He Saved Us – Family Devotion – January 14, 2022
Read: Titus 3:4-7
He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his great mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.
Titus 3:5-6
He Saved Us
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Reread the first three words of our verse for today: “He saved us.” If you wanted to sum up the whole story of the Bible, those three words do it: God saved us. God doesn’t just leave us with a three-word sentence. On every page of Scripture, he explains why he needed to save us. Our problem is sin. It’s so serious that we can’t save ourselves. Salvation wasn’t a team effort with you doing your part and God doing his. Forgiveness of sins isn’t if you’re sorry enough or say it in just the right way. God didn’t choose to save you because you were so bright and shiny and beautiful. He did it because of his great mercy. God wants to show you his genuine kindness. Those three words sum up nicely what he decided to do for us—He saved us.
Where do we see that perfect rescue of God most fully and beautifully? In Jesus our Savior. From his conception to his birth to his baptism by John in the Jordan all the way to the cross and empty tomb, Jesus took our place and our sin. He even died to pay for them all. Because he rose from death to life, he could give us his new life. That’s the good news He saved us!
But wait, there’s more! God attaches that good news to you in a wonderful way—through the water and Word of your baptism. In Holy Baptism, God doesn’t just make a promise, he makes a promise to you! He connects you to Jesus and all that Jesus did to win salvation. Now you know how he saved us. Now you can live a new life, because the Holy Spirit gives you the kind of life your mom never could when you were born. That’s why you can live as a person made brand new in Christ. Now you live with a righteousness that is not your own, but the perfect righteousness of Jesus covering you from head to toe, body and soul. Even though you may look like any other person, your baptism tells another story about you. “He saved us,” Paul said. How do you know? Because God brought you into his family through water and the Word: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Closing Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for pouring out your Holy Spirit on us through the washing of rebirth and renewal, connecting us to Jesus our Savior through Holy Baptism. Help us always to cling with faith to the simple promise that, in Christ, you have saved us from sin, death, and the devil’s power. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.
Questions for Younger Children
- Who saved us?
- Why did he save us?
Questions for Elementary Age Children
- What is the most important message of the Bible?
- How is Jesus able to give us such wonderful gifts in Baptism?
Questions for Middle School and Above
- Look again at the focus verses. Can you find a reference to each person of the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit)?
- What does it mean to have “rebirth” and “renewal”?
