Author: Elizabeth Mullins

In the 1960s, the pop duo Simon and Garfunkel released the song, “The Sound of Silence.” One line in this song is: “Hello darkness, my old friend, I have come to talk to you again.” This is a vivid and apt description of what many people are experiencing and feeling today. They live in constant darkness, blind to the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.

However, Jesus wants us to trust that he is the light in our lives. He came to earth and freed mankind from oppressive darkness.

God is light, and in him there is no darkness. 1 John 1:5

Everyone lives through dark times. Sometimes we do not even want to get up in the morning. We really do not want to deal with problems of this world and our own all the time. We want to be left alone by everyone.

First, we experience disappointment, then sorrow, doubt, and depression. Surely, we are all familiar with these feelings. However, when we walk in the light of God’s love, Jesus, the living Word, shines His light into our dark days, making them bright and bearable. Light can shine brightest on the darkest night.

Whatever adversity, sorrow, or joy is present in our lives right now, pales in comparison to the light of the Incarnation of Jesus. When we recognize this and believe what Jesus says and align our lives with this reality, then we are in close contact with the true center of power of the universe, the triune God.

Let us celebrate the light that has come into the world!

Prayer
Jesus, we are grateful that you are the Word who became human and dwelt among us. Thank you for representing God before us and us before God. In your name, Amen.

Santiago Lange, Pastor [1959–2025]
Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

This devotional was adapted with permission. Read the full article here.

Citizens of God’s kingdom rehearse the death of the old self through the sacrament of baptism. We also celebrate being raised to new life in Christ when we come up out of the water. Hallelujah!

Learn more about baptism below. Read the full article here.

How does baptism picture the central truths of the gospel?

Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. (Romans 6:3-5)

Baptism pictures our union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection. These are the primary points of the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Our salvation depends on his life, death, and resurrection. Our forgiveness — being cleansed of sin — depends on him; our Christian life and future depend on him.

Baptism symbolizes the death of the old self. The old person was crucified with Christ — died with Christ — buried with Christ in baptism (Romans 6:8; Galatians 2:20; 6:14; Colossians 2:12, 20). It pictures that we are identified with Jesus Christ—he united himself with humanity. We accept that he died “for us,” and “for our sins,” and that he was raised for us as well. We acknowledge that we have sinned, that we have a tendency to sin, that we are sinners who needed a Savior. We acknowledge our need to be cleansed, and that this cleansing came through Jesus Christ.

Baptism is one of the ways that we confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are saved by what he did, not by the way we respond. Therefore, the emphasis in baptism should be on what Jesus did, not on our faith or acceptance. Baptism is not a memorial of our faith — it is a memorial of Jesus’ faithfulness toward us. The only reason that we can show our response of faith is because he has already made a commitment to us. Our faith may falter, but his faithfulness toward us will not.