Advent: Peace

People often ask the hypothetical question: if you could ask for anything at all and be given it, for what would you ask? The hypothetical answer, at least when I was a kid, was always a joking, dreamy-eyed, sugary sounding, “world peace.”

I hear that answer less often these days. Perhaps world peace seems too unrealistic to even be a joke anymore.

Peace seemed pretty unattainable at the time of the birth of Jesus, too. Although the birth of Christ occurred during the so-called Pax Romana, or Roman Peace, that human-engineered peace came at the cost of many lives and was maintained by a harsh and authoritarian government.

It might seem odd that in the middle of humanity’s best attempt at peace, the angel announced in Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

Peace among men? How could this be? The answer was the reason for the angelic proclamation. It echoed Isaiah’s prophesy from hundreds of years before. 

Isaiah 9:6

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”

We can’t get there on our own, not through politics, or “religion,” or any of our own best efforts. We need the Prince of Peace, (Luke 1:79) “To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

 

Advent: Joy

I love glimpsing into the personalities of the people from history who we meet in the Bible.  I love to ask, "What makes him tick?  What motivates her to keep going?"

When we think of the Joy of Christmas, we tend to think of lights and decorations, carols and choirs, candlelight and scented trees, and all of the other modes of celebrating our Joy.  

 

It seems, though, that our modes of celebrating our Joy have replaced the Joy itself.

 

I think it’s time for a review of the Joy that flooded the hearts of those very first celebrants of the coming of the Christ.

 

Luke 2 

 

The angels were filled with Joy. 8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

 

The shepherds were filled with Joy. 15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child… 20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

 

Simeon was filled with Joy. 25 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, 28 then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, 29 “Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace,

According to Your word; 30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation, 31 Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 A Light of revelation to the Gentiles,

And the glory of Your people Israel.”

 

Anna was filled with Joy. 36 And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. 38 At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

 

 

The angels, shepherds, Simeon, and Anna celebrated the birth of the Christ with shouts, proclamations and promises.  

 

My prayer for this season of remembering the coming of our Savior is that we will do it with shouts and proclamations that the power of sin has been broken, that the promise of a Savior has been fulfilled.                                                                                                

 

Let the lights fill us with Joy as they remind us that the Light of God has come to show us the path of salvation.

 

Let the decorations fill us with Joy as they remind us that Christ came to us so that we could one day go to Him and live forever in the splendor of the King.

 

Let the carols and choirs fill us with Joy as they remind us that the Good News of the coming of the Messiah is to be shared.

 

Let the candlelight fill us with Joy as we reflect on the peace and calm that Jesus wants to bring to our hearts.

 

Let the scents of the season fill us with Joy as they remind us of the gifts of the Magi and that we, too, are invited into the presence of God through prayers, which rise to him as sweet incense. 

 

And let us always remember the reason for our Joy!

 

Advent: Love

When I think about Christmas, I’m overwhelmed with the realization of the depth of God’s love for us. 

 

It was God’s love that promised on the very day of the fall of mankind that He would send a Savior to crush the power of sin and death and redeem mankind. 

 

It was Jesus’ love for the Father and for us that caused Him to leave the throne of Heaven and come to earth to be that Savior. 

 

Even though He faced the hatred of those He came to redeem, Jesus’ love carried Him to the cross. 

 

This was the purpose of the baby in the manger: to fulfill God’s love toward mankind and to bring us back into His loving purposes. 

As I look back on Bethlehem and the love that brought Jesus into this world, I want to also look around me for ways to share that love with others.

 

Luke 6:35

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.

 

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

 

John 13:1

Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

 

John 13:34

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

 

John 13:35

By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.

 

John 14:21

He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.

 

John 14:23

Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.

 

Advent: Hope

As Christians prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ, church congregations around the world consider four themes: Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace.  I like to meditate on what each theme meant to Israel as they awaited their Messiah and what each means to us today as we await the return of Christ. 

 

Hope must have been difficult to cling to as the people waited, generation after generation, for prophesy to be fulfilled.  Sometimes, it seems as that we will never see the fulfillment of God’s promise of a new heaven and a new earth without sin, death or sorrow.

 

As He was faithful to his promises to the children of Israel, He will be faithful to his promises to us.  King David faced challenges worse than we can imagine, yet he held on to hope.  As we look back on the coming of the promised Messiah, let’s remember David’s words and make them our own.

 

Psalm 39:7  “And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You.

 

Psalm 62:5  My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him.

 

Psalm 71:14  But as for me, I will hope continually, And will praise You yet more and more.

 

Psalm 119:116  Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.

 

Psalm 119:166  I hope for Your salvation, O Lord, And do Your commandments.

 

Psalm 130:5  I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, And in His word do I hope.

 

Psalm 146:5  How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the Lord his God