And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:38, ESV) The wait is over! That’s what Anna told people. She must’ve been quite a sight–an elderly lady, trembling with excitement, eager to tell everyone she met that God’s promise of a Messiah and king was about to be fulfilled. Anna was about 84 years old. During those years, she’d seen it all–joy and sorrow, blessing and tragedy, loneliness, heartache, loss. She knew about injustice and compassion, the terrible things people suffered and what they inflicted on others. She also knew God had promised One who would take care of the problems. And she chose to live her days in God’s house, worshiping Him, fasting and praying, waiting for His solution. Then one day, Anna picked up a new task. A new message to give to everyone she met. To tell people that hope and help were on the way. All the years of waiting were over because Jesus had come! That day, hope and salvation looked like a baby in his mother’s arms. But Anna recognized this baby was sent by God to rescue His people. And she couldn’t keep the news to herself! Have you seen God’s faithfulness in your life? Have you seen Him keep His promises? The pages of the Bible are full of God’s fulfilled promises. And it’s up to us to tell the world. To let the people we meet know that God rescues us. That Jesus has come to take up residence in our lives. That the wait is over!
The Wait is Over
Key Passage: Luke 2:36-40
Topic: Joy; Hope; Jesus; Bible Characters
"Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith" (Acts 15:7-9, ESV).
Here’s the story: A group of Christ-followers gathered to discuss whether or not people of other races can be saved–that is, forgiven of all their sins and enter into a personal relationship with God.
The main issue was a racial one. You see, the Jews were God’s "chosen people." Everybody else, called Gentiles, were not "chosen." So according to the Jews, Gentiles couldn’t be saved (unless they converted to Judaism).
But God had a different idea. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, salvation is available to all who believe in Him and follow Him. God knows the hearts of people, as Peter said.
And it is the heart of a person, not their skin color or their ethnicity, that makes the difference when it comes to salvation.
So, what about you and me? We can’t save people. But we can learn that since God doesn’t make a distinction based on race, then neither should we.
Acts 15:1-21
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.
Bridge:
Not because of who I am,
But because of what you’ve done.
Not because of what I’ve done,
But because of who you are.
Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I’m calling,
Lord, you catch me when I’m falling,
And you’ve told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.
Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.
Not because of who I am,
But because of what you’ve done.
Not because of what I’ve done,
But because of who you are.
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I’m calling,
Lord, you catch me when I’m falling,
And you’ve told me who I am.
I am yours.
Not because of who I am,
But because of what you’ve done.
Not because of what I’ve done,
But because of who you are.
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I’m calling,
Lord, you catch me when I’m falling,
And you’ve told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.
I am yours.
Whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear?
‘Cause I am yours.
I am yours.
