Day 12 – Monday, Dec 18
“I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember thy wonders of old” (Psalm 77:11, KJV).
Next year (2018) marks the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. The United States 2010 Census reported that there were a total of 53,364 people 100 or older living in the United States (Meyer, Julie. 2010. Centenarians: 2010. Bureau of the Census. Washington DC: Government Printing Office.) Ninety-two percent of those individuals were between 100 and 104. Assuming the same number of centenarians are alive on November 11, 2018, then about 4,270 could be old enough to remember the end of World War I. But, I don’t think any of us are old enough to remember the first Christmas (although some students think I am).
Remembrance is an important element of human activity. We remember birthdays, anniversaries, and special events. We remember things that happened in our lives and the lives of loved ones, but can we truly remember things we have not lived through? The Psalmist Asaph says in Psalm 77 that we can. Because, in the span of all of history, God remembered us. And He sent his Son to become a sacrifice for us.
We celebrate Christmas to remember the birth of our Savior, just as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper to remember that he bled and died for us (I Corinthians 11:24-28). This year, as you recall your own Christmas day experiences, remember the epic story of the birth of Jesus and what He did for us. Read Luke 1:26-2:20 and Matthew 1:18-2:12 as a family or with friends. I suggest you pay special attention to Mary’s amazing remembrance of what God did for her as recorded in Luke 1:46-55.
Dr. Teddy Bitner, Chief Academic Officer
