The Ninth Day of Christmas

The ninth day of Christmas (January 2nd) remembers two 4th century Christians: St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen. They lived in the 300s and are known for their work defending the Trinity.

Song: Angels from the Realms of Glory

Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20

Devotion: 

Our song for today covers a lot of ground. We go from the angels proclaiming Jesus' birth, to the shepherds in their fields, to the wise men following the star, to saints and sinners responding. One of my favorite lines is "God with man is now residing" because that is exciting stuff. God is with us. It's also nice to have a call for sinners to repent in a Christmas carol. It's good to celebrate Jesus' birth, but it's better to include an invitation for salvation. One of the bonus verses (there are many different variations of these carols, so not every version has the same verses) perfectly illustrates the Trinity. We have the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, all one in glory and on one throne.

Likewise, our Scripture today, is a familiar passage: The Great Commission. Here we have Jesus sending His disciples out to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Ordinarily, we shorten the command to "go and make disciples", but after the baptism, we have a further responsibility to disciple new believers, to teach them what Jesus commanded and to encourage obedience to Jesus' commands. This isn't a command for just missionaries or just pastors, but for all believers. If you are a follower of Jesus, the Great Commission applies to you as well.

Challenge:

Take time to ponder to the names of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit found in Scripture. Divide a paper into thirds and make a list for each. 

Which names are particularly meaningful to you? Why are they meaningful? 

Which names are difficult for you to embrace? Why is that?

What does your denomination say about the Trinity in its manual? 

Pray for missionaries who are spreading the Gospel around the world. 

Pray for "regular" believers to do the same in our local mission fields.