Why I Won’t Wish You a Happy New Year
There's a lot to celebrate, but I look at things a little differently.
Well, the new year is upon us again. The older I get, the more frequently they seem to appear. Some of you know what I’m talking about.
The New Testament doesn’t mention special holidays at all. Every day is a time to celebrate the Lord’s mercy and grace. In the kingdom of God, every day is a holiday. But since the world is looking at the coming of 2023 as a special time, we’ll use this time to make a bigger point.
The Old Testament was full of regulations for how to celebrate special holidays. The Passover and other feasts were regulated by the Law of Moses with very specific instructions on how to do it.
The Jubilee was one of those special days that came along every 50 years. It was a year of forgiven debts. Ancestral Lands sold out of financial necessity were returned to the family. Any Israelite who had sold himself into indentured servitude was set free. Jubilee was the day when God’s true nature as a liberating God was made evident. Jubilee is who God is.
So, when Jesus attended the synagogue in Nazareth, he opened the book of Isaiah and began to expound on Jubilee:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”—Luke 4:18-19
As soon as he finished reading, he rolled up the scroll, looked at the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, and said, “Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” In other words, he might have said, “This passage in Isaiah is about me! I am the Jubilee!”
Jubilee would no longer be a date on the calendar, but a person instead. Jesus himself is the year of Jubilee now. Through him, the poor would hear good news, those imprisoned by sin would be set free, and those oppressed would escape their bondage.
January 1 is just another day to me. By the time the ball drops in Times Square, I’ll be several hours into a deep sleep. But the year of our Lord’s favor, the time that it became apparent to humanity that the Almighty would set me and the rest of mankind free from the ravages of sin and condemnation, now that’s something worth celebrating. I have made it my practice to do that every day.
I would wish you a Happy New Year, but I’d rather tell you “Happy year of the Lord’s favor! Happy Jubilee!” If you don’t know the one who sets men and women free from their addictions to sin and self-centeredness, you should get to know him. He’s the best friend I’ve ever had.
May the Lord bless your family and you, brother Phil, in 2023 and daily. Today, in 1999, my godly mother became ill. Yesterday, in 2000, Mom went to see Jesus. I know that I will see her again. Mom was the finest Christian example, whom I've ever known -- and I know or have known many fine examples. Of course, I try to be the same. My wife and I also plan to be fast asleep, for New Year's Eve. She hits the hay about 9 PM. I am a "night owl." I hit the hay about an hour or so later! Yes, she's up about 4 AM, and I'm up about 6 AM. I know. I'm a morning late riser -- the slaker that I am!
Phil I don’t know if you read any of your comments but I for one, enjoy your posts and the different light you’ve put on this subject. Thank you.