The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Give Glory to God
How do you know what God is really like? Some imagine him as distant, powerful but far removed from daily life. Others picture him as a stern judge, always ready to condemn. Still others think of him as a vague spiritual force, too abstract to know personally.
But John tells us something remarkable: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” The eternal Son of God didn’t stay far away. He didn’t just send messages through prophets or appear in visions. He came down to live with us, fully human, yet still fully God.
That changes everything. In Jesus, we see exactly what God is like. He is not cold or distant. He is not waiting for us to climb up to him. Instead, he comes down to us. He steps into our weakness, our suffering, even our death. He takes on flesh so that he can carry our sins to the cross and give us his righteousness in return.
John says we have seen his glory. But notice how that glory shines. It is not in earthly splendor or political power, but in humble service, in compassion for the broken, in sacrifice for sinners. The manger, the cross, and the empty tomb reveal God’s glory most clearly. There, we see a God full of grace and truth. Grace, because in Jesus, we receive forgiveness we could never earn. Truth, because in Jesus, we see God’s faithfulness to every promise.
This means you don’t have to wonder whether God loves you. You don’t need to search for hidden signs of his presence. The Word became flesh. He lived among us. He still comes to us today through his Word and sacraments. And he will dwell with us forever in heaven.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for becoming flesh and making your dwelling among us. Help me to see your glory in your life, death, and resurrection. Fill me with confidence in your grace and truth. Amen.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Luke 2:8-12
A Savior Has Been Born to You
The shepherds weren’t expecting anything that night. They were just doing their jobs. They watched their flocks, kept predators away, and tried to stay warm in the darkness. Then suddenly, the night sky blazed with God’s glory, and an angel stood before them. Terror filled their hearts. Who could stand in the presence of God’s holiness?
But the first words they heard were not words of judgment. They were words of comfort: “Do not be afraid.” Why not? Because God had not come to condemn. He had come to save. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you.”
Notice the angel’s message. This Savior is for you. Not just for kings or priests. Not just for the powerful or important. For shepherds, for sinners, for all people. And the sign? Not a mighty warrior or dazzling throne, but a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. God’s Son came in humility so that no one would be too lowly to approach him.
On this holy night, the same message comes to you: Do not be afraid. Whatever guilt weighs on your conscience, whatever darkness troubles your heart, your Savior has been born. Rejoice! The good news of great joy is for you.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for coming into this world for me. Drive away my fears and fill my heart with your peace and joy this Christmas Eve. Amen.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21
Give Him the Name Jesus
Joseph’s world had been turned upside down. The woman he loved was expecting a child, and Joseph knew he wasn’t the father. In his hurt and confusion, he planned to end the engagement quietly. But before he could act, God intervened.
Through an angel, the Lord gave Joseph the comfort he needed: “Do not be afraid.” Mary’s child was no scandal. He was the Savior, conceived by the Holy Spirit. This was not Joseph’s plan, but it was God’s, and it was perfect.
The angel even told Joseph the baby’s name: Jesus. That name means “The Lord saves.” His purpose was clear. He will save his people from their sins. Not from Roman rulers. Not from poverty or sickness. But from the deeper problem that haunts every heart—sin.
What a message of hope! We too face fear and confusion when life does not go as planned. We wrestle with guilt over choices we made, with uncertainty about the future, with the pain of brokenness in our world. Yet in our turmoil, God still speaks: “Do not be afraid.” Why not? Because Jesus has come.
He has come to save us from our sins. He has lived the perfect life we could not, carried our guilt to the cross, and risen victorious from the grave. His name is still our comfort today: Jesus. The Lord saves.
Like Joseph, we may not always understand God’s plan. But we can trust his promise. In Christ, we are forgiven. In Christ, we are safe. And in Christ, we have every reason to live without fear.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to save me from my sins. When fear and doubt rise in my heart, remind me of your name and your promise: The Lord saves. Amen.
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How good it is to make music to our God. Yes, praise is pleasant and fitting! 2 The one who builds Jerusalem is the Lord. He assembles the outcasts of Israel. 3 He is the one who heals the brokenhearted and who bandages their wounds. 4 He counts the number of the stars. He calls them all by name. 5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power. To his understanding there is no limit. 6 The one who sustains the humble is the Lord. He pushes the wicked down to the ground.
The Creator Loves His People
7 Respond to the Lord with thanksgiving. Make music to our God on the lyre. 8 He is the one who covers the sky with clouds. He determines rain for the earth. He makes grass sprout on the mountains. 9 He gives their food to the cattle and to the young ravens when they call. 10 He is not impressed by the strength of the horse. He is not pleased with the legs of a man. 11 The Lord is pleased with those who fear him, those who wait for his mercy.
The Creator Reveals His Word
12 Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem. Praise your God, O Zion, 13 because he strengthens the bars on your gates. He blesses your children within you. 14 He brings peace to your borders. He satisfies you with the best wheat. 15 He sends his message to the earth. His word runs swiftly. 16 He gives snow like wool. He scatters frost like ashes. 17 He sends his hail like pieces of bread. Who can stand in the face of his cold winds? 18 He sends his word, and the ice melts. He breathes on the snow. [2] The waters flow. [3] 19 He reveals his words to Jacob, his statutes and his judgments to Israel. 20 He has not done this for any other nation. They do not know his judgments.
Praise the Lord.
Footnotes
Psalm 147:1 Hebrew hallelu Yah
Psalm 147:18 Or he sends his wind on them
Psalm 147:18 The words ice and snow are added to clarify the antecedents.
Praise the Lord, O my soul. 2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live. I will make music to my God as long as I exist.
No Help in Humans
3 Do not trust in human helpers, [2] in a mortal man who cannot save you. 4 His spirit departs. He returns to the ground he came from. On that day, his plans have perished.
Help in the Lord
5 Blessed is everyone who has the God of Jacob as his help. His hope is in the Lord his God, 6 the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything which is in them. He is the one who stays faithful forever. 7 He obtains justice for the oppressed. He gives food to the hungry. The Lord releases prisoners. 8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down. The Lord loves the righteous. 9 The Lord watches over the aliens. The fatherless and the widow he sustains, but he turns aside the way of the wicked.
An Eternity for Praise
10 The Lord reigns forever. Your God, O Zion, rules for all generations. Praise the Lord.
Footnotes
Psalm 146:1 Hebrew hallelu Yah
Psalm 146:3 The Hebrew word refers to rich people who have the willingness and the means to help the needy.
1 I will exalt you, my God, the King, and I will bless your name forever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Proclamation of His Greatness
3 Great is the Lord and worthy of great praise, and there are no limits to the extent of his greatness.
Praise
4 One generation will praise your deeds to another, and they will declare your mighty acts. 5 I will contemplate the glorious splendor of your majesty and the accounts of your wonderful works. 6 Then they will speak about the power of your awesome works, and I will tell about your great deeds. 7 They will pour forth the memory of your abundant goodness and sing loudly about your righteousness.
Proclamation of His Grace
8 The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and great in mercy. 9 The Lord is good to all. His compassion extends over all he has made.
Praise
10 Everyone you have made will thank you, O Lord, and the ones you favor will bless you. 11 They will tell about the glory of your kingdom, and they will speak about your might, 12 to make known his might to the children of Adam, to make known the glorious splendor of his kingdom.
Proclamation of His Kingdom
13 Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his words and merciful toward all he has made. [1] 14 The Lord lifts up all who fall, and he supports all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look eagerly to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. 16 He opens his hand, and he satisfies the desire of every living thing. [2] 17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and merciful toward all that he has made. 18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19 He grants the desire of those who fear him. He hears their cry and saves them. 20 The Lord watches over all who love him, but he will destroy all the wicked.
Praise
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord. Let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Footnotes
Psalm 145:13 The second half of verse 13 does not appear in the Hebrew text, but it is in the Greek version of the Old Testament and a Dead Sea Scroll.
Psalm 145:16 Switching back and forth between second and third person verbs and pronouns is common in psalms.
1 Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war. 2 He shows me mercy. He is my stronghold, my high fortress. He is my deliverer and my shield, so I take refuge in him. He subdues peoples [1] under me.
Need
3 Lord, what is man that you notice him, the son of man that you consider him? 4 Man is like a breath. [2] His days are like a passing shadow.
Petition
5 Lord, rip open your heavens and come down. Touch the mountains so that they smoke. 6 Send out lightning and scatter them. Shoot your arrows and rout them. 7 Reach down your hand from on high. Rescue me and snatch me from the mighty waters, from the hand of foreigners 8 whose mouths speak lies, who raise their right hands to a false oath. [3]
Praise
9 God, I will sing a new song to you. On the ten-stringed harp I will make music to you, 10 to you who gives victory to kings, to you who delivers David his servant from the evil sword.
Petition
11 Rescue me and snatch me from the hand of foreigners whose mouths speak lies, who raise their right hands to a false oath.
The Results of Victory
12 Then our sons in their youth will be like full-grown plants. Our daughters will be like corner pillars carved to decorate a palace. 13 Our storehouses will be filled with produce of every kind. Our flocks will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our countryside. 14 Our oxen will pull heavy loads. There will be no breaking through our walls, no exile into captivity, no cry of distress in our city squares. 15 How blessed are the people for whom this is so. How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.
Footnotes
Psalm 144:2 Hebrew variant. The main Hebrew reading is my people.
Psalm 144:4 Or vapor
Psalm 144:8 Literally their right hand a right hand of falseness
A maskil [1] by David. When he was in the cave. [2] A prayer.
A Prayer for the Weary
1 With my voice I cry out to the Lord. With my voice I call to the Lord for mercy. 2 I pour out my complaint before him. I tell my distress before him. 3 When my spirit grows faint within me, you are the one who knows my course. On the path where I walk they have hidden a snare for me. 4 Look to my right and see. There is no one who recognizes me. There is no escape for me. No one cares about my life. 5 I cry out to you, Lord. I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” 6 Pay attention to my loud cry, because I am very weak. Rescue me from those who pursue me, because they are too strong for me. 7 Set me free from my prison, so I can give thanks to your name. Then the righteous will gather around me, because you have accomplished your purpose for me.
Psalm 143
Do Not Bring Your Servant Into Judgment
Heading
A psalm by David.
Prayer for Forgiveness
1 Lord, hear my prayer. Give ear to my cry for mercy. In your faithfulness, answer me in your righteousness. 2 Do not bring charges against your servant, because no one living can be righteous before you.
The Problem
3 For the enemy pursues my soul. He crushes my life to the ground. He makes me dwell in dark places like those long dead, 4 so my spirit grows faint inside me. Within me my heart is devastated.
The Reason for Hope
5 I remember the days of long ago. I meditate on all your works, and I consider what your hands have done. 6 I spread out my hands to you. Interlude My soul thirsts for you like a weary land.
The Prayer
7 Hurry! Answer me, Lord. My spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me, or I will be like those who go down to the pit. 8 Let me hear about your mercy in the morning, for I trust in you. Teach me the way that I should go, for I lift up my soul to you. 9 Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord, for I hide myself in you. 10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your good Spirit lead me on level ground. 11 For the sake of your name, O Lord, preserve my life. In your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. 12 In your mercy, wipe out my enemies, and destroy all who threaten my life, for I am your servant.
Footnotes
Psalm 142:1 A maskil is a type of hymn. It means a song that makes one wise or a skillful song.
Psalm 142:1 The cave at Adullam in 1 Samuel 22 or the cave at En Gedi in 1 Samuel 24
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Tornadoes, hurricanes, heavy rainfall, forest fires—it’s been a busy fall for WELS Christian Aid and Relief, which responds on behalf of WELS members to reflect Christ’s love to people facing […]
Julie K. Wietzke Different histories, one future When we talk about reaching out to other cultures in the United States, we can’t ignore the amazing opportunities God is providing for […]
The synod’s new long-range plan, entitled “Christ through us,” has four main priorities. One of those four involves bringing Christ to the nations through our world mission efforts. Rev. Larry […]
Leaders from The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), the Evangelical Lutheran Synod (ELS), and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) gathered last week near Jacksonville, Fla., for two days of theological […]
During 2025, WELS has commemorated the 175th anniversary of its founding, 175 years of God’s work among us and through us. Resources have been produced and presentations given. This year […]
The Synodical Council met Nov. 7–8 for its fall meeting at the Center for Mission and Ministry, Waukesha, Wis. The Synodical Council (SC) is the group of lay leaders and […]