1 Advent – Saturday

The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand. – Psalm 110:1

Thus David, the prophet and king, from whose seed Christ should be born, foretold the final ascension of Christ, our Lord. Through the Holy Ghost he heard in advance how God the Father – after Christ’s great victory in securing our salvation was accomplished – would say to Christ: “Sit Thou at My right hand.” And so it came to pass. Christ, true God and man, our Substitute and Savior, ascended into heaven as our forerunner. Though heaven would have been forever barred against us on account of our sins, Christ Jesus has made full atonement for us, washed us clean from all our sins, made us saints before God, and thus open unto us the gates of Paradise. Thanks be to God! And Christ – true God and man – our Substitute and Savior – sits at the right hand of God as our glorious Prophet, Priest, and King. Through His work of redemption, He has prepared a place for us where we shall be in the most intimate communion with God forevermore, and where the glory of God will illumine our entire being, both soul and body. He has accomplished all things for us. He has prepared all things for us. And He – true God and man – our Savior and Substitute – now sits at the right hand of God, and fills all things with His presence and power. Or is there a space where the right hand of God is not? And He that sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty, rules over all. In this way, our dear Savior, the God-Man, is with us always, even to the end of the world. He powerfully guards and protects us during our earthly sojourn. He graciously guides, leads, and directs our steps by the light of His Word so that we may have eternal salvation through faith in Him. Let us receive Him, let us trust in Him, and rely on Him – on Him who secured us every blessing, and brings us to the blissful abodes of heaven.

PRAYER. – Jesus, exalted Savior, Thou didst call me, a poor sinner, to that glory which Thou hast procured for me, which Thou hast prepared for me, which Thou hast taken possession of for me. O Lord Jesus, I trust in Thee alone. O Thou, my Righteousness, my Life, my Salvation, protect me from Satan, from the wicked world, and from my own evil flesh. Keep me in the true faith so that I trust only in Thee, and open wide heaven’s door for me when from this earth my soul shall flee. Amen.

O sweet and blessed country, the home of God’s elect!

O sweet and blessed country that eager hearts expect!

Jesus, in mercy bring us to that dear land of rest,

Who art, with God the Father and Spirit, ever blest.

Hymn 614, 5.

Scripture Reading: Acts 3:22-26                              Theme: The Promise of His Coming

22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.