Theme: Be Thankful!

When I think about Thanksgiving, I think about the gospel of John. I think about the stories of the Samaritan woman, or “the woman at the well,” the official’s son, the lame man, the man born blind, and Lazarus.

They lived in the midst of secret sin, public sin, illness, disabilities, and even experienced death. Jesus overcame all of these things on their behalf.

Is Thanksgiving a “Christian” holiday? No. But is it a great reminder that Jesus overcame the world so that we could live “in” it but be not “of” it? Absolutely. We aren’t called to ignore it. We aren’t called to isolate ourselves from it. We aren’t called to blend into it. We are called to engage it, to seek to change it, and to love those who are deeply entrenched in it. Because Jesus did all of those things.

To me, Thanksgiving is the perfect precursor to the Christian season called Advent, which begins approximately a month before Christmas Day. The purpose of this season is to prepare for the arrival of the Messiah, to prepare the way for Him, to eagerly anticipate the offer of new life that He brings. As I think about these things, I ponder how I should be preparing. How am I making myself ready for Him? How am I having a hand in preparing the world for His coming? As an act of thanksgiving, I should be living in a way that reflects my understanding of the sacrifice He made for me by choosing to come here in the first place.

These sinners and invalids in the gospel of John, they understand what it feels like to be imperfect in the most socially unacceptable ways. They also understand what it feels like to be eternally freed from imperfection. How do they show their gratitude?

“Then the woman left her water jar, went into town, and told the men, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could this be the Messiah?” They left the town and made their way to Him” (John 4).

“Then he himself believed, along with his whole household” (John 4).

“The man went and reported to the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well” (John 5).

“‘This is an amazing thing,’ the man told them. ‘You don’t know where He is from, yet He opened my eyes! We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He listens to him. Throughout history no one has ever heard of someone opening the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, He wouldn’t be able to do anything’” (John 9).

“‘Yes, Lord,’ she told Him, ‘I believe You are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world’” (John 11).

There are two responses to the healing that Jesus gives--belief or unbelief. The lame man in John 5 responds with unbelief. The rest of them respond confessionally--they choose belief, then they share it with everyone who will listen. I don’t know a better way to show our thankfulness than by willingly risking rejection in the name of Jesus. After all, He did exactly that on our behalf: “He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not recognize Him. He came to His own, but His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God...”

Father,

Thank you for showing us how to live in gratitude through the life, death, and resurrection of your Son. We love you so much and are so thankful for the saving life you offer so freely.

Through Jesus, Amen.

Erin E. Daugherty, Abilene Christian University