Happy Chinese New Year!
There’s excitement in the air as we welcome the start of a new lunar year with family, friends, and feasting. It’s a wonderful time of joy and celebration.
The theme of blessing lies at the heart of Chinese New Year. It is a time of seeking and sharing good fortune and blessing with one another. Many of the traditions that mark this time are a mixture of fun, fantasy, and folk-religion. Traditional practices blend community customs and superstitious belief that there are things that we do or that we must avoid in order to bring about some cosmic blessing upon individuals, households, and communities.
The Bible is no stranger to the idea of a life that is full of blessing. However, it shows us that true blessedness is not found in wishful thinking or ritual practices. And although the Bible recognizes that there is blessing to be enjoyed from our neighbours, it points us beyond these to the greatest source of blessing – the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one blessed by his Father and filled with the Spirit. Ephesians tells us that when we are united to Jesus, we share in every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms. There is no other source of real blessing and faith believes that Jesus is incomparably greater than any earthly fortune and joy.
Jesus alone brings blessing to all who put their trust in him
As we begin our new sermon series exploring the ‘I Am’ sayings of Jesus in John’s gospel, we’ll see how Jesus alone brings blessing to all who put their trust in him. Whatever our earthly circumstances, whether we have material abundance or scarcity, are relationally fulfilled or have unfulfilled desires, or whatever else, the Bible proclaims that fullness of life is found in following Jesus and knowing the peace and joy that comes from him.
Wonderfully, this blessing is not for us alone but is to be shared. We share this blessing with others as we point them to the Lord Jesus Christ. This Chinese New Year, let’s be a blessing to those around us. Let’s continue to pray ‘2 for 2’, as we set aside two minutes each day to pray for two people to come to know Jesus. Keep inviting friends and family to church, that they may hear the voice of Jesus, the great ‘I Am’.
Along with the whole St. Andrew’s staff team, I wish you a very happy Chinese New Year! May you know every spiritual blessing in Jesus Christ and may that blessing overflow from you to everyone you meet.
