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When I studied preaching at seminary, we had the opportunity to spend three hours with Marshall McLuhan, who coined the phrase, "The medium is the message." In 1964, he proposed that the form of the message determines the way in which that message will be perceived. He argued that modern electronic communications would have far-reaching sociological, ascetic, and philosophical consequences, to the point of actually altering the way in which we experience the world. He challenged us to be the message to our people.
In today's world, the medium is our cell phones, which affect how we see the world, no matter the message that we send or receive. Cell phones have become the way that we communicate. We are addicted to technology. I noticed two young people sitting on a couch texting. I asked what they were doing, and they said that they were talking with each other.
In the ancient days of the Bible, God often used prophets as the medium to bring His message to His people. Malachi was such a messenger; in fact, his name means "messenger" or "messenger of the Lord".
Malachi 3:1 – Behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. (ESV)
This suggests that Malachi's own ministry foreshadowed John the Baptist, the coming medium who prepared the people for their Messiah.
Advent is all about preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. The medium for the announcement of Jesus' birth was the angels who proclaimed, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased." (Luke 2:14 ESV)
Their message still rings with eternal significance — Jesus is the message, the Word of God made flesh, Who dwelt among us. He is also the medium through Whom our salvation is obtained. His message never changes; it is the good news of the kingdom of God, but it is so much more. Jesus is the personal messenger Who reaches out to us through His Word and the working of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is not an impersonal Saviour Whose message can be refuted, debated, or altered. He is not a virtual saviour, but the living God, and His message is not fake news! Through Him, we have forgiveness of sin and eternal life in the kingdom of heaven. Hold on to the truth!
As we count down the days until Christmas, let us take some time away from the world and its clamour. Turning off our cell phones, closing our laptops, and signing out of social media, let's take a few minutes each day and open our Bibles. Take time to consider that Jesus is both the Medium and the Message.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, we humbly bow before You. We thank You for being our Saviour and our Lord. As we spend these moments alone with You, fill us with the Holy Spirit. Fill us with the truth that Your Word proclaims. Come, Lord Jesus, into the deepest region of our souls and dwell in our midst. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen.
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Thank you.
Great reminder, David! God bless!
Thanks for the encouragement, David.
A good message to start the day. Thank you.
Thanks, David, for a wonderful Advent devotion today.
Thank you, David. This is a meaningful message to link the current world to the ancient truth.
Thanks, David, for bringing new meaning and understanding to an old saying and refreshment to our spirits.
Thank you, David, for your devotion submission.
I enjoyed it very much.
(Quebec)
Good morning, David.
Thank you so much for this message. We all need this reminder.
Blessings.
Great Devotional, David! Something we all need to hear. Inspiring! Thanks so much!
Blessings, Joy, Laughter,
(On)
David;
Great to see you contributing to PresbyCan with today’s The Medium is the message.
Keep them coming.
Greetings David,
Thank you for a very encouraging and mindful devotional today. Yes, Jesus truly is our loving Saviour who is ever there to receive our prayers and help us through each circumstance in our lives. He certainly deserves our endless gratitude and praise. Blessings for your writing.
Good morning, David,
A great message about a changing world and how we deliver our message. I have held out getting a cell phone, so I don’t fall into the trap of not calling someone and just texting the message.
I join in your prayer for closer communion with Jesus as we celebrate the days leading up to Jesus coming to earth in human form to save us from our sin.
May you continue to feel inspired to share your thoughts and prayers with others. Blessings.
David,
Thank you so much for your perspective shared through your writing, and the call to think about the Medium and the Message.