This is a Day of New Beginnings – Hymn #383
When Jesus casts out demons in Scripture, he shows us many things about himself. He is the Son of God and has divine power to do many great miracles. He cares about people and heals them from their most serious afflictions. And, he shows that where he is present, darkness and the Devil have no choice but to leave – they cannot stay in the presence Jesus’s light, goodness, or love!
It’s this last attribute of Jesus on which our opening hymn for this Sunday, March 24 focuses. When Jesus is present in our lives – when we call on Him for help in prayer, when we rest in the peace of the forgiveness of our sins, and when we look to his teaching and guidance – he “can make for us a world of difference” (Stanza 2). We are able to move from our sin-sick past (see Stanzas 1 and 3 AND our prayer hymn), full of our own demons – addiction, laziness, fear, or whatever our personal struggles – and move forward to new paths. Jesus shows us the way to live a new life in love (Stanza 4), a life which only he can bring!
In the church, we call this process of moving forward in our new Christian life sanctification. It’s a big word that really involves many small steps towards holiness. These steps are only possible when Jesus is on our side. As we sing this hymn this Sunday, focus on how the life of Jesus, portrayed in the Gospel of Mark, makes it possible for us, too, to leave behind the darkness of sin in our lives and find a new beginning in Christ.
Important Note: Brian Wren, who authored this hymn, is a major figure in modern hymn-writing. See if you can find some of his other hymns in our hymnal!
Each week Katie Moss, Messiah’s Organist and Director of Hand Bells, provides us with a short devotion and closer look at a hymn we’ll sing at the Traditions Worship at 8:45 am.
Join Us this Sunday
Traditions Worship: 8:45 am | Journey Worship: 10:30 am
Worship Online: Live stream of our Traditions service at 8:45 am and Journey contemporary worship service at 10:30 am every Sunday morning. Prior Sunday broadcasts are available on demand all week at your convenience.
