How God annointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, Who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38
An exercise that many families do on Thanksgiving Day is to have the children list things that they are thankful for. It is a valuable exercise, as children think about the things that are important to them, the things that make them happy, and the things that are special to their families. It is good for all of us on Thanksgiving Day to reflect on the wonderful blessings that God has given us. We have precious spiritual blessings including all that our salvation has brought us. We have wonderful personal blessings, including our families and closest friends. We as Canadians have excellent temporal blessings, including residence in the greatest nation in the world, safety, financial security, and peace. Our list of blessings for which to be thankful is very long. And yet, all of these blessings do not compare with the blessing of having God provide a Saviour in the person of the One described in today’s text.
Peter spent three years with the Lord Jesus and is speaking of that which he knew personally. The four writers of the Gospels also described that which they observed first hand. We can trust their accounts. And the One Whose life they describe is different from every other life in this world. That life was lived totally within the will and purpose of God the Father. All of the mighty deeds, all of the gracious words, all of the display of power and wisdom, and all of the sufferings at Calvary, followed by His glorious resurrection, these all speak of One annointed by God. His coming into the world is critical for us, because of our failure and inability to please God. We need a Redeemer, One Who could bear our punishment for us and Who could make intercession for us with God. That is why, even on Thanksgiving Day, when we have so much to be thankful for and so much to appreciate God doing for us, we first and foremost give thanks for the provision of His Son.
Without the Son, we have nothing. All of the other blessings would be meaningless, or else be very short term, if there were no Saviour. But in Him, we have peace with God. In Him, we have hope of life eternal. In Him, we have the joy of deliverance and the comfort of rest. Let us give thanks for Him today. -Jim MacIntosh