Help is on the Way

Rev. Marvin Bublitz

by Marvin Bublitz

As I travel around the East Region, at times I need to stay in hotels. Some are in bigger cities and some in small towns. When I stay in places like Montreal or Toronto, it seems that all night I hear sirens—ambulances or fire trucks heading somewhere.

Different people hear sirens differently. Some hear a siren and think; “Which side road did that go down?” They know who lives there and may even head out to see if they can help the family. Some hear a siren and look to see which way it went so they can avoid going that way and being inconvenienced. They feel that it has nothing to do with them.

When you hear a siren, you can think: “Someone is in trouble. They are hurting or sick. There is a fire burning.” I prefer to think; “Help is on the way.” When I hear a siren, I say a prayer for those in need of help, but also a prayer of thanksgiving because help is on the way.

As we celebrate Christmas and the birth of our Saviour, consider that for generations people heard “Help is on the way.” Since the Garden of Eden, humanity has been sick with the corruption of sin. All that God had created pure and holy was cursed. All mankind was destined for the fires of hell, but help was on the way. No sooner had Adam and Eve given in to the temptations of the father of lies when the heavenly Father promised that help was on the way. Through generation after generation, by the mouth of prophet after prophet, He retold that promise.

The many people who heard the prophets died before the Saviour was laid in the manger of Bethlehem. Yet they believed in the promise of our heavenly Father. They trusted that Help was on the way.

The many people who heard the prophets died before the Saviour was laid in the manger of Bethlehem. Yet they believed in the promise of our heavenly Father. They trusted that Help was on the way.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith does not have to see or touch, so, in faith, we know that Jesus came. In faith we know that He will come again. In faith we know that He comes to us in His word to convict us of our sin and forgive the repentant. In faith we know that the Word Incarnate comes to us with His body and blood in the blessed supper.

During Advent we hear another siren call that help is on the way—God’s promise from the mouths of His prophets spoken through the mouths of His called shepherds of today. As we hear His promise, we remember that we are the ones sick and diseased with sin. We are the ones who were destined for the fires of hell. But thanks be to our heavenly Father; He has sent help in the Word made flesh.

The Son of God left His throne in heaven to come among us. He bore our sickness of sin. He is our help, our Saviour from the fires of hell. And to all who have faith in Jesus, He gives eternal life.

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Rev. Marvin Bublitz is Regional Pastor for Lutheran Church–Canada’s East Region.

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