does not return empty.
Another promise. He speaks, and it happens.
“Behold, I make all things new” – it will not remain as it is. It will no longer be as it was either. Different. Changed. New. Not necessarily the way we want, but in a way that is good for us and for the people to whom he sends us.
"Behold, I am making all things new," this promise is meant to shine like a guiding star over the year 2026 and dwell in our hearts. There, it offers comfort and hope. When it seems as if it is over, it is not yet the end. It only ends when the Lord has spoken the last word.
But now He calls to us: "Behold, I am making all things new." In our here and now, and also in eternity.
- Let us actively reach out for the new
- Let us bring the old to God and leave it with Him
- Old for new. Let us exchange it confidently. It will be good
God has thoughts of peace and not of suffering, to give you hope and a future. According to Jeremiah 29:11
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
James 1:17 (ESV)
Even though the Lord 'makes everything new,' He remains unchanged and is therefore the rock in our storm.
Author: Gabriele Waechter
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