New Years Message from Pastor Joseph

This year I have decided to read the Bible in a Year with the help of the Bible in One Year App with commentaries in each bit. Please do consider doing something like this too!

Today we the feast of the Naming of Jesus. In my Bible in a year reading today I was given Matthew Chapter 1. During this reading we hear about the genealogy of Jesus- about who he is and where he comes from. What struck me when I was reading was the people on that list. The people in this list include both a prostitute and a murderer. As we consider todays feast of the naming of Jesus it is important to remember what his name means. The name Jesus means ‘The Lord is Salvation’. No one is excluded from this offer of salvation. Not even people who have done the awful things that Jesus’ own ancestors did.

Today’s festival gives us hope that no matter how hard things get- no matter what we have done- Jesus is our hope and he will be our salvation.

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, we give you thanks that we can call upon the name of Jesus and by his precious blood be saved. We pray that this day we might learn more and more what it means to live in true faith and in accordance with the salvation that Jesus has won for us on the cross. We make this prayer in Jesus name. Amen