The Day After – The Presidential Prayer Team

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. – 1 Corinthians 15:22

The day after Christmas… what does it look like for you? It may be about cleaning up and managing a new to-do list. And it may have been surprisingly similar in the ancient world! Holding her newborn son, Mary’s mind may have been whirling preparing for what was next.

In the Jewish custom, Mary’s baby would be circumcised on the eighth day, then after 33 more days of purification for the mother, the child would be presented to the priest at the temple. When Jesus was brought for presentation, Mary encountered an old man named Simeon whom God had promised would see the Messiah before he died. As he held the child, he spoke directly to Mary, “This child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed, and a sword will pierce through your own soul also” (Luke 2:34-35). While Jesus’ mother understood her child was significant, she could not have foreknown what that meant in sacrifice and faith.

Likewise, today you may be looking ahead with trepidation. As you continue your journey with Christ, it may require great sacrifice and a great measure of faith. However, because you belong to Christ, you can be sure of one thing: His death and resurrection is sufficient to secure your eternal life with God. Pray for the gospel of Christ to continue to be freely presented in America and that many will choose, like His own mother did, to follow Him into eternity.

Today’s Verse: 1 Corinthians 15:22

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Recommended for further reading: Romans 5:12-16

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— ¹³for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. ¹⁴Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

¹⁵But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. ¹⁶And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification.